As we approach the end of 2018, we wanted to update you on what has been a busy year of expansion and impact for the Maccabee Task Force and thank you for your support.

Just 3 years ago, we launched our first campus-based initiatives on 6 US campuses facing aggressive BDS campaigns.  In 3 short years, we’ve multiplied that number to 80 campuses.  And just this year we expanded into Canada, where there was a great need for our help.

Our approach is unique.  We saw that the most effective efforts to delegitimize Israel were taking place at the grassroots level — campus by campus, relationship by relationship.  So we decided to “go local” in a big way.

Our approach is effective.  Last year, BDS passed at only 3 of the 40 campuses with which we partnered.  And we only go to those campuses facing the most serious BDS challenges.

This fall, we brought our tried-and-tested program to 80 campuses facing serious anti-Israel campaigns.  On each of these campuses we’re funding pro-Israel students to implement their best ideas for promoting Israel.  And we’re offering these students the opportunity to adopt the most impressive initiatives we’ve funded on other campuses.  The “action plans” we generate together — plans which we fund and the students execute — end up dramatically increasing both the quality and the quantity of pro-Israel activism on each of our campuses.

By the time students take their finals this spring, we project that we will have funded well over 1,600 pro-Israel events.  Many of these events will be public demonstrations of support for Israel aimed at “taking back the quad” from the Israel haters.  Others will be more targeted, aimed at recruiting and training new pro-Israel activists as well as building new coalitions which reject the simplistic scapegoating of the BDS movement.

We’ll also be funding eye-opening trips to Israel for most of these campuses through which we’ll bring an estimated 1,500 campus leaders and influencers to see the truth about Israel for themselves.

What our students are saying:

“When I first got to college I felt so intimidated by all of the hostility towards Israel that I decided to hide my Jewish identity.  I started wearing my map of Israel necklace inside my shirt, where no one could see it.  Then the Maccabee Task Force came to campus.  They gave us a new confidence and encouraged us to take back our quad with big, bold ideas.  Thanks to the Macccabees, I now walk the campus with my head held high and my map of Israel necklace on proud display.” – Shely B., George Mason University

“This Israel trip is one of the greatest success stories of Israel activism on campus and not just to UCLA but in the United States.” – Amir K., UCLA

We’re gearing up for a busy spring.  We’re excited to help so many dedicated students do so much excellent work to seize the momentum for Israel.  We’ll keep you posted on our progress.  And, with your support, we look forward to expanding our program to even more campuses next year.

David Brog, Executive Director