StandWithUs (SWU) is proud to announce that Tufts University’s Skyler Goldberg has won second place for its Roberta Seid Award for Courage and Leadership for 2022. The award is given each year to one outstanding StandWithUs Emerson Fellow who has demonstrated exemplary courage, leadership, and commitment to Israel activism on campus and beyond. Dr. Seid was the first director of research and education at StandWithUs; this remarkable award is in honor of an incredible visionary who helped people of all ages stand up for Israel with impactful SWU educational materials for over a decade.

Founded in 2007, the one-year StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship trains, educates, and empowers student leaders around the world. They learn how to strategically navigate antisemitic activity on their campuses and inspire their peers to run impactful educational events and campaigns about Israel.

Goldberg entered the Emerson Fellowship eager to address the tough campus climate at Tufts University and strengthen his community. Skyler started a book club that brought together students and faculty to read Gil Troy’s “The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland” and share their experiences with campus antisemitism.

As president of Tufts Friends of Israel, Goldberg organized events and campaigns that promoted education and dialogue with experts in the field. When Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) launched a campaign to boycott groups on campus, including Friends of Israel, Skyler mobilized his community effectively and stayed committed to his goal of pursuing dialogue and education. Throughout the Fellowship, Goldberg organized inspiring proactive initiatives while reacting to challenges, utilizing SWU resources. The impact of Goldberg’s accomplishments will resonate on the Tufts campus for years to come.

“My time as an Emerson Fellow was wonderful,” states Goldberg. “StandWithUs was incredibly supportive, personally and professionally, over the last year. At the August training conference, I repeatedly heard that we Emerson Fellows were being welcomed into the StandWithUs family; at SWU, it was not an empty promise. The fellowship offered me a wealth of resources—from reassuring phone calls with my campus coordinator after anti-Israel flare-ups on my campus to event ideas to advice for engaging new members. Given how easy it can be to feel isolated as a Zionist college student, the value of this support truly cannot be overstated.”

The 2022-23 StandWithUs Emerson Fellows are: Ian Kaplan, Tufts University; Alon Trogan, University of Massachusetts; Asher Chamoy, Harvard University; Eliyahu Suskind, Babson College; Sabrina Chevlin and Shira Ashkenazi, Northeastern University; and Neima Fax, Brandeis University. They are participating in the August training conference and will attend the “Israel in Focus” International Conference in January.

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