Authored by Alyza D. Lewin and published in Jewish News Syndicate on 11/10/22. Adapted from the keynote address delivered at the Installation Dinner of the Brandeis Association, a Jewish bar association, in Great Neck, New York on Oct. 24, 2022. . Justice Louis D. Brandeis knew that Jewish, Zionist and American ideals were united as one. . Justice Louis D. Brandeis taught Americans that it was possible to be both American and Zionist. He explained that Zionist ideals were synonymous with American values. . As he once said, “I began gradually to realize that these 20th-century ideals of America, of democracy, of social justice, of longing for righteousness, were ancient Jewish ideals. … That that which I was striving for, as a thing essentially American, as the ideals for our country, were the Jewish ideals of thousands of years.” . For Justice Brandeis, Jewish, Zionist and American ideals were united as one. Today, however, some seek to divide them and falsely claim that they can’t coexist together. They categorize Zionism as evil. . It is increasingly common today to hear people say: I’m not anti-Jewish, I’m only anti-Zionist. But is that even possible? Is it possible to support Jews but oppose Zionists? . The answer is no. Why? Because Zionism is an integral part of Jewish identity. . Judaism is more than a religion. Jews share not only a faith and religious traditions, but also a deep sense of Jewish peoplehood. The Jews’ history, ancestry, theology and culture are inextricably intertwined with the Land of Israel. Justice Brandeis embraced the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. . Yet today, on campus and beyond, Jewish students who demonstrate pride in their Jewish ethnic heritage by expressing identification with Israel are shunned, marginalized and excluded from student clubs, support groups, social justice advocacy spaces and even student government. With frightening frequency, these students are told they are not welcome unless they first condemn Israel. No other group of students is charged such a price for admission. . As president of the Brandeis Center, I speak nearly every day to students on campus. Let me share with you some of the things they are telling me: . To continue reading Alyza Lewin’s remarks, click here.