Last week, the executive board of Hillel at Brandeis voted to reject a bid from the Brandeis chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace to become a Hillel member group. According to Brandeis Hillel President Andrea Wexler '11, the decision reached by Brandeis Hillel was in accordance with the guidelines set forth by International Hillel. While the decision reached by Hillel board has been a source of controversy, this board believes that Brandeis Hillel was correct in asserting its values in line with the global Hillel community. We do recognize, however, that Hillel's decision may cause many students to feel as though their views are not welcome in Hillel, and we encourage those involved in the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to work toward alleviating this problem by engaging in dialogue and mediation among different groups on campus.
According to the international Hillel website, "Hillel seeks to inspire every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life." In attempting to engage every Jew on campus, Hillel encompasses a wide range of religious and political viewpoints as part of its guidelines. This is a necessary cause, as individuals seek diverse paths to Jewish identity.

As International Hillel and its Brandeis chapter see it, Israel must always play a central role in this process. According to the International Hillel website, "Israel advocacy and education is ... an opportunity to engage in conversation with students about themselves as Jews and as members of the Jewish people." Even though an array of political and religious views are represented under the Brandeis Hillel umbrella-such as those of the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee and J Street U-Hillel perceives certain views as harmful to Israel in a Jewish cultural, political and religious context. Specifically, Hillel will not endorse the support of boycott, divestment and sanctions of settlement products, the support of which JVP has welcomed through its co-sponsorship of various events on campus. Because Hillel determined JVP's principles to conflict with Hillel's claim to the centrality of Israel as part of religious identity, we believe that Brandeis Hillel's decision to avoid association with such a group was legitimate.

However, in drawing the line where it does, Hillel made a Jewish group on campus feel marginalized because they do not conform to a standardized view of Israel. As JVP Co-founder Lev Hirschhorn '11 told the Boston Globe, "We feel like we deserve a seat at the Jewish communal table, ... but there is a sense that dissent on the question of Israel is not really acceptable, which is really unfortunate."

Brandeis Hillel has expressed that even though JVP was denied membership under the Hillel name, its group members are still welcome and encouraged-as all students on campus are-to participate in any and all events offered by Hillel. This board hopes that their sentiment is meant sincerely.

We also believe that, although Brandeis Hillel has rejected JVP as a member group, JVP should not cease its participation in dialogue under the Hillel umbrella. JVP has successfully worked to obtain recognition as a club under the Student Union; we commend them on their progress, and we are glad that the Student Union has given this club a place in the Brandeis community. While the members of JVP may feel ostracized given that their organization is not welcome within the Hillel community, this board urges the members of JVP to pursue participation in Hillel on an individual level. This can only strengthen Hillel in adding to a multiplicity of voices.

JVP and Hillel could also look to other methods of fostering productive discourse, such as the creation of and participation in forums that represent a diversity of views regarding the conflict in the Middle East. For example, in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, students at Tufts University created the New Initiative for Middle East Peace. The organization holds events that are sponsored by nearly every group on campus that deals, in some way, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to these advocacy groups, Hillel at Tufts frequently sponsors events held by NIMEP. It would be to everyone's benefit if Brandeis Hillel participated in a similar forum on this campus.

Brandeis Hillel should not be condemned for making the decision it did. At the same time, members of JVP should remain part of campus discourse. This board hopes that, moving forward, the Middle East discussion on campus can be facilitated in a productive and respectful manner.