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I Had to Transfer Colleges, You Shouldn’t Have To: My Advice to Jewish Students and Applicants
Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo Credit: John Phelan/Wikimedia Commons.
I pressed my forehead against the cold window of my hotel room, staring at the Emerson College campus just a few blocks away. The chants of “Long live the Intifada!” and “We don’t want no two-states, we want 1948!” echoed throughout the campus, reaching me even in the hotel room the administration had placed me in after practically admitting they couldn’t guarantee my safety on campus.
That night, as I scrolled through my phone, I saw videos of the very same protestors, blocking entrances to our residential buildings and defacing our campus with chalk using phrases such as, “F*ck Zionists” and “From the river to the sea.” I had never felt so displaced in my own city.
Being on my campus felt like residing in enemy territory. I wasn’t abroad. I wasn’t in a war zone. I was in Boston, at an American college, where my tuition dollars had paid for a school that ultimately betrayed me and my Jewish peers.
I was the only person in our student-run newspaper covering pro-Israel rallies and events, and one of the few open Zionists on our campus.
It felt isolating, knowing that I was standing up for Israel when so few were willing to do the same. I found myself constantly defending my beliefs against insidious misinformation in the classroom, and engaging in fierce debates with both professors and students daily.
Unfortunately, the hostility didn’t stop when classes ended for the day. Every time I opened my phone, I was met with hate messages on Instagram from fellow students — for posting something in memory of Oct. 7 or even for sharing a picture from a past visit to Israel. The pressure was relentless, suffocating even, and it felt as though the weight of defending the thing I cared about most — Israel — fell solely on my shoulders.
When I decided to transfer schools shortly before the encampments took our campus by storm, I had a new set of criteria for my next school. I ultimately chose The George Washington University (GWU) — a place many consider just as, if not more, hostile toward Jews. But this time, I wasn’t looking for an oasis. Instead, I was looking for something more: a community where I wouldn’t have to fight for Israel alone.
Looking back, the most impactful lesson I learned is one that Jewish college applicants today need to understand: you can no longer afford to settle for a campus where your presence is tolerated, but your voice is silenced.
It’s no longer enough to just pick a “less antisemitic” school. You need to find a place where you can stand up, speak out, and fight back — where you can be part of a Jewish community that refuses to be passive, one that will stand shoulder to shoulder with you when things get difficult.
Jewish College Applicants: Don’t Overlook What I Did
Since Oct. 7, the climate on campuses has only grown more hostile, and Jewish applicants must now ask themselves a new set of questions:
Administrative Response to Antisemitism: How has the school handled past incidents of antisemitism? If an encampment were to arise tomorrow, where would the school’s leadership stand?
Jewish Student Life: Does the campus have an active Hillel, Chabad, and other Jewish organizations? Are there Jewish faculty members advocating for students?
Classroom Climate: Are professors known for pushing anti-Israel rhetoric? Are Jewish students comfortable voicing their opinions in class?
Campus Security: Are anti-Israel protests commonplace? Does the campus apply adequate security measures to protect Jewish events?
Media Bias on Campus: How did the student newspaper cover the encampments and anti-Israel protests on campus?
Jewish students have a choice: spend four years hoping to be quietly tolerated, or spend four years surrounded by a community that will stand up, push back, and make their presence known. Don’t just look for a place where you can be Jewish in silence. Look for a place where you can be Jewish — loudly.
Margaux Jubin is a student at The George Washington University with a passion for national security, foreign policy, and education. She aspires to work for a pro-Israel nonprofit or lobbying group, using her writing and political communication skills to strengthen the US-Israel relationship, combat antisemitism, and expose misinformation.
The post I Had to Transfer Colleges, You Shouldn’t Have To: My Advice to Jewish Students and Applicants first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli West Bank Leaders Visit UAE on Historic Trip to Strengthen Economic and Political Ties
Yesha Council representatives meet with Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi in UAE. Photo: Israel Ganz’s X account
A delegation of Israeli leaders from the West Bank visited the United Arab Emirates this week on their first trip organized by the Yesha Council—an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank—to a Muslim country, in an effort to foster new alliances, the organization announced Thursday.
During the visit to Abu Dhabi, Yesha Council chief Israel Ganz, CEO Omer Rahamim, and Hebron Hills Regional Council head Eliram Azulay met with government officials, business leaders, influencers, and the Jewish state’s envoy to the country, Yossi Shelley.
