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Commodores for Israel, an Israel advocacy organization under the auspices of Vanderbilt University Hillel, was named an Activist of the Year by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee during AIPAC’s annual policy conference in May in Washington, D.C.
“Vanderbilt University activists provide a model for effective pro-Israel students,” said David Victor, president of AIPAC. “They exemplify student activism at its core – combining legislative and electoral involvement with the courage to mobilize during a challenging time. Thank you and congratulations to Vanderbilt University activists for their work on campus this year.”
Over the past year, students at Vanderbilt University expanded pro-Israel political activism on campus by building on the excitement of the 2008 presidential campaign, convening high-profile campus forums and implementing a media strategy to highlight bi-partisan support for Israel in press coverage of a presidential debate hosted at nearby Belmont University.
In the wake of the recent conflict in Gaza, the activists mobilized to urge students to express support for Israel to Congress, holding educational events to engage pro-Israel students and using new media tools in efforts to broaden the pro-Israel base of supporters on campus.
“Being politically engaged and vocal about issues is an important part of life, and I’m proud that members of Vanderbilt Hillel are passionate about making their voices be heard,” said Ari Dubin, executive director of Vanderbilt Hillel.
“Vanderbilt has seen such tremendous growth in our Jewish student body – 3 to 14 percent over the last six years – so this award is a good indicator that we are increasing the quality of Jewish life on the Vanderbilt campus, along with the quantity of Jewish students.”
The award was presented at the 2009 AIPAC Policy Conference, an event that brought together more than 5,500 delegates, including more than 1,000 pro-Israel campus advocates and 193 Student Government Association presidents. Students represented 325 campuses, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Activist of the Year awards were also presented to student activists from Cornell University, Northwestern University and Duke University.
AIPAC is a foreign policy lobbying organization seeking to strengthen ties between the United States and Israel.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu