BDS is Continuing to Spread Hate and Anti-Semitism Across the U.S.

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You can join the fight to stop it! Click here to help us fight BDS.

A vicious sickness known as anti-Semitism has infected people with hate across centuries, cultures, and continents — and Jewish communities have often paid the price for it. In the U.S., after decades of historic declines in anti-Semitic attitudes and incidents, the disease has come roaring back at an exponential rate over the last seven years. According to the ADL, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. grew by more than one-third in 2016 and have jumped 86 percent in the first quarter of 2017. Nowhere has this rise in incidents been more pronounced than on America’s college campuses.

How do we explain this astronomical rise?

In no small part, it is the result of a systematic campaign to demonize the Jewish state using the same tactics that have long been used to demonize the Jewish people: the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS).

In my work as a pro-Israel activist and philanthropist, I’m often asked: is BDS really anti-Semitic? Does it really lead to an increase in anti-Semitism?

If you look at the evidence — and examine the roots, goals, and strategy of BDS — you see that the answer is an unequivocal yes!

Let’s start with the evidence, which shows that anti-Semitism spikes when BDS strikes. One recent report found that on 64 campuses with a large presence of BDS activists, 287 anti-Semitic incidents occurred, compared to 198 occurrences that took place during the same time last year, reflecting a 45 percent increase.

The student governments at 10 of these schools took up anti-Israel divestment resolutions. Of these 10 schools, eight showed the largest increase in anti-Semitism from 2015 to 2016. BDS activity does not merely encourage, but also causes anti-Semitism: at 7 of the 9 schools in the 2015 study that considered or voted on divestment resolutions, there was a drastic decrease in anti-Semitic activity the following year, when no divestment resolution was considered.

Despite this evidence, for the past seven years, many in the Jewish-American community ignored or downplayed the threat of BDS. In opinion pages across the Jewish and Israeli press, you continue to find claims that BDS is not connected to anti-Semitism and arguments that BDS has been beaten or is fading away. When you take the time to learn about BDS and its expansion into mainstream America, you understand how dangerous it is and why we need to fight it.

This movement has roots in anti-Semitic boycotts that began long before Israel was even a country. From the Romans to the Nazis to the anti-Semitic leaders of the Soviet Union, organized boycotts of Jews have a long history. An official, organized boycott of the Jewish community in the area that is now Israel started as early as 1922, more than 25 years before the establishment of a Jewish state in 1948. An official boycott was adopted by the Arab League in December 1945, which became an official boycott against the country of Israel when it was founded three years later, with the goal of isolating the Jewish state from the international community.

Boycott policies have continued to this day, taking different forms over the years. While the strategy hasn’t changed, those behind these today’s anti-Israel boycotts have gotten much more sophisticated.

Over the past 15 years, BDS has effectively branded itself as a human rights movement, hiding its true intentions from the public and obscuring the role of the extremists, racists, terrorists, and radicals behind the Movement.

By 2006, BDS had developed a robust model of operating in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. They focused on a few areas where their movement can enjoy structural advantages, such as the judiciary, academia, churches, and trade unions. They formed alliances with social justice and minority groups, speaking out on totally unrelated issues — from prison reform to global warming — so that they could ingratiate themselves with these new allies and indoctrinate them with their lies about the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

The result? Anti-Israel hate that was once on the margins has entered the mainstream, becoming accepted as a legitimate voice in too much of our political discourse.

How did this happen? The BDS playbook developed in the UK has been exported to the rest of Europe and to America, and its success here has followed like clockwork (I’ll speak more about this in my next op-ed).

Many in the American Jewish community ignored this threat when it first emerged. Some have even accepted BDS’ claims that it was simply a human rights movement and had nothing to do with anti-Semitism.

Anyone who spends the time to dig a little deeper discovers the truth. BDS has made clear time and again that their goal isn’t to exert international pressure to change Israeli policies: it is to destroy Israel and demonize any that support it.

The maps that BDS groups publish of the region make clear that they seek Israel’s elimination, depicting a single Palestinian state that extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, with no trace of the Jewish state. BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti has said publicly that he’s working for Israel’s “euthanasia.” Hatem Bazian — the other major co-founder of BDS in America — has called for an armed struggle, an “intifada,” against the United States and spouted anti-Semitic stereotypes from his pulpit as a lecturer at UC Berkeley.

