Jewish Student Association

Mission Statement: 

JSA is a space for Jewish community where community members are able to practice Judaism and celebrate Jewish culture beyond nationalism, as our ancestors did for thousands of years before the creation of a Jewish nation-state. We hold religious, cultural, and educational events which are open to the Lewis & Clark public. We are inspired by the ancient wisdom of Jewish tradition, specifically the value of Tikkun Olam, meaning world repair. We recognize the Mishna ethics which teach us that though it is not necessary to finish the work of healing the world, we are not free to ignore it. We welcome anyone on a path toward unlearning Zionism, holding space for lectures and discussions in which we will grapple together with apartheid, colonialism, Zionism, and Israel. We refuse the notion that Jewish safety comes at the expense of Palestinian livelihood, and we believe that Jewish liberation is intertwined with the liberation of all peoples. However, we believe that this vision of collective liberation necessitates an Anti-Zionist politic and solidarity with Palestine, especially recognizing that many of our people have historically experienced genocide and ethnic cleansing. Our guiding principle is solidarity, and we strive to reject racism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-semitism in all their forms.