Thanks to our partners, we’re fostering critical thinking, open dialogue, and individual growth.
Key Pillars of Campus Ready
Learn the counternarrative
Practice up-to-date real-world scenarios
Lean into tough conversations
Fill gaps in Jewish education
Find your own voice
Candid Conversations in a Supportive Environment
The program creates a space with "no elephants in the room," allowing for open, honest discussions about challenging topics related to Jewish identity and Israel, better-preparing students for campus life than traditional advocacy programs.
Parallel Experience for Students and Parents
Parents participate in an interactive workshop based on the "Campus Ready" model, developing a shared vocabulary and framework with their teens. This equips families with tools to navigate challenging conversations about Israel and Jewish identity, helping parents support their teens effectively and connect with others facing similar concerns.
Confidence Building Through Simulations
The curriculum includes role-playing exercises based on real campus scenarios, helping students build confidence and receive feedback in handling challenging interactions.
Expert-Driven Curriculum
Developed by a team including a college instructor with 15 years of experience on progressive campuses and a rabbi skilled in communicating Jewish ideas, the program offers a balanced, practical approach to preparing Jewish students for college life.
What Makes Campus Ready Different
Professional Development for Educators
Equip your team with the tools and frameworks to guide students through challenging conversations about Jewish identity and campus life.
Inside Our Program
SESSION 1:
Welcome & Icebreaker
Set group norms and create a welcoming environment with no elephants in the room. The session includes an icebreaker to foster curiosity about Israel and Judaism.
SESSION 2:
Your Identity and "Us"
Explore how personal identities and backgrounds contribute to a collective group identity.
SESSION 3:
Why Israel? What Does It Mean to Jews? To Israelis? What Does It Mean to You?
Reflect on Israel’s historical and contemporary significance to the Jewish people and explore personal connections to Israel.
SESSION 4:
Din and Hesed
Learn to see the world through two lenses: One rooted in moral distinctions, and the other in empathy and curiosity.
SESSION 5:
Counter narratives: Pro-Palestinian and Antizionist Discourse on Campus
Explore the anti-Israel narratives dominant on campus, and often unaddressed in Israel education.
SESSION 6:
Processing Counter narratives
Deepen ability to critically engage with counter narratives by examining what they reveal and what they conceal.
SESSION 7:
Fluent and Ready for Campus Discourse on Israel
Learn key concepts and campus lexicon related to Israel discourse.
SESSION 8:
How Does Power Work on Campus?: A Crash Course in Identity Politics
Understand the dynamics of DEI on campus and how it intersects with Jewish identity.
SESSION 11:
Build Your Memory: Jeopardy! Review of all Concepts From Campus Ready
Reinforce key concepts through a competitive review game, solidifying understanding and fostering a supportive community.
SESSION 9:
Build Your Resilience
Build individual and collective fortitude by reflecting on Jewish narratives and yours.
SESSION 12:
Build Your Action Plan: Next Steps
Develop personalized action plans for navigating campus life, including strategies for leadership, resilience and building support networks.
SESSION 10:
Build Your Confidence: Real Campus Scenarios and Role Plays. What Would You Say?
Practice responding to real-life campus scenarios through role plays, building confidence and readiness for challenging interactions.
SESSION 13:
The Morals of the Story
Think critically about dominant moral narratives and provides simple, effective tools to reconsider received notions of moral responsibility and blame
SESSION 14:
War, Resistence, and Responsibility
Explore resistance as a contested idea and analyze how headlines frame security, suffering, and moral responsibility
What Educators & Students are Saying
Thank you so much for an amazing two days of Campus Ready training! I found it incredibly valuable, and I particularly appreciated experiencing your facilitation of sessions while also having the opportunity to see you pull back the curtain to address questions and considerations with us as trainees.
Rochel Klionsky, Director, Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning, a Division of The Jewish Education Project
Campus Ready was an incredibly impactful experience for our team. Joe and Amy created a thoughtful, welcoming space to explore the history, identity, and diversity of Jewish communities through powerful storytelling and inclusive dialogue. Staff left feeling more confident and better equipped with the tools and language needed to navigate challenging conversations and foster learning environments that affirm and support Jewish students.
Sean McCormack, System Lead, Anti-Oppression Department
Thank you again for the opportunity to learn with you and from you. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with such thoughtful educators who are approaching Israel education with transparency, care, and openness. I appreciated the way you invited reflection and feedback throughout the training, and it was an honor to be part of such an engaged cohort.
Rachel Sherman, Experiential Minds, LLC
We explored various arguments of different viewpoints in a safe environment that was actually judge-free.
Participant in Toronto Public School Campus Ready Retreat
I think the anti-Zionist narrative was useful to learn about because it’s important to become familiar with opposing beliefs. I also appreciated the Zionist history learning, because understanding the past of our people and state is critical as a member of the Jewish people.
Masa Gap North American Gap Year Fellow
“Elephants in the Room” and the “Campus Lexicon” gave me the basic buzzwords that I should be aware of in a structured form.
Masa Gap North American Gap Year Fellow
I liked when we role-played confrontations that might arise revolving Israel and one’s Jewish identity, as it provided me not only with insights but with what to expect in college, and understanding what it feels like when these uncomfortable topics arise, but I was also pointed towards very helpful tools and resources provided in the amazing booklet on how to cope and ways in which to respond, so I am prepared in the future.
Participant from Kehillah High, Houston
Very engaging and knowledgable educators. Bolstered my confidence!
