CHAPTERS & SECTORS

Chicago Study Group

From Jewish immigrant labor organizers in New York City, to people working for social justice in Europe and Latin America, to the Black Panthers-- many organizations have used study as an integral part of building movements. Chicago IJAN has worked to build on these legacies, using political education to inform our anti-Zionist and Palestine solidarity work. Our ten-session study group began in September and will go until mid-January. We hold meetings every two weeks for two hours at a time. The material includes academic articles, poetry, creative nonfiction, film, and art work. Group members take turns facilitating. Our study group has been an overwhelming success, and have about 10 core participants. Plans are percolating for future continuations and new versions of the study group!

IJAN Participated in Campus BDS Conference

From November 20-22, IJAN organizers attended the Campus BDS Conferenceat Hampshire College, the first US campus to divest from Israel.The conference was an inspiring gathering of students from more than 50colleges and universities, and Palestine solidarity movement activistsfrom across the U.S., working together to expand and solidify Boycott,Divestment, and Sanctions work on our campuses and in ourcommunities. Hampshireorganizers shared lessons from their divestment campaign and looked tothe work ahead of them to maintain divestment and grow the explicitcommitment of the campus to Palestinian liberation. At the conference,IJAN organizers facilitated severalrequested workshops.

Announcing Launch of Campus and Student Network!

IJAN organizers officially launched the Campus and Student Network this past September, which will be a space for connecting Jewish anti-Zionist activism across campuses, as well as sharing news, resources, and discussion.

We hope to expand the student network as a place to connect andunite Jewish anti-Zionist, anti-racist, anti-imperialiststudent activists doing Palestine solidarity organizing. The network will be aplace for building the leadership of campus organizers working onBoycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaigns, standing in defense ofacademics critical of Zionism/Israel, and expanding anti-Zionistpolitical analysis and activism for ourselves and within ourorganizations.

Similarly, the network will be a forum for Jewishanti-Zionist student activists to share news, create and distributeresources, strategize and discuss the implications of doinganti-Zionist work as Jewish students. At this point, IJAN studentorganizers are focused on making the US anti-Zionist Convening inDetroit a space to bring anti-Zionist Jewish student activists togetherto discuss and build the network into its potential, so we're intent onpublicizing the Convening to as many student activists as possible. Ifyou would like to get involved in Campus and Student Network organizingfor the US anti-Zionist Jewish Convening, please contact us atstudents@ijsn.net!