Rafi Lehmann is a senior in Princeton’s history department and a member of the organizing team of the Alliance of Jewish Progressives (AJP), a student-led leftist Jewish organization.
TP: What is the mission of AJP?
RL: We aim to provide community for progressive Jews on campus—especially those students who have been excluded from our campus’ Jewish institutions. We have three current projects: educating our campus community about anti-Semitism; working with our local allies to protect and support immigrants and refugees; and raising awareness about the moral disaster of the Israeli Occupation and our Jewish community’s complicity in it.
TP: What are the movements you are in support of, as a group?
RL: We’re officially affiliated with IfNotNow, a Jewish anti-Occupation movement, and Bend the Arc, a national progressive Jewish coalition, but we’ve partnered in the past with J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), Open Hillel, and other progressive Jewish groups. This year, we’re hoping to collaborate with Never Again Action, a Jewish movement on the frontlines of the struggle against ICE.
TP: What are ways for students on campus to join?
RL: We meet every Thursday, 8:30 to 9:30 PM, on the second floor of the Center for Jewish Life (though we’re not officially affiliated with the CJL). We have an open door policy—all are always welcome. Come for just one meeting or come every week—we’ll be happy to see you no matter what. If you can’t make the Thursday meetings, we normally host at least one major event a month. To keep up with our work, consider liking our Facebook page or joining our listserv. And of course, you can always reach out to me or any of our members if you want to learn more about getting connected.
TP: How is your club looking to grow this year?
RL: We’re hoping to continue building our community—in terms of both numbers and organizing projects. We’ve made excellent progress over the past year, but at Princeton, the recruitment process never ends. We’re also hoping to build more robust, welcoming spaces for Jews of color in our community, and we hope to connect with more graduate students this year. As always, we’re looking forward to strengthening our relationships with our on-campus allies, like YDS, PCP, and SPEAR.
TP: What role do you think leftism, activism, etc. have in AJP (either the club itself or its mission and community)?
RL: I can only speak personally, but my Jewish identity is inseparable from my political identity. I grew up in a very conservative Orthodox Jewish community, and it was actually Jewish texts that guided me to my current political values. Our Jewish histories and traditions are rich with all sorts of radical ideas. Here at Princeton, for example, I’ve been studying East European Jewry, with a focus on Yiddish diasporism and historical Jewish socialism. It makes me so sad that so few of our contemporary Jewish institutions have continued our ancestors’ bold leftist political work, but that’s what AJP is for!
TP: Do you have any words to prospective students?
RL: Join us! We would love to have you. Our members come from such a wide range of backgrounds, I can guarantee there will be a place for you. Some of our members had never participated in Jewish community before joining AJP. Some of our members had never participated in leftist political work. Some of our members have been doing both their whole lives. No matter where you come from, we will be thrilled to welcome you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of our members—we are always happy to chat over coffee or a meal.
TP: In five years, what do you want your club to look like?
RL: It’s hard to say, given how quickly campus politics evolve. My primary hope is that we continue to provide a space for Jewish students on campus—especially for those who might feel excluded by the politics of our supposedly representative Jewish institutions. I also hope we continue to expand our work both on campus and beyond. For better or for worse, what happens on this campus has an audience far beyond the FitzRandolph gates. I hope we continue to lean into this opportunity to make our voices heard in the national conversation.
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