Those who see BDS for what it is — a sophisticated hate movement committed to the destruction of the Jewish people — are the only ones equipped to defeat it. The time has come to put the delusions behind us, but we cannot be successful without courage, conviction, and unity. If you want to join me in this fight as a philanthropist or volunteer, CLICK HERE to fill out a sign-up form to tell us more about your background and motivation. We will connect you with organizations doing important work in this space, according to your talents and interests. We must stand up and fight BDS now — with all the tools and all the strength that our community can muster — before it’s too late.

Originally featured on Huffington Post and Times of Israel.

Boots on America’s Campuses

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Over the past several years, the harassment and intimidation that the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) groups have brought to America’s college campuses have grown by leaps and bounds. For years, many worthy Jewish and pro-Israel organizations worked to counter this hate, but the problem has only seemed to grow worse.

At UCLA, a Jewish student was almost prevented from joining the student government’s Judicial Board following accusations that her Jewish identity meant she had dual loyalties. At Stanford, a young Jewish woman running for the Student Senate was subjected to a barrage of hostility due to her open support for Israel. At Harvard, Israel’s former foreign minister was derided as “smelly” by a student in a public lecture.

Incidents of physical assaults on AEPI Houses and Jewish students across campuses continue to increase.

On campus and off, we would hear about massive, nationally coordinated, well-funded and professionally organized anti-Israel hate groups staging events and demonstrations, which easily outmatched the small counter-protests organized by local pro-Israel activists.

While many praise the few activists who bravely stood up for Israel, no one seemed to ask why more courageous students didn’t show up to counter BDS.

The fact is that our pro-Israel students are often David against Goliath. The BDS groups are organized by professional agitators on campus – most often doctoral students who are paid to stay on campus for decades for the sole purpose of running anti-Israel campaigns and local Student for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters. They are supported by a national SJP organization with close to 200 chapters, and support organizations flooded with outside and international funds, such as Palestine Legal.

The problem has not been a lack of support for Israel in America. Pro-Israel conferences and events draw tens of thousands of attendees from all over the country, and millions of Americans are supportive of the State of Israel. Rather, it has been a lack of organizations with a national reach and a grassroots presence on campus with the courage, motivation, know-how, and boots on the ground to be effective.

Some of that changed five years ago, with the founding of a then-small group of pro-Israel student activists at the University of Minnesota: Students Supporting Israel (SSI). SSI was created organically by students who were sick and tired standing idly by as Israel was demonized on their campus. Some of the students were not Jewish, but they all shared unwavering support for the Jewish state and a unique courage to defend it.

Their plan was simple: create a grassroots group that could bring together all the supporters of Israel, of all races and religions, by connecting them on the most basic level with the pure idea of Zionism – that the Jewish People have the right to sovereignty and self-determination in their ancestral homeland.

An idea that – regardless of one’s political camp or cultural background – is hard to object to if not for bias and double standards.

And so, with a dedicated army of advocates, SSI began operating on the University of Minnesota campus. Members of the group became so involved with campus activism that from time to time, 10% of those in student government were also members of SSI. A major turning point came when, for the first time, the student government passed a pro-Israel resolution suggested by its members. This move was revolutionary in light of the many BDS bills that were being considered around the country, and in an environment where pro-Israel groups traditionally worked on reactive campaigns, rather than proactive ones.

Following that first groundbreaking resolution, SSI started adding more chapters across the country, replicating the Minnesota model for proactive grassroots work on campus. With its unapologetically pro-Israel message and committed members who proudly engaged in conversation and build coalitions outside their comfort zone, SSI rapidly grew to include nearly 20 chapters nationwide in only its second year of operation.

When SJP erected an apartheid wall at Columbia University, for example, SSI was there with a taller display right across the street. Returning the following year with its own new campaign, “Hebrew Liberation Week,” SSI completely took the attention from SJP.

Coming into existence during a time when the traditional pro-Israel camp often avoided pressing topics and opted instead to simply showcase Israel’s culture with some hummus and Israeli music, SSI brought forth programs about critical issues, including Jewish refugees from Arab lands, the significance of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, and Israel’s fight against terrorism and its standing with the American people, just to name a few.

