Actor Michael Douglas Tours American Universities to Speak in Support of Israel

News Staff : Jan 21, 2016
JNS News

"This is the first time, in this current period of heightened anti-Israel activity on campus, that a Hollywood celebrity has offered to join with a world Jewish leader to visit U.S. college campuses and speak with students about Israel and the Jewish people." -Stan Polovets

(Hollywood, CA)—Actor Michael Douglas and the Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky are set to visit three college campuses in the U.S. to speak to students about Israel and modern anti-Semitism. (Photo via JNS.org)

Douglas and Sharansky will visit Brown University on Jan. 28, Stanford University on Feb. 2, and the University of California, Santa Barbara on Feb. 3. The program, titled "Jewish Journeys: A Conversation with Michael Douglas and Natan Sharansky," is being co-hosted by the Genesis Prize Foundation, Hillel International, and the Jewish Agency, in addition to the local Hillel chapters on each campus.

"This is the first time, in this current period of heightened anti-Israel activity on campus, that a Hollywood celebrity has offered to join with a world Jewish leader to visit U.S. college campuses and speak with students about Israel and the Jewish people," said Stan Polovets, the Genesis Prize Foundation's co-founder and chairman. "At a time when certain individuals and groups in the academic community as well as other forces are making sustained efforts to delegitimize Israel, these visits are particularly important and timely."

Douglas said, "I was honored to receive the Genesis Prize last year, and it has encouraged me to deepen my commitment and belief that we must all be more inclusive in order that the Jewish faith and culture thrive. These visits provide an opportunity for Natan and me to speak directly with young people about the challenges they encounter, and share insight about how we have dealt with these situations throughout our life."

Reprinted with permission via JNS.org.