# The David Project

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Pro-Israel campus group in United States

The David Project Formation 2002; 24 years ago (2002) Founder Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser[1] Dissolved 2017 Purpose Pro-Israel campus activism Headquarters Washington, DC Executive Director Phillip Brodsky Key people Charles Jacobs Parent organization Hillel International Website www.davidproject.org

**The David Project** (**TDP**) was an American pro-Israel campus group.[2] The purpose of TDP was to build diverse pro-Israel support on campuses.[3] TDP began in 2002 as an agency of [Hillel International](/source/Hillel_International), an international Jewish campus organization. In 2017, it merged with Hillel International's Israel Engagement and Education department.[4] In 2019 it evolved into the Hillel U Center for Community Outreach.

TDP was founded in 2002 by [Charles Jacobs](/source/Charles_Jacobs_(political_activist)), who previously co-founded [CAMERA](/source/Committee_for_Accuracy_in_Middle_East_Reporting_in_America). He served as its president until August 2008. [David Bernstein](/source/David_L._Bernstein),[5] previously Program Director of [American Jewish Committee](/source/American_Jewish_Committee) (AJC), began leading TDP in July 2010 and in September 2014, Phillip Brodsky took over.

TDP was an associate member of the [Israel on Campus Coalition](/source/Israel_on_Campus_Coalition).[6]

## Mission

From the website of TDP, "empowers student leaders to build mutually beneficial and enduring partnerships with diverse organizations so that the pro-Israel community is integrated and valued on campus."[7] TDP focused on building student partnerships and helping Israel groups reach out to their peers to talk about Israel.

## Activities

Major activities of TDP included:

- *Israel Uncovered* - Sponsored ten-day trips to Israel for Jewish and non-Jewish campus Israel advocates.[3]

- *Relationship Building Institute* – Training for students to learn Israel advocacy methods through building relationships.[8]

## Documentaries

### *The Forgotten Refugees*

The David Project and IsraTV produced the documentary film *[The Forgotten Refugees](/source/The_Forgotten_Refugees)* in 2005, a documentary about the [Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries](/source/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_and_Muslim_countries) in the second half of the 20th century.[9]

The film won the "Best Featured Documentary" at the Warsaw Jewish Film Festival in 2006 and "Best Documentary Film" at the 2007 [Marbella International Film Festival](/source/Marbella_International_Film_Festival).[10][11]

### *Columbia Unbecoming*

Main article: [Columbia Unbecoming controversy](/source/Columbia_Unbecoming_controversy)

In 2004, the David Project produced a documentary film titled *Columbia Unbecoming*. The film interviewed pro-Israel students at [Columbia University](/source/Columbia_University) who complained that professors had intimidated or been unfair to them over their political views. The release of the film led to an inquiry and to [United States Representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) [Anthony Weiner](/source/Anthony_Weiner) to call for one of the professors involved, [Joseph Massad](/source/Joseph_Massad), to be fired. The inquiry found no evidence for the complaints and the political motive of the students filing them were questioned.[12]

## Harvard University

TDP was involved in pressuring [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University) to reject funds from Sheik [Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan](/source/Zayed_bin_Sultan_Al_Nahyan), ruler of the [United Arab Emirates](/source/United_Arab_Emirates), who funded and lent his name to a think-tank based in [Abu Dhabi](/source/Abu_Dhabi) that they saw as [Anti-American](/source/Anti-American) and [Anti-Semitic](/source/Anti-Semitic). The campaign, led by [Rachel Fish](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rachel_Fish&action=edit&redlink=1), who later became an employee of TDP, and her student supporters, contributed to Zayed's decision to shut down the [Zayed Center](/source/Zayed_Center) in August 2003, saying that it "had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance."[13][14]

In July 2004, the campaign concluded when Harvard decided to reject the $2.5 million donation from the Sultan Al Nahyan.[15] Through her activism, in 2003, Fish was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America by *[The Forward](/source/The_Forward)*.[16]

## Boston Mosque Controversy

In 2005, TDP, its director of education, 13 other groups and two media outlets; the [Boston Herald](/source/Boston_Herald) and [Fox Television](/source/Fox_Television)'s Channel 25 were sued by the [Islamic Society of Boston](/source/Islamic_Society_of_Boston) (ISB) which alleged that they "conspired to publish and broadcast false and defamatory information about mosque leaders in part to halt development of [a] project ... [p]lanned as the largest mosque in New England."[17] In 2006, The David Project sued the [Boston Redevelopment Authority](/source/Boston_Redevelopment_Authority) to obtain documents regarding the authority's sale of land to the Islamic Society of Boston for construction of a mosque, which revealed that some funding for the mosque had come from the [Islamic Development Bank](/source/Islamic_Development_Bank) of [Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia).[18][19] On May 29, 2007, the ISB dropped its lawsuit against all defendants.[20][21][22] After the lawsuit was dropped, [Charles Jacobs](/source/Charles_Jacobs_(political_activist)) of the David Project continued opposition to the building of the mosque, saying "We are more concerned now than we have ever been about a Saudi influence of local mosques."[23]

## Criticism

*[The Forward](/source/The_Forward)* wrote in 2004 that TDP had "a national reputation for hounding Muslims that it perceives to be a threat to the Jewish community."[23]

## See also

- [Israel On Campus Coalition](/source/Israel_On_Campus_Coalition) (member)

- [Death of Daniel Wultz](/source/Death_of_Daniel_Wultz)

- [Public diplomacy of Israel](/source/Hasbara)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Campus_Watch_1-0)** ["Columbia to investigate charges of anti-Jewish intimidation by Arab professors"](https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/9082/columbia-to-investigate-charges-of-anti-jewish). *Campus Watch*. October 29, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LandyLentin2020_2-0)** David Landy; Ronit Lentin; Conor McCarthy (May 15, 2020). [*Enforcing Silence: Academic Freedom, Palestine and the Criticism of Israel*](https://books.google.com/books?id=H77dDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT52). Zed Books. pp. 52–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-78699-653-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-78699-653-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HaveUHeard.com2020_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HaveUHeard.com2020_3-1) ["The David Project"](https://haveuheard.com/blog/david-project/). *HaveUHeard.com*. March 11, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kampeas_2017_4-0)** Kampeas, Ron (August 24, 2017). ["Once 'combative' David Project joins Hillel International for Israel advocacy"](https://www.jta.org/2017/08/24/united-states/once-combative-david-project-joins-hillel-international-for-israel-advocacy). *Jewish Telegraphic Agency*. Retrieved September 25, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The David Project Website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100811101722/http://www.thedavidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=54&Itemid=63). Archived from [the original](http://thedavidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=54&Itemid=63) on August 11, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ips2005_6-0)** ["Academic Freedom and the Teaching of Palestine-Israel: The Columbia University Case, Part II"](https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/41606). *Institute for Palestine Studies*. March 14, 2005. Retrieved September 23, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AboutUs_7-0)** ["The David Project (home page)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070822112107/http://www.davidproject.org/). The David Project. January 2014. Archived from [the original](http://www.davidproject.org/) on August 22, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hillel_International_2017_8-0)** ["Face to face"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210506185551/https://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2017/08/25/face-to-face). *Hillel International*. August 25, 2017. Archived from [the original](https://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2017/08/25/face-to-face) on May 6, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The Forgotten Refugees Website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090120203010/http://www.davidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=115). Archived from [the original](http://www.davidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=115) on January 20, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["2006 Awards | Warsaw Jewish Film Festival"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090206012103/http://www.wjff.pl/en/2006/awards/). Archived from [the original](http://www.wjff.pl/en/2006/awards/) on February 6, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Film Awards 2007 | Marbella International Film Festival"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090207184502/http://marbellafilmfestival.com/en/home/Awards07/default.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.marbellafilmfestival.com/en/home/Awards07/default.htm) on February 7, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Jacob Gershman [Civil Liberties Official Defends Columbia Professors.](http://www2.nysun.com/article/6826?page_no=2)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] *The New York Sun*. December 28, 2004.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Ranalli, Ralph (July 28, 2004). ["Harvard to return $2.5m given by Arab president"](https://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/28/harvard_to_return_25m_given_by_arab_president/). *Boston.com* – via The Boston Globe.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kamins_2004_14-0)** Kamins, Toni L. (July 30, 2004). ["Campaign Against Harvard Gift Ends in Victory for Tennessee Girl"](https://www.jta.org/2004/07/30/archive/campaign-against-harvard-gift-ends-in-victory-for-tennessee-girl). *Jewish Telegraphic Agency*. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Harvard Returns Gift to Arab President," July 30, 2004 | The Harvard Crimson"](http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=503246).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["ACTIVISM"](https://forward.com/news/7091/activism/). *The Forward*. November 14, 2003.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Schwartz_2006_17-0)** Schwartz, Penny (March 26, 2006). ["Boston mosque project chills dialogue"](https://www.jta.org/2006/03/26/lifestyle/boston-mosque-project-chills-dialogue). *Jewish Telegraphic Agency*. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Radin, Charles (October 6, 2006). "Group opposed to Roxbury mosque sues BRA for documents". Boston Globe.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Jacoby, Jeff (January 10, 2007). ["The Boston mosque's Saudi connection"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070113134024/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/01/10/the_boston_mosques_saudi_connection/). Boston Globe. Archived from [the original](http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/01/10/the_boston_mosques_saudi_connection/) on January 13, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Abraham, Yvonne (September 30, 2006). ["Islamic Society of Boston suit moves forward"](http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/09/30/islamic_society_of_boston_suit_moves_forward/). Boston Globe.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Exchange of letters between Jessica Masse of The Islamic Society and Charles Jacobs of The David Project"](http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2006/12/28/islamic_society_of_boston_david_project_air_grievances/). Boston: Boston Globe. December 20, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Slack, Donovan. ["Islamic Society drops lawsuit"](http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/05/30/islamic_society_drops_lawsuit/). Boston: Boston Globe.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-forw_23-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-forw_23-1) Rakowsky, Judy (June 27, 2007). ["Lawsuits Dropped, But Battles Over Boston Mosque Continue"](http://www.forward.com/articles/11052/). New York: The Forward.

## External links

- [Official website](http://davidproject.org/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The David Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_David_Project) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_David_Project?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.