SSI celebrated its fifth anniversary this spring. The organization’s achievements are too numerous to list in one article but include hundreds of events, thousands of students reached two national conferences and nearly 50 active chapters nationwide. SSI has put together many programs that pushed the limit of what the pro-Israel camp felt comfortable doing before.

Perhaps most telling is the relative success (or lack thereof) of the BDS campaign on college campuses where an SSI group is present. In four of these situations – each at different universities – every proposed BDS bill was defeated in student government. Even more, all eight pro-Israel resolutions that were introduced by SSI activists at these institutions passed.

With bold messaging, national coordination, a clear vision, effective leadership and passionate activists, SSI in the past five years has emerged as the organization that puts boots on the ground – and the true special forces of pro-Israel leadership.

Original article featured on The Jerusalem Post

By: Adam Milstein

The author is an Israeli-American philanthropist, national chairman of the Israeli- American Council, real estate entrepreneur and president of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation.

TAMID Tank: USC’s first-ever Shark Tank for college students

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USC has an outstanding entrepreneurial community, an incredible venture capital (VC) network, and thousands of fanatic Shark Tank viewers. Daniel Newman founded two startups and had the experience necessary to work with entrepreneurs and VCs alike to make TAMID Tank at USC a reality. He was elected Vice President of Operations of USC TAMID at the end of the fall semester and began planning TAMID Tank shortly thereafter in December 2016. Daniel’s first step was assembling a team of 15 brilliant students and dividing them into three groups based on their strengths: startup relations, investor relations, or logistics. This team was able to successfully raise $14,000 from various corporate and institutional sponsors that believed in TAMID Tank’s vision and greater effect it could have on the student body and TAMID. The TAMID Tank Committee then chased the VCs. Cold emails, calling their office, catching them at events — you name it, they did it. The committee also simultaneously held a school-wide startup competition to select USC’s university’s top three startups and a marketing campaign to ensure they hit every corner of campus with TAMID Tank.

The investor relations committee secured three well-known VCs in Los Angeles: Eytan Elbaz (Render Media, Scopely Social Native, Applied Semantics), Effie Epstein (Sound Ventures), and Laurent Grill (Luma Launch). They also got Audrey Jacobs, founding partner of OurCrowd, to deliver a keynote about Israeli innovation, and Daniel was lucky enough to conduct a fireside chat on stage with Jeff Morris, Director of Product Management – Revenue at Tinder.

TAMID Tank was a massive success. USC’s top three student-led startups (Aqus, Drops, and Reefer) pitched their companies to the panel of venture capitalists in front of hundreds. It’s just how you can imagine; epic Shark Tank music as the entrepreneurs walked to the stage, live demos and pitches, and “sharks” critically questioning the startups live. The event hit its maximum capacity at 500 attendees, including students, professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs.

TAMID Tank propelled TAMID at USC’s reputation and awareness throughout campus. It won the Marshall School of Business’ award for “Most Innovative Event.” It also shined a light on the “startup nation” to many who were completely unaware of Israel’s drive and innovation. The student organization is gearing up to sort through the highest number of applicants to TAMID at USC since its founding and is extremely excited for another incredible year.

Daniel Newman’s Personal Experience:

When I attended TAMIDcon (TAMID’s yearly conference) In New Jersey last fall, I met outstanding business-minded students from all across the nation. Through a combination of breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and casual conversations, I was able to understand where TAMID stood and the areas it was focusing on to continue growing and improving at this exponential rate. As a business and real estate development student at the University of Southern California, what stood out to me most was hearing about the first-ever TAMID Tank that happened at Queens College. TAMID at Queens successfully replicated a Shark Tank-style event and facilitate a live $100,000 investment in a student-run company from Kevin Harrington, an actual “shark” on the show.

I sought to inspire the student body and show them that the time to act on the idea they’ve been sitting on is now. As college students, we have absolutely nothing to lose by pursuing a venture. We don’t have to worry about rent, kids, a wife/husband, or even a job. We’re at the point in our lives where we should be experiencing anything and everything while the stakes are low, but not enough Trojans feel that way. If a startup takes off, excellent. But even a failed startup is a gained experience that will compound and prove exponentially higher results in the long run. TAMID Tank embodied this all by supporting our current startups and inspiring others in the audience who have since then “taken the leap” into entrepreneurship.

