By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer
Content warning: mentions of genocide.
Recently, students started a chapter of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada at SFU. IJV is a “grassroots organization grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace for all in Israel-Palestine.” The Peak interviewed Omri Haiven and Dina, SFU students involved in the new initiative on campus, on IJV SFU’s values and plans for the future.
The catalyst for the club can be attributed to the “desire to have an identity that goes beyond Israel and gets back to core Jewish values,” said Haiven. He explained that this includes tikkun olam (world repair) and or tzedakah (charity). Dina added core members felt that “there isn’t really a space for Jewish students [at SFU] who do want to find an identity outside of Israel and outside of Zionism.” According to IJV Canada, “Zionism is generally understood to denote the political ideology that has provided the basis for Israel’s settler-colonial project and unfolding genocide in Palestine.”
“There isn’t really a space for Jewish students [at SFU] who do want to find an identity outside of Israel and outside of Zionism.” Dina, member of Independent Jewish Voices SFU
IJV SFU’s broader goal is to support the pro-Palestine movements at SFU, such as SFU Student Strike for Palestine and SFU Faculty for Palestine. IJV SFU aligns with these campus movements’ goals “to get our university to divest from the companies that are funding the genocide, and also to end all relationships with Israeli academic institutions,” said Dina. SFU “owns shares of BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CAE Inc.” — companies supplying military arms to Israel.
Dina hopes the club can provide room for “students who are maybe a little bit afraid to speak up right now, especially Jewish students.” IJV SFU stands opposed to the conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-semitism. Haiven explained that “anti-semitism for us is to be targeted as a Jew because you are a Jew” rather than “legitimate criticism” of the state of Israel. He highlighted the wish for “a space for Jews to congregate on campus and speak with a united voice,” explaining how “it takes a community to have that sense of purpose together.
Haiven said that “until the university divests from these arms companies” there will be more conflict between the pro-Palestine movements on campus and administration. “The purpose of the university as an institution for social and environmental justice will be called into question,” he continued.
“In November, a proposed timeline for community consultation will be shared with the SFU Board of Governors. If approved, early consultation with key groups (SFSS, Graduate Student Society, employee groups), will take place in December.” They also said “a full community consultation about SFU’s Responsible Investment Policy is planned for early 2025.” — SFU statement
In a statement to The Peak, SFU stated that “in November, a proposed timeline for community consultation will be shared with the SFU Board of Governors. If approved, early consultation with key groups (SFSS, Graduate Student Society, employee groups), will take place in December.” They also said “a full community consultation about SFU’s Responsible Investment Policy is planned for early 2025.”
In terms of next steps, IJV SFU is currently in conversation with Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) and working on becoming an official campus club. SFPIRG is a “student-funded and student-directed resource centre dedicated to social and environmental justice.” The group also hopes to connect with the Multifaith Centre on campus. While IJV SFU is “mostly secular, there’s a really important part of Jewish identity that is non-religious but cultural and we want to be able to talk about those cultural teachings from history and from movements,” explained Haiven.
IJV SFU also hopes to participate in a panel with individuals who were involved in the encampment movement, which saw students across college campuses protest their administrations. Additionally, the group is interested in bringing in Israelis who refused to serve in the Israeli military to hear about their experiences.
IJV SFU has already welcomed professors, PhD students, graduates, and undergraduates into the space.
For more information, check out @ijv.sfu on Instagram and view the Linktree in their bio.
