Pro-Israel College Students, It’s Time to Know Who’s on Our Side

I recently attended several pro-Israel conferences that focused on campus issues facing Jewish students. I was surrounded by some of the brightest, most engaged Jewish leaders and organizations working on American college campuses. 

Amidst the enthusiasm, one observation left me stunned: these pro-Israel and pro-Jewish organizations seemed to know far more about the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel campus movements and initiatives than they did about the ones supporting Israel and the Jewish people. They could name every anti-Israel group, quote their tactics, and break down their rhetoric. But when it came to pro-Israel and pro-Jewish organizations and knowing each other’s strategies and activities, there was a startling knowledge gap.

The organizations knew what their own group did, yet they were unaware of other organizations all working on the same campuses and appeared to have little interest in collaboration. This made me wonder. What about the estimated 250,000 Jewish students on campus today? Many of those students and their parents do not know any of us, our organizational acronyms, or how to join or support our work. I know the response from many will be that “it’s their fault,” “we communicate,” “we tell them,” and “we invite them and they don’t join.” 

I learned years ago the customer is always right, and if we cannot meet them where they are, we will be out of business.

I asked myself, “How did we get here?” Why do we focus so much on “the other side” and so little on our own? Why is working together such a challenge? Where is the resistance coming from? 

We must reframe our Jewish organizational world. We are not competitors; we are a marketplace for options. Every business owner knows the advantages of being near other shops, we need to adopt a similar abundance mindset.

We must reframe our Jewish organizational world. We are not competitors; we are a marketplace for options. Every business owner knows the advantages of being near other shops, we need to adopt a similar abundance mindset.

This speaks to a larger issue within the Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy landscape. Our next generation on campus often feels like it is fighting alone, without realizing the breadth of support they have from numerous organizations dedicated to helping them stand proud, informed and resilient. This is not just a problem of awareness—it is a call to action for every Jewish and pro-Israel organization to engage with college students meaningfully and to build a unified front that is stronger than the sum of its parts. A rising tide lifts all ships.

At Jewish National Fund-USA, we are taking concrete steps to bridge this gap. Our campus resources initiative, including our antisemitism reporting toolkit, aims to bring together a coalition of resources and partners so that students do not have to search high and low for support. Whether it is educational materials, advocacy training, opportunities for campus engagement, trips to Israel or funding initiatives, they should know where to go.

This is not the time for “organizational ego.” This is a time for unprecedented collaboration; a time when we must lift each other up. We cannot let personal brands or competing agendas hold back our shared mission of supporting our students and safeguarding our Jewish homeland’s future. 

Let’s face it – who wants to join a losing team? It is time we showed our students that we are not just in the fight; we are winning it, and they are an integral part of that victory. That is the team students want to be on—the team that empowers them, encourages them, and lets them know they are not alone.

I call on my colleagues and every pro-Israel organization out there to make it unmistakably clear: Jewish students have allies, and those allies are here to empower them, not just to defend against their detractors.  

I call on my colleagues and every pro-Israel organization out there to make it unmistakably clear: Jewish students have allies, and those allies are here to empower them, not just to defend against their detractors.  We have held meetings with over 40 organizations and are ready to convene everyone with the objective of collaboration. Let us flip the narrative. Now is the time to be loud, to be visible, and to make it clear: we are united, we are strong, and we are here to stay.

Russell F. Robinson is CEO of Jewish National Fund-USA.