Most college students probably want to spend the majority of their time on their studies or enjoying a variety of recreational pursuits along with their academic endeavors. After all, colleges and universities, even when ostensibly “free,” require prodigious investments of time and attention in addition to whatever financial liabilities students incur.
Despite this, campuses throughout the world are often incubators of political activity. Though often confined to a minority of students (and faculty), activism frequently spreads to the larger student population and beyond.
It’s no secret that the current situation in the Middle East has engendered a wave of anti-Zionist and antisemitic activism on many campuses and beyond. To some, it’s a complicated matter, requiring a nuanced approach. To others, it’s a black-and-white issue with no ambiguity or second-guessing. Regardless of one’s opinion of the situation, according to Pew research, 60% of U.S. adults have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year; 59% have little or no confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs – up from 52% last year – and among both Democrats and Republicans, the majority of adults under the age of 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively.
In this new book, “Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide” (Wicked Son/Post Hill Press), scholar Izabella Tabarovsky advocates drawing from the lessons of Russian refuseniks to counteract these negative perceptions and assert affirmative Jewish and pro-Israel values.
These may be two different things to some, but Tabarovsky quickly dispatches the notion that one can be Jewish and have divergent opinions on Israel and its policies. And since hatred of the Jewish people is routinely conflated with antisemitism, there is undeniably much merit to this position.
Jews who support Israel yet take issue with its specific policies may find the book’s assumptions difficult to accept. The cognitive dissonance required may simply be asking too much of readers who back the country wholeheartedly while objecting to some of its practices. But in practical terms, according to the author, it’s a distinction without a difference.
For those who see little ambiguity, Tabarovsky’s clear prose and strong examples will provide inspiration and insight. Her well-drawn parallels between the Jewish refuseniks of the Soviet Union in the 1980s and current Jewish activists serve as both a historical lens and a rallying point for those navigating today’s difficult and often-treacherous political landscape.
The book weaves historical events with contemporary issues quite effectively and palpably. Patterns and themes remain consistent, according to Tabarovsky, with lessons in tactics and strategies that lend themselves to adoption across U.S. college campuses and beyond.
While these “ripped from the headlines” stories evoke strong passions, juxtaposing them with brief and relevant historical anecdotes adds weight and authority to the author’s admonitions.
It’s distressing, to say the least, that Israel’s actions provide excuses for renewed antisemitism and insidious blood libel. Tabarovsky’s lessons and strategies may help mitigate the effects of this, especially on U.S. college campuses. Θ