TAMID has definitely set a foundation for me and opened my eyes to the many ways I can get involved in strengthening the business ties between the U.S. and Israel. I’m super excited to have been accepted to the TAMID Fellowship this summer in Tel Aviv as a Venture Intern for UpWest Labs and to continue contributing to a cause that means so much to me.

This article was written by Daniel Newman, a student at USC and the VP of Operations for TAMID Group’s USC Chapter. For more information about TAMID Group, visit their website: http://tamidgroup.org/.

Milstein Fellow – Their AIPAC Story [3/3]

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There is a famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr. that states, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Over eighteen thousand Americans and over two-thirds of Congress came together this past week at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington D.C. because they love Israel. It was inspiring to see so many people from all kinds of backgrounds and communities join to show their support for Israel. This love is what will drive out the hate, which is what we witnessed outside the AIPAC Policy Conference with the angry protesters on Sunday. It is also what we have been witnessing on the world stage of the United Nations. However, the beautiful thing is the love far outweighs the hate. There were maybe fifty plus protesters, but there were thousands inside attending the conference in support for the State of Israel, including the U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is calling out and standing up to the anti-Israel bias in the United Nations.

Being a pro-Israel advocate on campus can often be an uphill battle and a lonely one. It was reassuring to see over eighteen thousand Americans that care about Israel and are also doing the similar advocacy work in their communities. It was refreshing and encouraging being at AIPAC with other people who share the same mission. The theme this year was, “Many voices ONE Mission.” Over the past couple of months, America has seemed more polarized and divided politically as ever. However, the AIPAC Policy Conference is a beckon hope for how we can find bipartisan support for important issues and work together to achieve a common goal. There was support for Israel across the aisle. Support for Israel should and has to be a bipartisan issue. We cannot afford to not have support for Israel from both sides of the aisle. Now more than ever with Iran’s sanctions lifted and their generous bankrolling of terrorism growing even greater to Hamas and Hezbollah to gear up for war against Israel it is imperative that the United States continue to help support Israel’s defense systems.

In a region with so much instability, it is crucial that a country as small as Israel has support from their number one ally the United States. It is refreshing to see the current admiration actively working to fight the anti-Israel bias and that they are willing to call it out here in the U.S. and at the United Nations. Allies do not throw each other under the bus in front of the world. I am hopeful that the U.S. has passed that ugly phase and we will finally start acting like a friend to Israel and repair the tense relationship between the U.S. and Israel that the Obama admiration so carelessly left behind. The AIPAC Policy Conference is a great example of how America is coming together to show their support for Israel regardless of people’s’ differing political views. The priority for everyone was and is that Israel remain to get the support from the United States that it so crucially needs. It was reassuring to see over eighteen thousand Americans that care about Israel and are also doing the similar advocacy work in their communities.

Written by a college student from Hillel of Long Beach & W. Orange County

Milstein Fellow – Their AIPAC Story [2/3]

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The Adam and Gila Milstein Foundation and the Milstein Fellows program afforded me my first opportunity to attend an AIPAC policy conference. I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas and attend school in Peoria, Illinois. These cities both have rather small Jewish communities. Coming to AIPAC was my first real look at just active and amazing the Jewish community is around the country.

Multiple times throughout the conference I was nearly overwhelmed by the passion and love that our community has for each other and for the State of Israel. I go to a school with an apathetic student body, and to see that type of passion was both refreshing and rejuvenating. I am leaving AIPAC even more motivated and committed to advocating for and protecting the State of Israel in my day-to-day life.

Also, hearing from amazing leaders and speakers like Nikki Haley, Paul Ryan, and so many others was inspiring. The impact that those individuals have and the way they carry themselves was something I plan to strive towards as I move forward in my professional life. Especially the change that Ambassador Haley has already brought at the United Nations has shown me the amount of change even one person can bring to an organization.

The most moving part of AIPAC was just seeing the passion that so many people share for our collective futures. The motivation to show up at a conference like AIPAC speaks volumes about the continued love we all share for the Jewish State of Israel. It also reinforced the importance for me personally to be an active participant and involved member of the larger Jewish community. Seeing the outpouring of support for my people was something I had never previously experienced and is something I will cherish forever.

It was also interesting to meet Jews from so many different backgrounds. The different cultures, circumstances, and even religious preference were some of the most amazing aspects. To see so many people that might not agree on anything outside of Israel, coming together despite those differences was amazing. In this time of polarization, it is crucial for people on an interpersonal level to build relationships, and AIPAC provides a wonderful forum to do so. It’s ability to transcend partisan politics, and offer a truly nonpartisan forum that welcomes all supporters of Israel is what continues to make AIPAC so powerful.

I cannot express how much I appreciate being able to attend AIPAC this year. Having the opportunity to attend was an integral part of my growth as a person, but also as a future Jewish leader. The learning experiences, connections, and overall passion I gained from AIPAC will continue to impact me as I move forward in my Jewish and professional life. Supporting a Jewish State and doing so as a proud Jew are now priorities in my life as I move forward. The Milstein Fellows program is an amazing initiative that I hope continues for years to come. AIPAC provides the resources, education, and passion for Israel that we all need to ensure that Israel continues to garner support from all corners of the world.

Written by a college student in AEPi

Milstein Fellow – their AIPAC Story [1/3]

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I was excited to attend the AIPAC policy conference for the first time this year. I have wanted to attend the conference ever since my older brother first went five years ago. Since then, I have watched my two sisters join with him in DC every April. I couldn’t wait for it to be my turn. In middle school, my interest in politics grew and was heightened during the 2016 Presidential elections. Although I understand many key political issues, I came to the Conference knowing very little about American-Israel politics. I’m proud to say attending AIPAC opened my eyes and taught me so much about Israel, its policies, and its relationship with the world.

I learned how American farmers have used technology developed in Israel, how Israel’s relationship with the UN has changed over time, and how Israel interacts with its unfriendly neighbors. Additionally, I learned that America funds much of Israel’s defense spending to protect themselves from the rockets that Gaza receives from terrorist organizations. I am happy to know money collected from American taxpayers help support Israel and the Jewish homeland. I really appreciated the breakout session called the “Threat to Israel from Gaza,” where I learned about the different perspectives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, I am fascinated by Israel’s ingenuity and therefore loved the innovations displays. It’s amazing to know that Israel is using technology to help reclaim themselves as a nation that wants to help the world, not destroy it. For example, Israeli innovators have created a software/device that allows people to control their phone cursor with their own head movements. This technology enhances the lives of those with paralysis by giving them the chance to perform functions they would not have been able to do otherwise. Seeing the amazing uses of technology has made me even more interested to get involved.

My favorite part of the entire conference was the special general session open only to Campus Delegates – students from high schools and college campuses across the world. I appreciated being able to share my experiences of anti-Zionism on campus with fellow students. More importantly, though, it was eye-opening for me to see other students just a few years older making such great impacts on their college campuses.

Beyond what I learned in the sessions, however, this conference was so meaningful. After making friends with similarly passionate teens, developing the skills to combat BDS on campus, and discussing how to live my life peacefully and effectively as a pro-Israel student, I feel more comfortable and prepared to engage in my high school and on my future college campus.

Ultimately, my time at the AIPAC policy conference inspired me. Being surrounded by so many Israel advocates really put my support for Israel into perspective, as it showed me that I am fighting for something so much bigger than anything I previously imagined. I am proud that I now have the skills to fight for the existence of Israel, a country I feel more connected to than ever before. Now, I have the confidence to share my experiences, both at the Conference and on Capitol Hill where I lobbied my senators and congressmen, with my community, my teachers, and my friends.

It is only fitting that when I returned home from AIPAC just a few days ago, I met Ido, my Los Angeles Hebrew High School Partnership exchange student, for the first time. For me, Ido represents more than just a friend; he represents the culture, the history, and the diversity of Israel. Ido validates everything I learned to stand for at the policy conference in DC.

None of this would have been possible without the support of the Milstein Foundation. I am incredibly thankful that the Milstein Foundation gave me the chance to explore my position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how I can make an impact in my surrounding communities.

Attending AIPAC was one of the best decisions I ever made and one of the best opportunities I have ever been given!