According to local media, the Yesha Council representatives engaged in “direct discussions about economic and political opportunities in the region.”
“Our visit to the UAE is proof of the regional shift and the need for fresh thinking,” Yesha Council chief said in a statement.
“A new world order requires new alliances and out-of-the-box thinking,” Ganz continued. “Cooperation between nations, based on mutual respect and recognition of reality, is the key to strengthening our communities and securing a strong future for both countries.”
For the first time, we were invited as heads of the Yesha Council for an official meeting in a Muslim country.
The meeting with Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi in UAE was fascinating and opened a window to a genuine partnership based on principles of truth, thank you Dr. Rashid!
pic.twitter.com/IiTWGBYkS3
— ישראל גנץ – Israel Ganz (@israelganz) March 13, 2025
They also met with Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi, a member of the Emirates Federal National Council and chairman of its committee on defense, interior, and foreign affairs.
“This is a first step toward fruitful collaborations that will benefit the entire region,” Ganz said.
Upon returning from the trip, Hebron Hills Regional Council head said it was “incredible to see courageous leaders” who are interested in the development of Judea and Samaria.
“I met leaders who share our fight against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran, including their civilian arms operating in Judea and Samaria,” Azulay said. “These leaders are not afraid to say openly that we must combat the Palestinian Authority’s education system, which promotes evil and hatred of Jews.”
“The direct connection established between our communities and senior figures in the UAE opens new opportunities for implementing the Abraham Accords in Judea and Samaria,” he continued.
Despite the war in Gaza, both diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and the UAE have remained strong.
Last year, annual Israel-UAE trade was reportedly projected to reach a record $3.3 billion compared to $2.95 billion in 2023.
Trade is mainly centered on diamonds, with precious stones being the largest exports between the two nations in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Israel strengthened its defense ties with the UAE by agreeing to sell the SPYDER air defense system, made by the Israeli company Rafael.
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‘Shtisel’ Prequel Series ‘Kugel’ Attracts Viewers From More Than 100 Countries, Says IZZY Streaming Platform
Sasson Gabai sas Nuchem Shtisel in “Kugel.” Photo: IZZY
“Kugel,” the prequel to the international hit Israeli television series “Shtisel,” is already a success a mere two weeks after its first season premiered worldwide exclusively on the global streaming platform IZZY.
Written by “Shtisel” co-creator and award-winning writer and director Yehonatan Indursky, “Kugel” premiered on Feb. 28 on IZZY, which specializes in bringing Israeli content to audiences around the world. The show focuses on the charming but also scheming jewelry dealer Nuchem Shtisel, played by Sasson Gabai, and his 22-year-old daughter Libi, played by Israeli actress Hadas Yaron of Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones.”
“When we realized we had an opportunity to be the exclusive global home of ‘Kugel,’ we knew this series could potentially be transformational for IZZY,” Nati Dinnar, the co-founder and CEO of IZZY, told The Algemeiner. “And it has already been just that for us, and it’s only been two weeks. Since we first announced that the prequel to ‘Shtisel’ was coming to our platform, we have seen our subscriber growth skyrocket with people signing on from more than 100 nations around the world. And the best part of this, truly, is that this is bringing further exposure to all the other great films, series and documentaries that we have on the service coming out of Israel.”
Unlike the Jerusalem-based “Shtisel” show, “Kugel” takes place in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Antwerp, Belgium. Nuchem is the brother of “Shtisel” patriarch Shulem Shtisel. “Kugel” is set years before Nuchem and Libi travel to Israel, where Libi falls in love with her future husband, Shulem’s son Akiva Shtisel, played by Michael Aloni.
In the first three episodes of “Kugel,” viewers see Libi’s life as she works as a teacher while aspiring to be a successful writer and hoping to get married. She also gets mad at her parents for divorcing and is worried about how it will affect her chances at finding love.
“She devotes all of her energy and resources to becoming a successful writer. But then, a chance encounter with an orthodox man on the Antwerp tram throws a wrench into her plans,” according to a synopsis of the series, provided by IZZY. “Libi must decide whether the path to success for her lies in marriage, love, or pursuing her dream of being an author.”
In the first three episodes, viewers also understand why the show is called “Kugel” and the significance of the Ashkenazi potato-based dish. Nuchem loves visiting a local husband and wife-owned restaurant that serves kugel and his favorite part is the burnt sections. When the restaurant’s owner suddenly dies, Nuchem befriends his widow Pnina Baumbach, played by Israeli comedian Rotem Abouhab. She inherited the restaurant and Nuchem partners with her to reopen the establishment. He finds a new passion helping with the restaurant but also gets romantically closer to Pnina while navigating his divorce.
