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For the past four years, the Jewish Cultural Collective has been showcasing Jewish culture on the University of Wisconsin campus with the goal of enriching the lives of all students, regardless of religion.
"The JCC is committed to promoting Jewish culture on campus," JCC chair and UW senior Alex Sheridan said. "We try to create programs that focus on Jewish culture and contributions, but you do not have to be Jewish to come to the events or be on the staff. Jewish culture impacts everyone in one way or another."
The organization was formed because students were looking for a way to promote Judaism independently of religion and politics, Sheridan said.
JCC communications director and UW junior Rachel Lansing insists the organization is for all students.
"Granted, there are connections to promoting Jewish culture, but it also engages the student demographic as a whole, regardless of religious affiliation," she said. "The JCC brings a fresh perspective, is very student-oriented and gives students a chance to really be active in the campus community."
One goal of the JCC is to provide students with cultural experiences different from those offered by other Jewish campus organizations, Lansing said.
"There is no other organization that brings in speakers, puts out a magazine or has a theater program and film challenge," Lansing said.
The JCC provides many artistic outlets for students, including film festivals, theater productions and a magazine. The organization holds two film festivals a year, one of which features films by amateur filmmakers.
"Students from across the country are given the opportunity to create, write, direct and star in their own films," Lansing said. "The films have to somehow incorporate Jewish culture."
The Major Events Series is another way the JCC brings attention to Jewish culture.
"We bring major speakers to campus, and they speak about Jewish culture and how being Jewish has applied to their careers," Sheridan said.
The Voice, JCC's student magazine, was also created to promote Jewish culture around campus and to address college issues, both religious and otherwise.
"The magazine covers everything from why a Jewish girl wants to marry a non-Jewish boy to Israeli politics to the pros and cons of Jewish holidays," Voice editor and UW junior Lauren Rollins said. "It is a mix of serious and less serious material. It has a lot of college-themed issues in general, too. It's not all religion-related."
Rollins added the magazine is staffed entirely by student JCC members.
"We had about 18 writers this time around, and the staff is not all Jewish," Rollins said. "The first issue will be out in about two weeks. We have an issue coming out every semester, but we hope to increase it to a couple per semester."
Two thousand copies of the magazine will be printed and distributed this semester, Rollins said.
The JCC is one of several student organizations funded through segregated fees.
The organization received $158,219 for the 2007-08 academic year, according to Associated Students of Madsion Student Service Finance Committee records — the group that allocates segregated fees.
"$123,000 goes toward the programming budget," JCC financial manager and UW junior Justin Walder said.
He said the programming budget is used to bring in speakers from across the country and sponsor theater productions, including BJ: A Musical Romp. Some of the money is also used for advertising and paying the organization's all-student staff.
This year, every UW student pays $429.08 in segregated fees. A portion of this fee funds various student organizations throughout campus, including University Health Services and the ASM Bus Pass. Look for future features on other organizations students help fund.
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We fund this shit? Awful. I want my money back.
“We fund this shit? Awful. I want my money back.”
Ah, yes. Anti-Semitism is alive and well in Madison.