Students Supporting Israel

Students Supporting Israel
Motto Pro Israel. Grassroots. Movement.
Formation 2012
Founders

Ilan Sinelnikov (President of the Organization)
Valeria Chazin (Chairwoman, Board of Directors)

Naor Bitton (Senior Advisor, Board of Directors)
Type 501(c)(3) non-profit
Focus Pro Israel Campus Activity
Headquarters Minneapolis, MN
Leaders
 Valeria Chazin, Ilan Sinelnikov & Naor Bitton
Website http://www.ssimovement.org/

Students Supporting Israel (also known as SSI) is a pro-Israel international campus movement that supports Israel as a Jewish Democratic nation-state. As of April 2015, SSI has more than 45 chapters across campuses in the United States, Canada and Austria.[1] SSI was founded in 2012 in Minnesota and its national offices are in Minneapolis. The founders of the organizations are: Ilan Sinelnikov, Valeria Chazin and Naor R. Bitton.

Mission

SSI states its mission as:

... to create a clear and confident Pro-Israel voice on college campuses, and to support students in grassroots Pro-Israel advocacy... to provide students on college campuses and universities with the opportunity to support the position of Israel in the Middle East, and to reassure students who opposed the demonization of the state of Israel on campus that they are not alone.[2]

Awards and achievements

In 2015, SSI won the Outstanding Outreach and Pro Israel Activism Award by Israel’s Consulate to the Midwest.[3] In 2014 it won the CAMERA David Bar Illan award, as well as the Zionist Organization of America Annual Award.[4] As a student group, it has demonstrated influence in student government bodies on several occasions including the Israeli Academic Cooperation position statement at the University of Minnesota, which paved the way for a similar Israeli Support Resolution at the University of Georgia followed shortly by Texas A&M University,[5][6][7][8][9]

Augsburg College charter denial

The student government of Augsburg College, a private Lutheran College in Minnesota, originally denied a charter to SSI as an Augsburg College student group.[10][11] The college received criticism for the decision, and less than two weeks later Augsburg’s vice president of student affairs released a statement, announcing that the Augsburg Student Government's "decision is being overturned and SSI is being recognized as chartered." [12][13][14]

References

  1. ↑ "List of Chapters". Students Supporting Israel.
  2. ↑ "SSI movement official website "About Us" page".
  3. ↑ http://embassies.gov.il/chicago/NewsAndEvents/Pages/Yom-Ha%27atzmaut-celebration-for-Israel%27s-67th-Independence-Day.aspx
  4. ↑ "Students Supporting Israel at the University of Minnesota Honored at CAMERA's Annual Gala | In Focus". Camera on Campus. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Ghermezian, Shiryn. "2015′s First Resolution Calling for More Investment in Israel Passed by University of Georgia Students". algemeiner.com. The Algemeiner. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Duke, Michael. "Anti-Israel divestment defeated at University of Texas". Jewish Herald-Voice. Jewish Herald-Voice. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Reid, Kylee. "Israeli support finds home at Texas A&M". The Battalion. The Battalion. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Michael. "Dawgs Pound Home Support for Israel". Atlanta Jewish Times. Southern Israelites. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Jakobs, Barry. "The Minneapolis model: Innovating Israel advocacy". Times of Israel. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Students Supporting Israel Rejected By Student Government" (PDF). CXXI (2). The Echo. The Echo. September 26, 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  11. ↑ Machov, Bradley. "Augsburg College Rejects Campus Israel Group". TC Jewfolk. TC Jew. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  12. ↑ Augsburg College, "FAQ: Student Organizations at Augsburg College," October 3, 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  13. ↑ Hunter, Riley (October 10, 2014). "Investigation overturns student government chartering decision" (PDF). CXXI (4). The Echo. The Echo. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "JCRC APPLAUDS AUGSBURG COLLEGE'S DECISION TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS SUPPORTING ISRAEL AS A CHARTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATION". Jewish Community Relations Council. JCRC. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
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