“Kugel is a show that wants to tell a story — a funny, heartbreaking, human story—to remind us how each person is
unique, a once-in-a-lifetime noodle in the great sea of noodles that makes for one big, brown, Jerusalem-style kugel. A bit spicy, a bit sweet,” said Indursky.
“Shtisel” followed members of the Shtisel family living in an ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem. All three seasons of the show were previously available for viewing in the US on Netflix but earlier this year Amazon Prime Video acquired the series.
The post ‘Shtisel’ Prequel Series ‘Kugel’ Attracts Viewers From More Than 100 Countries, Says IZZY Streaming Platform first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Humanitarian Organizations Operating Within Israel Are Spearheading Efforts Against Jewish State, Report Finds
Youths take part in the occupation of a street in front of the building of the Sciences Po University in support of Palestinians in Gaza, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Paris, France, April 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Anti-Israel non-govermental organizations (NGOs) are exploiting the Israeli visa law to spread propaganda within the Jewish state, according to an analysis by NGO Monitor.
NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based research institute which scrutinizes the activity of international non-governmental organizations, compiled a report which alleges that hundreds of NGOs within Israel are promoting political advocacy under the guise of “humanitarianism.” NGO Monitor argues that Israel should “thoroughly vet” organizations that apply for visas to operate within the Jewish state.
“Israel must thoroughly vet organizations applying for humanitarian visas. This assessment was understood as necessary to ensure that visa recipients implement projects in accordance with the stated purposes of their visas and that their activities serve humanitarian objectives – as opposed to furthering politicized agendas and campaigns.”
Many organizations registered under Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs enact programs under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)—an agency which purports to “mobilize aid, share information, support humanitarian efforts, and advocate for crisis-affected communities.” Although the UNOCHA lists its objectives in other beleaguered, war-torn countries as “saving lives” or “overcoming hunger,” the agency declares that its mission in Gaza is to secure, “The rights of Palestinians living under occupation, including those living under the blockade and other restrictions, are protected, respected and promoted in accordance with IHL [International Humanitarian Law] and IHRL [International Human Rights Law].”
For instance, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Diakonia, prominent humanitarian organizations that mostly operate within the West Bank, have spent the 16 months following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 slaughters, “almost entirely focused on condemning Israel for its response in Gaza,” according to NGO Monitor. Despite presenting themselves as an unbiased humanitarian organizations, they have spearheaded a litany of legal efforts against Israel, including “ filing thousands of cases in Israeli courts, causing gridlock, as well as furthering joint [Palestinian Authority and European Union] goals to expand Palestinian control in [West Bank Area C]” and publishing legal briefs encouraging other nations to “exert pressure on Israel to end ongoing violations of [International Humanitarian Law].”
In addition, these organizations also encourage the implementation of international sanctions against Israel, oftentimes backing efforts such as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The report alleges that NRC produced a publication in 2023 which suggested “utilizing strategic measures like sanctions in trade relations or attaching conditions to trade agreements” against Israel in hopes of forcing the Jewish state to authorize Palestinian construction in Area C of the West Bank. In addition, the report states that Diakonia funds the Swedish chapter of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), which allegedly “sends activists to the West Bank, where they document alleged Israeli human rights violations.” The data compiled by EAPPI is then “ incorporated into UN reporting” and also referenced in campaigns which call for the implementation of economic sanctions against Israel.
Furthermore, several NGOs mentioned in the report allegedly fostered ties to internationally-recognized terrorist organizations and terrorist members. NRC has collaborated with other NGOs which are linked to terrorist groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), according to NGO Monitor. Mohammed Al-Halabi, an employee of World Vision—a humanitarian organization which works alongside “local church and community leaders” in Gaza—was accused of “diverting funds and materials to Hamas for terror purposes.”
The report suggests that Israel “formulate a clear and comprehensive definition of what constitutes humanitarian activity” for NGOs wishing to operate within the boundaries of the Jewish state. In addition, NGO Monitor states that Israel should build a database to track and observe humanitarian efforts within Israel. Moreover, the group argues that NGOs must be forced to “improve transparency” by outlining project goals, revealing partnerships, and disclosing grants.
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