Written by a Far West USYer

‘Inspired By Israel’ Announces Contest Winners at Jerusalem Ceremony via Live-Stream

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JERUSALEM–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Thousands of people around the world watched 12Tribes Films CEO Avi Abelow announce the winners of the “Inspired by Israel” video contest at a ceremony held at the Tower of David on Tuesday evening. The contest, in its second year, called for filmmakers of all ages and experience levels to create videos that entertain, educate and inspire people about Israel.

A total of $20,000 in cash prizes were awarded to the winning videos—including a $8,000 grand prize to Sivan Felder and Batsheva Shachnovitz for their video, “Olah Chadasha (New Immigrant),” a poetic exploration of a teenager’s journey in Israel after making Aliyah five years prior. During a ten-day period of public voting, entries in this year’s competition received more than half a million views in 236 countries.

In front of a crowd of hundreds of philanthropists, journalists, and contest participants Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat congratulated the 19 contest winners and thanked the more than 80 entrants from 14 countries for participating in the contest.

“We always say that a picture is worth a thousand words. One good video clip developed by real people—that get excited and demonstrate their love, for our city, for our country—is the best way to promote Jerusalem and Israel,” Barkat said. “It makes a huge impact around the world.”

Hosted on IsraelVideoNetwork.com, the contest was sponsored by the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation in partnership with the 12Tribe Films Foundation. Judges chose the grand prize, first place and two second-place winners from the 10 submissions with the most votes garnered during a ten-day period of public voting.

“This contest allows people from all around the world to celebrate the amazing people, places, and innovations of Israel,” philanthropist Adam Milstein said. “The submissions this year show the profound effect of Israel on individual people and around the world.”

The panel’s distinguished judges included Gila Milstein, Israeli-American Council CEO Shoham Nicolet, the President of Tribe Media/Jewish Journal David Suissa and Israeli TV News Anchor Lital Shemesh, as well as Yoni Kempinski of Arutz Sheva and Shlomo Blass, CEO of Rogatka. Activists represented on the panel include Students Supporting Israel founder and president Ilan Sinelnikov and Executive Director StandWithUs in Israel Michael Dickson.

Seven other winning videos were based on the public’s votes, and three additional “staff picks” were chosen by the Israel Video Network.

Videos incorporated humor, original music, individual research and more. They demonstrated Israel’s impact on people around the world, its religious significance, misconceptions about the country and the vibrancy of daily life—often from the perspective of first-time visitors, long-time visitors, or new immigrants.

“These creative and insightful videos had a depth of range rarely seen in contests open to the public,” Abelow said. “They not only were full of information about Israel but full of love and appreciation for the vibrant, dynamic and thriving country.”

About the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation: The Milstein Family Foundation works to safeguard and strengthen the Jewish People and the Jewish State by igniting Jewish pride in the next generation, providing pro-Israel Americans with knowledge and expertise to advocate for the State of Israel, and bolstering the critical U.S.-Israel Alliance. Learn more at: http://milsteinff.org/.

Contacts

Miller Ink
Nathan Miller or Rachel Bracker
310-571-8264
[email protected] / [email protected]

Adam Milstein Named One of World’s 200 Most Influential Philanthropists

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Press Release – For Immediate Release

April 5, 2017

Media Contact

Nathan Miller or Meira Feinman

310-571-8264

[email protected] / [email protected]

LOS ANGELES—This week, Adam Milstein was named one of the 200 Most Influential Do-Gooders in the World, as part of a list of leading philanthropists and social entrepreneurs on social media, by London-based publication Richtopia in coordination with a social media ranking system, Rise.

Milstein is No. 187 on the list based on his Twitter and Facebook accounts’ influence on the philanthropic world. He is the co-founder and Chairman of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), and a leader in many other prominent Jewish organizations, including StandWithUs, the Israel on Campus Coalition, Hasbara Fellowships, and AIPAC.

The list includes several other business leaders-turned-philanthropists like Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Bill and Melinda Gates, Eric Trump, and Mark Zuckerberg; politicians like Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Michelle Obama, and other highly influential philanthropic public figures like J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Ariana Huffington, Magic Johnson, Ashton Kuchter, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Elton John.

“My philanthropic work is one of the most important and gratifying parts of my life, and I am honored to be included among so many leaders in this field,” Milstein said. “I am grateful to my wife Gila, to the IAC and to the many organizations in the Jewish world that we are privileged to partner with to make a difference.”

