Editor’s note: See more details about this challenge and prizes on page 18.

Since the devastating and unprovoked attack against Israel on October 7, Jews in America have been finding ways to unite in support of the Jewish State. These efforts include donations, communal Tehillim, learning initiatives, and advocacy for Israel. Despite these positive efforts, anti-Israel rallies and protests have become increasingly common and have effectively garnered public support for the Palestinian cause. We are losing on the publicity front, particularly at rallies.

Right now, our only well-known pro-Israel chants are “Bring them home” and “Am Yisroel Chai.” That’s it. Once they are used in the first five minutes of a rally, we are out of ammo. On today’s protest/rally battlefield, our rational arguments do not translate. Even though the truth is on our side, the truth simply does not have enough punching power. Searching for the right words to describe how we feel about Israel at the moment feels debilitating.

Perhaps a change in our protest tactics is needed to be more prepared for the next encounter. How great would it be if we were to show up at rallies armed with a playbook filled with witty sign slogans and a list of unifying chants? How empowering would it be for Jewish college students to have such a resource on their campuses, helping them feel proud and able to fight back effectively?

A case in point is the April 1 rally, when Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck hosted an event in support of ZAKA, an organization that provides dignified burials for victims of catastrophe and disaster in Israel. There was absolutely nothing controversial about this event other than the fact that ZAKA is an Israeli organization. Although the event was meant to honor ZAKA’s humanitarian efforts, anti-Israel protesters announced their intention to attend—not to listen to the inspiring stories of the ZAKA heroes—but to protest their heroic actions simply because the organization was Israeli. In response, over 1,000 members of the Teaneck community arrived with Israeli flags to show their support for Israel, far outnumbering the 75 pro-Palestinian protesters.

While the support in numbers was valiant and the ruach was high, especially during the Jewish music, the smaller group of pro-Palestinian protesters was sometimes louder than the larger group of Israel supporters. This highlights how exceptionally organized and highly trained Palestinian activists have become. They and their supporters have invested hundreds of millions of dollars and many years of trial and error to refine their protest tactics. Their national organizations have produced media kits with step-by-step instructions, which are easily accessible to activists, students, teachers, journalists and anyone attending their rallies.

A crucial feature of their effective arsenal is a collection of catchy chants and witty slogans that serve to unify their people and convey a clear message. In contrast, our much smaller Jewish pro-Israel community has struggled to come up with clear messaging. Instead of utilizing a list of chants, talking points, or slogans (that don’t yet exist), we try engaging pro-Palestinian protestors in rational debates. While these brave Jews are to be admired, few are capable of doing it effectively, and loud outdoor rallies are rarely optimal conditions for debate.

If there had been a list of compelling chants to shout together, and memorable sign slogans, the ZAKA counter-protest and many other similar rallies could have had a far greater impact on bystanders and onlookers, especially on social media and news outlets covering these events.

We urgently need such a resource, starting with some fun and impactful pro-Israel chants and slogans. We need our brightest, wittiest pro-Israel minds to compile a list that can be utilized by Jews and our allies across the U.S.. In addition, we hope the top slogans can be used to spread awareness on social media and potentially to be put on posters held up at rallies.

In an effort to strengthen our support for Israel by harnessing the creativity of our community, The Jewish Link has agreed to host the Voices for

Israel: Creative Chant Challenge.

Rules:

1) Come up with chants or slogans that are concise and impactful.

2) Submit your entries here: https://forms.gle/GAu85A3tKAiVWn3U9

3) Include your name and affiliation (whether school, camp or other Jewish organization you most affiliate with).

4) If applicable, include the tune to your chant.

5) We are seeking chants and slogans with one or more of the following attributes: rhyming, humorous, witty, insightful, historic, positive and counterpunching.

6) Try to keep the chants/slogans as positive as possible—we understand that this is a difficult topic, but positive communication is critical in swaying the masses to understand that Israel is a righteous country.

Scoring:

Each week an expert panel of judges will choose the very best chants and slogans to be published.

When:

The contest will begin right after Shavuot and run through July and will be located in The Jewish Link each week.

Prizes:

Unique prizes will be awarded.

In the end, we hope to publish a list of the very best chants and slogans that Jews around the world will want to use at rallies and pro-Israel events. With your help, we can make this possible. Please share this article, the flier on page 18 and link for submissions with your co-workers, friends and family. This contest is NOT exclusive to Jewish Link readers—we would like anyone and everyone who supports Israel to give it their best shot and come up with their own ideas for this contest.

Good luck!

Please email Zachary Greenberg at [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback.