The last few months have been a busy time for SPME. As many of you know Sam Edelman, our Executive Director, and I were at the Global Conference Against Antisemitism in Jerusalem just a month ago and made a number of very significant contacts. We are following up on those now. We have some exciting donor prospects in the works, and we are trying to schedule some meetings in New York City for later this month.
We are in the ending phases of a petition campaign denouncing the exclusion of Ariel University Center from this year’s Spanish-run
Solar Decathlon and we played a very significant role in bringing about the defeat of a boycott proposal by the Univesity of Trodheim in
Norway.
In short, there is a lot of activity going on both publically and behind the scenes as we are continuing to establish our role in
the Jewish communal world and to build a strong financial base for the future.
Of course, moving SPME forward, and helping keep Israeli-Palestinian discourse on campuses rational and civil, is not something that Sam and I and the other members of the leadership team can do alone. We need your help, and we need it in two ways.
First, we are trying to keep our ears to the ground to see what activities or initiatives are at work in the “Justice for Palestine”
movements so we now what, how and when to respond. You can serve as our eyes and ears. If you hear or know of events or campaigns being planned, please let us know. We, in turn, pledge to keep the membership informed and to provide you with resources that you may need to combat demonization of Israel or “Zionists” or Jews on your campus.
Second, if you have not yet become a contributor, or need to renew your contribution for the new fiscal year, please do so now.
Please go to our website at https://spme.org/donation.html and be part of the effort.
On behalf of the leadership and the entire SPME Network of faculty, I those of you who have already contributed for your past generosity and those of you yet to contribute for your anticipated generosity.
Thank you.
Peter Haas
President SPME
Chair Department of Religious Studies and Abba Hillel Professor of Jewish Studies
Case Western Reserve University