The Milstein Family Foundation advances a mission built on two pillars: strengthening the Jewish people and their homeland, the State of Israel. “By embracing the principles of active philanthropy, funding projects with an eye to their life-path impact, and looking to build synergies between organizations, the Milstein Family Foundation will continue our work to strengthen the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” Milstein said.

About the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation: The Milstein Family Foundation works to safeguard and strengthen the Jewish People and the Jewish State by igniting Jewish pride in the next generation, providing pro-Israel Americans with knowledge and expertise to advocate for the State of Israel, and bolstering the critical U.S.- Israel alliance. Learn more at: http://milsteinff.org/.

Why Pride and Courage are the Keys to the Jewish People’s Future

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“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote, attributed to Winston Churchill, has been a secret of the Jewish people for 5,000 years.

Through ups and downs, through unbelievable triumph and unimaginable persecution, Jewish men and women in each generation have found the courage and strength to continue our traditions, protect our values and keep our faith.

Alarm bells have been ringing in Jewish communities about rising antisemitism throughout the US and Europe.

In academia, radical left-wing organizations have launched a vicious campaign of intimidation, discrimination, and attacks against Jewish students, organizations and even professors who identify as pro-Israel.

On the radical Right, Jewish and pro-Israel journalists are targeted and harassed by neo-Nazis. In the international arena, Iran, with P5+1 approval, continues to develop the very nuclear weapons it has threatened to use to eradicate the State of Israel.

How should the Jewish people respond? First, we need to foster the sense of courage in our current and future generations of Jews that we have shown before and still possess.

Yet, building courage begins by instilling pride. The Jewish People have only had the courage to persevere because our predecessors were proud of our history, our heritage, our land, our values and our achievements. If you are proud of your Jewish identity and heritage, you will be willing to fight and defend it. We must empower our children with the perspective to go out and fight for their dreams and contribute solutions to the challenges facing Jews worldwide.

This is why our family foundation invests in Jewish leadership programs that bring the young generations together around Jewish “pride of ownership” and foster a deep connection to the State of Israel. Strong families, and strong educational, cultural and social communal institutions are critical for educating the next generation with pride and confidence.

We must teach our children to be proud of their Jewish heritage and the history of the Jewish People, who, despite our tiny numbers have been able to contribute extraordinary things to the world, such as monotheism, Judeo-Christian values, modern economic theory, the foundations of psychology, the theory of relativity and more modern inventions such as Google, Facebook, Waze, Checkpoint and Mobileye.

Although we are less than 0.2% of mankind, 22% of Nobel Prize laureates are Jews. Jews constitute 12% of the US Senate, three of the nine US Supreme Court Justices are Jewish as are a large percentage of leaders in arts, business, entertainment and many other fields.

We must teach our children to be proud of the State of Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, which has not just survived but thrived in the face of constant threats. With no natural resources, Israel has become start-up nation, a high-tech hub, a global water technology powerhouse and a beacon of hope and innovation.

Israel is the living, breathing embodiment of courage. It is the homeland of a people who achieved miraculous military victories in 1948, 1967, 1973, launched the daring Entebbe operation that rescued Jewish hostages from terrorists in Uganda and oversaw Operation Solomon to airlift 14,500 Ethiopian Jews out of harm’s way to Israel.

It is the place where a brave and determined people formed a new identity, revived an ancient language, turned swampland into farmland, seawater into drinking water and built a thriving knowledge- based economy – against all odds.

Israel’s success is rooted in the young country’s willingness to take risks – in an understanding that failure is nothing shameful, but merely an opportunity to learn and move on to your next success.

With all the challenges Israelis face – wars, political conflicts, lack of wealth and natural resources – they respond with courage and tremendous pride in their history, heritage, culture and society.

It’s no wonder then, with such a strong sense of pride and courage, that Israelis are known to be some of the happiest people in the world – ranking extraordinarily high, year after year, in the annual World Happiness Report.

What can the history of the Jewish People and the Jewish state teach us? The most powerful antidote to antisemitism will come from within our own community. As pro-boycott and anti-Israel groups seek to intimidate supporters of Israel to remain silent – and drive a wedge between the State of Israel and the Jewish People – we must remember that pride and courage are the only productive response.

