Zach Novetsky

Zach Novetsky (class of 2005), now in his final year at New York University, was chosen in spring 2009 as one of three U.S. student representatives at “Durban II”-- the United Nations’ 2009 World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Other Intolerance in Geneva. He joined the European Union of Jewish Student’s delegation there and wrote a blog for the Jerusalem Post as the event unfolded.
In late June Zach is headed to the Vatican for a meeting on Catholic-Jewish relations as a student representative of the Orthodox Union. On campus, he is involved in Muslim-Jewish interfaith activities with Hillel, and is the 2009 Winner of the PANIM: Aaron Goldman Young Jewish Activist Award. In interview with ICJA, Zach describes his Israel advocacy work.

Q: What drives you to advocate for Israel?
A: It was on the March of the Living that I first a felt strong connection with Judaism in the context of Israel. Rabbi Matanky had pushed me to go, and there my overwhelming feeling was anger. In my eyes, the fact that Israel didn’t exist at time of the Holocaust was the reason it happened. Seeing so much destruction and then going to Israel and seeing its beauty—the contrast was astonishing.
I had a good relationship with Rabbi Matanky after the March, which is why I headed to Eretz HaTzvi in Israel after graduation. He was always there to remind me that Ida Crown is a five-year program. Israel is essential for every Jew, especially Ida Crown graduates. That year I read during all of my free time. It was a year of intellectual growth.

Q: What kind of Israel advocacy do you do on campus?
A: In my freshman year at NYU, I went on a Muslim-Jewish spring break trip to rebuild homes in New Orleans. I had strong feelings toward the Muslim community but had never actually spoken to anyone Muslim. That’s when I began doing a lot of interfaith work.
I’ve developed dialogue programming for Jewish and Muslim students. We meet in small groups to discuss interests and religion, devoid of politics.
On campus I see left wing students who are more hard core against Israel than the Palestinians themselves. My goal is to combat that rise because it is really anti-Semitism and not just anti-Israel. I’m friends with a group of students who are all equally passionate about Israel. We do “chalking” on campus floors and counter protests to anti-Israel rallies. I’m hoping to develop a nationwide student activist group that would emulate the European Union of Jewish Students. My goal is to find 10 creative and proactive students per campus who would combat anti-Israel messages on campuses.

Q: What was it like to attend the UN World Conference on Racism?
A: I was one of three students there to represent the voice of American Jewish students. We protested UN inefficiencies and [Iran’s President Mahmoud] Ahmajinedad, who actually spoke there. The United States boycotted conference, but we felt it was important to have Jewish student representatives.
At one point we were in the NGO room along with people like Alan Dershowitz and Elie Weisel. During Ahmadinejad’s speech the translation devices weren’t working and Alan Dershowitz stood up to protest. I thought he would be arrested, but all of a sudden some students dressed as clowns burst in. We were all cheering and then 200 of us walked out spontaneously. All of my feelings of Jewish unity and Jewish activism cohered at that moment.

Read more about Zach’s experience in Geneva at jpost.com.

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