Masa Australian Gap Year Fellow
I feel significantly more confident in my ability to stand my ground in political debates regarding this touchy subject.
Masa North America Gap Year Fellow
I appreciated acting out the scenarios because it helped figure out what is possible to do in the moment of confrontation, it’s just more natural and extemporaneous when it’s like acting out a situation rather than writing down possible responses.
Participant in the JPLC Campus Ready “Bootcamp”
I have tried and really struggled with how to present the anti-Zionist narrative in a concise and clear way. Your anti-Zionist narrative visual and language is mind blowing. I am still wrapping my head around its brilliance. The various framework tools open up infinite possibilities, and I can't wait to start to implement them. But the most impressive thing to me about your program is that it is actually student centered.
Phyllis Sussman, Judaic Studies Department Chair, the Senesh School
Thank you so much for an amazing two days of Campus Ready training! I found it incredibly valuable, and I particularly appreciated experiencing your facilitation of sessions while also having the opportunity to see you pull back the curtain to address questions and considerations with us as trainees.
Rochel Klionsky, Director, Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning, a Division of The Jewish Education Project
Campus Ready was an incredibly impactful experience for our team. Joe and Amy created a thoughtful, welcoming space to explore the history, identity, and diversity of Jewish communities through powerful storytelling and inclusive dialogue. Staff left feeling more confident and better equipped with the tools and language needed to navigate challenging conversations and foster learning environments that affirm and support Jewish students.
Sean McCormack, System Lead, Anti-Oppression Department
Thank you again for the opportunity to learn with you and from you. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with such thoughtful educators who are approaching Israel education with transparency, care, and openness. I appreciated the way you invited reflection and feedback throughout the training, and it was an honor to be part of such an engaged cohort.
Rachel Sherman, Experiential Minds, LLC
We explored various arguments of different viewpoints in a safe environment that was actually judge-free.
Participant in Toronto Public School Campus Ready Retreat
I think the anti-Zionist narrative was useful to learn about because it’s important to become familiar with opposing beliefs. I also appreciated the Zionist history learning, because understanding the past of our people and state is critical as a member of the Jewish people.
Masa Gap North American Gap Year Fellow
“Elephants in the Room” and the “Campus Lexicon” gave me the basic buzzwords that I should be aware of in a structured form.
Masa Gap North American Gap Year Fellow
I liked when we role-played confrontations that might arise revolving Israel and one’s Jewish identity, as it provided me not only with insights but with what to expect in college, and understanding what it feels like when these uncomfortable topics arise, but I was also pointed towards very helpful tools and resources provided in the amazing booklet on how to cope and ways in which to respond, so I am prepared in the future.
Participant from Kehillah High, Houston
Very engaging and knowledgable educators. Bolstered my confidence!
Masa Australian Gap Year Fellow
I feel significantly more confident in my ability to stand my ground in political debates regarding this touchy subject.
Masa North America Gap Year Fellow
I appreciated acting out the scenarios because it helped figure out what is possible to do in the moment of confrontation, it’s just more natural and extemporaneous when it’s like acting out a situation rather than writing down possible responses.
Participant in the JPLC Campus Ready “Bootcamp”
I have tried and really struggled with how to present the anti-Zionist narrative in a concise and clear way. Your anti-Zionist narrative visual and language is mind blowing. I am still wrapping my head around its brilliance. The various framework tools open up infinite possibilities, and I can't wait to start to implement them. But the most impressive thing to me about your program is that it is actually student centered.
Phyllis Sussman, Judaic Studies Department Chair, the Senesh School
Frequently Asked Questions
The Jewish Agency is a Zionist organization, as are the designers of Campus Ready. We believe strongly that a mature and deep relationship with Israel is an inextricable part of Jewish identity. Nevertheless, we do not demand or expect participants to hold any particular political view or allegiance. Campus Ready is a curriculum that encourages critical thinking, open dialogue, and exploration of one’s own Jewish identity and of diverse perspectives.
The program does not focus on the question of when anti-Zionism constitutes antisemitism — though anti-Zionism certainly often does. We focus instead on exploring anti-Israel ideologies on campus, how they impact Jewish students, and how students can engage with them on their own terms. We also offer our students resources for identifying and reporting antisemitism.
The curriculum does not align with a specific political ideology. Still, it explores both the range of views our students hold and the dominant progressive paradigm they will encounter on campus. The goal is to empower students to assert their Jewish identity and engage confidently with multiple viewpoints on campus.
We make a firm commitment that no topic will be off-limits — there are no “elephants in the room.” We understand that high school students are still forming their views and must be free to speak their minds and hear their peers’ perspectives. Notwithstanding the importance of free and unencumbered exchange, we establish group norms emphasizing respect for diverse opinions and experiences, understanding that. And we affirm Israel’s right to exist with safety and security for its population and believe that Jews around the world deserve equal rights in their national and institutional settings.
No. While we appreciate the need for Israel advocates, we believe that young Jews on campus need much more than advocacy training. Graduates of “Campus Ready” will be better prepared to advocate for Israel. However, we do not provide scripted talking points or presume everyone in the room has the same personal relationship with Israel. Our models of action and advocacy are individualized, assets-based, and planned by the students themselves, with our support.
Bring Campus Ready to Your Community
Find out how Campus Ready works, who it’s for, and how to register for an upcoming program.
Fill out our contact form or email Dr. Amy Weinreb at ameliaw@jafi.org