PRESS RELEASE: Burg Barred from Speaking at Harvard Hillel

PRESS RELEASE: Israeli Politician Avraham Burg Barred from Speaking at Harvard Hillel

November 20, 2013, Cambridge, MA— Avraham Burg, the former speaker of Israel's Knesset, spoke in an undergraduate dormitory at Harvard College last week after being barred from speaking at Harvard Hillel.

"It's such a shame that Harvard Hillel would not allow an open discussion about Israel to take place within its walls," said Sandra Korn '14, who helped organize the talk. "Hillel should be a space for students to engage with Jewish issues, regardless of religious or political beliefs."

Burg was allowed to attend an invitation-only dinner in the Hillel building, but was forbidden from hosting the event there since it was co-sponsored by the Harvard College Palestinian Solidarity Committee. The other co-sponsoring student groups included J Street U Harvard and two Hillel-affiliated groups, Harvard Students for Israel and Harvard College Progressive Jewish Alliance. The event took place in the Quincy House Junior Common Room instead.

"This is an attack on free speech in its most naked form," said Ann Finkel '15, a Harvard student who attended the event. "I'm not sure what they were afraid of - people with all kinds of political views had a very constructive conversation with Mr. Burg."

CONTACT: Rachel Sandalow-Ash
(617) 417-0481
rsandalowash@college.harvard.edu

Thanksgivukkah through a Critical Lens: Discussion and Dessert

Thanksgiving! Hanukkah! Discussion! Dessert!

What more could you want in an evening, really?

Wednesday, November 20th, 8:00-9:30pm. Rabb Hall, Harvard Hillel 

In honor of this year's rare convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, join the Progressive Jewish Alliance for a discussion about what these holidays mean for Jewish identity, oppression and justice in the United States and Israel/Palestine.

Find out more and RSVP on Facebook!

EVENT: The Soldier and the Refusnik

The Soldier and the Refusenik

Harvard Hall 201

Wednesday, November 13th, 6-7:30

Come hear Eran Efrati, a former IDF soldier, and Maya Wind, an Israeli activist imprisoned for her conscientious objection to military service, as they share their thoughts and personal experiences on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Visit their website at http://www.soldierandrefusenik.com/ for more details. 

Sponsored by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine and Harvard Divinity School Connect with Palestine

EVENT: Open Conversation on Israel with Avraham Burg

An Open Conversation on Israel with Avraham Burg

Monday, November 11

6:30-8pm Quincy House JCR 

talk and Q&A with former Speaker of the Israeli Knesset and author of The Holocaust is Over

This conversation will happen just a day before Burg gives the Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Lecture at the Weatherhead Center, entitled "Israel and Palestine: From Iconic Conflict to Iconic Solution or, Is It Time for New Paradigms?"

Avraham Burg is an Israeli author, social activist, former politician, and a leading voice for peace in the Middle East. He was an adviser to Prime Minister Shimon Peres on diaspora affairs; speaker for the Israeli Knesset from 1999 to 2003; chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel; cofounder of Molad, a progressive think-tank dedicated to the advancement of Israeli democracy; chairman of Mifalot, a sport -for-peace project; an international coordinator of the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue in Vienna; and a teacher at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

His bestselling book, The Holocaust is Over; We Must Rise from Its Ashes, delineates a path for the Jewish people to come to live in greater peace and security in the Middle East and in the world. Hosted by: Progressive Jewish Alliance, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Harvard Students for Israel, and J Street U Harvard

EVENT: Advancing Peace through Environmental Research

Nature Knows No Borders: Advancing Peace through Environmental Research in the Middle East

Come hear graduate student Leila Hashweh share her experiences as a Palestinian environmentalist working for water restoration in Israel-Palestine

Sunday, October 27th

7:00-8:30pm

Hillel

Cosponsored by Harvard’s Progressive Jewish Alliance, J Street U Harvard, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and The New Israel Fund

EVENT: Our Harsh Logic

The Progressive Jewish Alliance, J Street U Harvard, Friends of Breaking the Silence, and the New Israel Fund New Generation present:

Our Harsh Logic: Israeli Soldiers' Testimonials from the Occupied Territories

Breaking the Silence

Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran combatants who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada and have taken it upon themselves to expose the Israeli public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories.

Harvard Hillel

Tuesday October 15th

7-9pm

RSVP on Facebook!

Avner Gvaryahu from Breaking the Silence will speak about the book "Our Harsh Logic," a collection of testimonies by soldiers who served in the occupied territories. Professor Gabriella Blum, Rita E. Hauser Professor of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law at Harvard Law School, will deliver introductory remarks. Question and answer session to follow.

"....they said to me, 'it doesn't matter. They took six of ours, we are going to take six back." (IDF soldier, testimony 36)

PJA boycotts Insomnia Cookies

PJA has pledged to boycott Insomnia Cookies until they settle all outstanding labor disputes. According to the Student Labor Action Movement:

At Insomnia, "drivers" were paid only $5 an hour plus tips, riding their own bikes, and still weren't making minimum wage. On deliveries, they were also pressured to minimize delivery time, which led to unsafe biking conditions. Bakers, who were paid $9 an hour, were doing double duty as bakers and cashiers, and were not being paid accordingly. Workers also noted that they weren't always allowed their legally mandated break time and a general lack of respect for workers in the store. 

In response, at 12:00 am on Sunday, August 18, the night shift at the Harvard Square Insomnia Cookies voted to initiate a strike for higher wages, healthcare, better job stability, and freedom to build a union. 

As Insomnia's target market, we as college students have an important role to play in this struggle. By choosing not to buy from Insomnia Cookies, we can put pressure on management to give its workers the power they deserve. Our actions have consequences, and there is no neutral ground here. 

Your organization can also sign to boycott using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10JguQpA6uu-FjJDUvbZDK1v0GWmktva6cMXOuJb3kMY/viewform