Inside the Israel Leadership Forum

After the October 7 attacks on Israel, discussing Israel on college campuses, especially for Jewish students, has become challenging. On campus and online, students face antisemitism and opposition to their public support for Israel. To address this, Hillel 818 partnered with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, USC Hillel, and UCLA Hillel to organize the Israel Leadership Forum on January 14 and 15. Over 100 students from Southern California attended to learn, discuss, and hear from a wide range of speakers on what it means to be an Israel leader and advocate on campus. 

Some attendees, like Karen Dotan, a CSUN class of 2025 student, saw participating in the conference as a way to be part of the solution against rising antisemitism on campus. Karen expressed her motivation, stating “After the tragedy of October 7th, I felt helpless in this war against Hamas, and believed I should do more to protect Israel. Living in the diaspora, I may not be a soldier on the front lines, but I cannot stand idly by. I attended the Israel Leadership Conference to learn how I can help protect Israel while living in the diaspora, and help ensure the safety of Jewish college students everywhere.” 

In addition to the learning experience, students who attended found the biggest takeaway to be the reminder of the support systems in place for them. Leedor Habot, a Moorpark class of 2026 student, mentioned, “As an Israeli student in America, I felt the need to be active in Jewish and Israeli activities on campus.  The conference showed me a large support system for Jewish students, with organizations dedicated to helping people like me.”

The collaborative nature of the Jewish community was also highlighted. Daniel Barrera Salzman, CSUN class of 2025 student, shared an impactful moment during the conference when students were tasked with brainstorming a campus event empowering Jewish people. Despite the initial challenges, the collaborative efforts led to dozens and dozens of inspiring ideas. 

The Israel Leadership Forum reminded students of the importance of embracing Jewish joy as a way to combat antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment. Karen mentioned a joyous moment during the conference when participants stood, danced, and sang “Am Yisrael Chai” together. She shared,“It was one of the most impactful moments of the conference because it reminded me of what we are fighting for: Jewish simcha and the right for Jewish light to safely shine for the rest of eternity.”