To pressure colleges into combating anti-Semitism, alumni become activists

To pressure colleges into combating anti-Semitism, alumni become activists

Alums for Campus Fairness builds a network across the US seeking to maintain an evenhanded dialogue, by turning graduates into stakeholders

NEW YORK — Vassar alum Mark Banschick was deeply troubled. It was 2014 and the American Studies Association had voted to boycott Israeli academics and academic institutions.

While Vassar’s president opposed the idea, 39 of the college’s professors openly supported the boycott. Wondering what had become of his alma mater, Banschick started digging. He didn’t like what he found.

There was the college-sponsored trip to Israel that toured the Jordan Valley and falsely claimed Israel was misappropriating the water, as well as the time students plastered posters in dorms and bathroom stalls depicting Palestinian victims of alleged IDF violence.

Recognizing that alumni could contribute more than dollars to former schools, Banschick and two fellow graduates founded what would become the non-profit Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF).

This article is featured in The Times of Israel. To read the full article, click here.