Davidai Inspires Jewish Community at JNF Event
The Columbia University professor spoke about his advocacy for Israel and experiences fighting antisemitism.
Shai Davidai insists he’s a “nobody” despite the palpable excitement from the 300 attendees who clung to his every word at the recent JNF-USA event, “Standing Strong with Israel.”
The Columbia University professor, well-known for his outspoken advocacy for Israel and fight against antisemitism on university campuses, believed someone would speak out about the encampments that sprung up at the Manhattan campus on April 17, 2024, six months after the terrorist attacks in Israel. When no one came forward, he realized he needed to be that person. And the rest is history.
“There were 25 people in attendance when I spoke before a group of students. Someone videotaped the speech, and the next day millions of people had watched the video. I’m not courageous or brave. I’m just someone who spoke up, and it resonated with people around the world,” Davidai explained.
Shortly thereafter, Davidai was suspended by Columbia, whose administration continues to maintain his freedom of speech was not being limited. Instead, they point to allegations of harassment and intimidation of university employees by Davidai. In one video, Davidai confronted Cas Holloway, the university’s chief operating officer, stating “You have to do your job. And I will not let you rest if they won’t let us rest.” Israeli and Jewish students were physically blocked from entering buildings and green space as the pro-Palestinian protests and encampments took hold at Columbia.
Currently, Davidai is trying to make sense of the despair felt by millions since the attacks in Israel. And he continues to rally against the hate directed toward Jewish students at American college campuses. He has experienced the anti-Israel and anti-American sentiment firsthand during his travels, but he has also found the strength of the Jewish community, which he describes as “something beautiful.” He believes that most of the hatred comes from ignorance. By providing factual information to those who are open to respectful discourse, he believes viewpoints may be altered through one-on-one conversations.
Davidai knows that he is not alone in what he has faced. “Other professors have sent me notes and emails indicating they are experiencing the same treatment. University officials are allowing this situation to happen. The tenure system needs to be revamped or eliminated,” he said. Citing Joseph Massad, the Columbia professor who described the Oct. 7 attacks as “astounding, awesome, and incredible,” Davidai mentioned that Massad continues to teach at Columbia as a tenured professor. In fact, Massad is currently teaching a course on Zionism and attended a conference in Turkey with Hamas leaders in 2024.
“After the Oct. 7 attacks and up to the present time, I realized that there are people who see our mere existence anywhere in Israel as wrong. When May 15 (the day after the modern state of Israel was established in 1948) is commemorated by many as the Nakba (catastrophe), I have to compare it to those who would say July 5 is the worst day in American history. This sort of sentiment has taken root at many of the Ivy League schools,” said Davidai.
Davidai recommends high school and college students experience Israel firsthand through educational programs. “Kids who have been in Israel stand taller on college campuses. They don’t have to read about what is happening – they experience it. This connection strengthens them more than anything,” he stressed. He cited Alexander Muss High School in Israel and Caravan for Democracy, two JNF-sponsored programs that help educate Jewish and non-Jewish students about Israel, as important initiatives for learning and understanding.
Social media has also played a role in shaping viewpoints, Davidai contends. He mentioned a statistic indicating that anti-Israel content is now 47 times more prevalent than pro-Israel material on TikTok. “Students are being brainwashed by what they see on social media, including TikTok,” he said. “Most students are receiving information from many social media sites, including TikTok. We also know that peer pressure for young people is high, and no one wants to be pushed out or excluded from a group for questioning a prevailing opinion. With extreme anti-Israel demonstrations the norm on some college campuses, it’s inevitable that students will take part in order to fit in,” he said.
“The teen years are transformative in terms of a lifetime Jewish identity. We were very pleased with the program and thankful that the Zalik Foundation, the Helen Marie Stern Foundation and other sponsors made this event possible for our community here in Atlanta. Samantha Weidenbaum, a member of our Atlanta board of directors, exhibited true leadership in advocating for our sponsorship of this initiative with Shai Davidai,” said Beth Gluck, executive director of JNF-USA Southeast.
Davidai offered the following insights and advice to those in attendance and in the larger Jewish community:
• Be a voice to speak out against antisemitism. Everyone has the potential to make a difference.
• Tap into your Jewish identity. There is strength in being part of a strong community.
• Educate yourself and your children about our shared Jewish history and culture.
• Remember that as Jews we all have a connection to Israel.
• Speaking one-on-one with someone is worthwhile only if they have an open mind. Also, it is not the job of our teens to change people’s minds.
Weidenbaum also spoke at the event, calling Davidai a “true hero and passionate advocate.” At the start of the event, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S. Anat Sultan-Dadon recognized the number of days in captivity for the hostages and acknowledged Davidai as a “voice of moral clarity in an upside-down world.”
comments