So, just as we instill the value of education and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), let’s also remember to take action to inspire courage and pride in our heritage, in our history, in our culture, in our land, and in our people.

We must communicate to the next generation that tremendous pride and willingness to stand up, speak out, and when necessary, fight back to protect ourselves when our faith, our values, and our homeland are under attack.

Nothing less than the future of the Jewish People is at stake.

The author is an Israeli-American philanthropist, national chairman of the Israeli- American Council, real estate entrepreneur and president of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation.

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How to Make Jewish Philanthropy Go Further

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Jewish leaders and philanthropists are currently engaged in an intense and crucial debate. There is growing concern that Jews, particularly the next generation, are disconnecting from their Jewish heritage and from the state of Israel.

The now infamous Pew Study, titled “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” found that approximately two-thirds of American Jewish millennials do not feel a strong connection to Israel. In another recent study, published by Brandeis University, fewer than half of Jewish college students could correctly answer even the most basic questions about Israel.

In the face of these trends, how can we invest our philanthropic dollars more effectively to strengthen the US-Israel alliance, and ensure that future Jewish generations maintain their special affinity with Israel?

To respond to this challenge, there are two important principles that we must embrace.

First, we must better understand our target audience.

Millions of philanthropic dollars are currently invested under the assumption that today’s Jewish community is the same one that existed 40 years ago.

Changing this mindset begins with recognizing that there is not a single, homogeneous American Jewish community — but rather a cluster of communities that have changed rapidly over the past 40 years because of three big trends: assimilation, intermarriage and immigration.

Furthermore, we have seen significant waves of Jewish immigration from Israel, Iran and Russia. These people are not properly represented in recent studies of the Jewish community.

Interestingly, the declining number of people who identify as Jewish by religion is correlated with the declining affinity to Israel. Among those who say that they are Jewish by culture, 55 percent say they aren’t very attached to Israel (and only 12% say that they are very attached to Israel). For those who have completely left the faith, these numbers are much lower.

By contrast, among those who say they are Jewish by religion, 86% feel somewhat or very attached to Israel.

So, what should we do with this information? How can we use these insights about our changing Jewish community to make more strategic decisions about where to invest our limited resources?

This question brings me to my second principle: We need to look for low-hanging fruit, and invest in programs most likely to reach those who will be receptive to our message.

Here are some criteria that we should consider as we allocate resources:

  • Age: We’ll have the most success influencing the minds’ of younger audiences. Moreover, by increasing the Jewish knowledge and connection to Israel among the younger generation, we can reach not only these individuals, but also their children and grandchildren.
  • Affiliation: The data shows that those who define themselves as Jewish by religion are more likely to have a strong connection to Israel. But the Orthodox community already has many structures in place to engage its members on Israel. We need to focus on innovative programs to connect non-Orthodox Jews with Israel.
  • Support for Israel as the state of the Jewish people: We should seek to identify those people who support Israel, but who are not religiously engaged. It is important to attract Jews who have a marginal connection to Israel, but it is even more important to reach those with a deep passion for Israel, and help them become and remain involved with Judaism.
  • American Jewish immigrant communities: We should reach out to Jewish immigrants, specifically Russians, Iranians and Israeli-Americans. These groups are already committed Zionists, but they are new to the American diaspora, and as a result, don’t always have the tools to pass on their Jewish and pro-Israel values to their children. Each dollar invested in them can go a long way.

To see how this might work in practice, let’s examine the work of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which has shown how investing funds in Israeli-Americans can unleash an extraordinary untapped resource to strengthen the US-Israel relationship.

By systematically identifying and investing in target groups that are uniquely suited to advance our philanthropic priorities, we can make progress on a wide range of issues, such as Israel advocacy, global diplomacy and Jewish education.

Our Jewish community faces rapid changes, enormous challenges and exciting opportunities. To overcome the obstacles in our path and realize our full potential as a people, we need to invest smarter.

The return on our investment will be nothing less than a vibrant Jewish future.

The author is an Israeli-American philanthropist, national chairman of the Israeli-American Council, real estate entrepreneur and president of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation. A version of this article was originally published by The Jerusalem Post.