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Report: Heir to Levi Strauss Dynasty Behind Funding of Anti-Israel College Protest Movement
Edited by: TJVNews.com
In an intricate twist of political alliances and philanthropic endeavors, one of America’s wealthiest and most politically active Jewish families has emerged as a significant financial supporter of the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) movement. Known for orchestrating anti-Israel protests across U.S. college campuses, the NSJP’s financial backing and operational legitimacy have come under scrutiny following a revealing 2024 report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). This report, titled “National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) – Antisemitism, Anti-Americanism, Violent Extremism and the Threat to North American Universities,” sheds light on the complex web of support that sustains the NSJP and its associated activities.
The NSJP is a prominent student organization that has gained notoriety for its vocal opposition to Israeli policies and its active role in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The NSJP’s activities include organizing campus protests, educational events, and advocacy campaigns aimed at raising awareness about Palestinian issues and promoting actions against what they perceive as Israeli injustices.
WESPAC, identified by the ISGAP report as the main fiscal sponsor of the NSJP, originated as a civil rights advocacy group in the 1970s. Over the years, it has evolved into a significant supporter of various pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel initiatives. The report suggests that WESPAC’s support provides the NSJP with a veneer of legitimacy, enabling it to carry out its activities under the guise of civil rights advocacy.
At the top of WESPAC’s list of grant providers is the Covina, California-based Bafrayung Fund, which has contributed a substantial $300,000. The Elias Foundation, dedicated to promoting “progressive ideas,” follows with a donation of $100,500. These financial contributions call attention to the intricate network of support that underpins WESPAC and, by extension, the NSJP.
The ISGAP report meticulously documented the connections between WESPAC and several organizations identified as virulently anti-Israel and antisemitic. These organizations include:
National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP)
US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)
Adalah New York
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
Palestine Freedom Project (PFP)
The report contends that WESPAC’s sponsorship of these groups not only facilitates their operations but also bolsters their credibility and reach. This support network has enabled these organizations to amplify their messages and mobilize broader audiences, particularly within academic settings.
At the heart of this issue is the substantial financial support these movements receive from influential individuals and organizations.
Rachel Gelman, a 33-year-old prominent resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, is the scion of the Levi Strauss dynasty and cousin to Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY). The Bafrayung Fund, managed by Gelman, receives its financing from two primary sources: Gelman herself and the Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation, her parents’ charity. According to a report on The Daily Beast web site, this foundation that is managed by her parents who are major Democratic Party donors.
The thread connecting Rachel Gelman to the congressman from New York and the Levi Strauss empire runs through her mother, Susie Gelman. Susie, appointed by President Joe Biden to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, has a deep-rooted history in Jewish issues and American-Israeli relations. The Daily Beast reported that her grandfather, Walter Haas, transformed Levi Strauss into a global denim brand. Her father, Richard Goldman, was a major insurance mogul who made the Forbes billionaire list before selling his company in 2001. Her late brother, also named Richard, was a federal prosecutor and the father of Representative Dan Goldman.
According to a 2013 profile in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Susie Gelman’s involvement in Jewish issues began early, and she met her husband through a youth group of the Jewish Federations of North America. The couple co-owns the Mid-Atlantic Media Group, which publishes several prominent Jewish newspapers.
Susie Gelman’s attachment to Israel began in her youth, making her first trip to the Jewish state in 1970. During the Second Intifada, she volunteered at a Jerusalem hospital, driven by a profound sense of solidarity with Israelis experiencing trauma, as was indicated in The Daily Beast report. From 2016 to 2023, she served as chairwoman of the Israel Policy Forum, advocating for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and critiquing the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite tensions with Israel’s current leadership, the Gelman family has been among the biggest supporters of the Birthright Israel Foundation, which sponsors free trips for Jewish young adults to Israel. Their financial backing of Birthright Israel and the Israel Policy Forum suggests a commitment to fostering Jewish identity and Israeli engagement among young adults. However, their substantial contributions to the Bafrayung Fund and its anti-Israel agenda undermine these efforts and contribute to an environment of hostility and division on college campuses.
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation has a history of supporting left-wing, progressive causes and pro-Israel initiatives. However, the Foundation’s significant financial contributions to the Bafrayung Fund, which supports anti-Israel movements, represent a stark contradiction. As per the Daily Beast report, between 2019 and 2022, the Bafrayung Fund received $3,470,000 from Morningstar Philanthropic.
The Bafrayung Fund has disbursed $60,000 to the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) through annual grants to its sponsor, the Westchester Peace Action Committee (WESPAC). PYM is known for its anti-Israel activism, which often crosses the line into promoting hostility rather than fostering constructive dialogue.
Another beneficiary of the Bafrayung Fund is the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), which received $40,000. The report in The Daily Beast said that AROC has a history of engaging in activities that disrupt public order, such as protests that temporarily shut down major infrastructure like San Francisco Airport, the Bay Bridge, and the Port of Oakland. These actions, while aimed at raising awareness, often alienate broader public support and perpetuate divisive rhetoric.
Critical Resistance, a prison abolition organization, has received $298,000 from the Bafrayung Fund. While its primary focus is on dismantling the prison-industrial complex, it has increasingly aligned itself with pro-Palestinian events, working alongside PYM and AROC. The intersection of these movements at various protests further amplifies anti-Israel sentiments under the guise of broader social justice causes.
The Daily Beast reached out to more than a dozen members of the Gelman, Goldman, and Haas families, including Representative Dan Goldman, but received no response. Rachel Gelman herself did not respond to repeated inquiries, citing maternity leave. This silence from a family with such a significant public and philanthropic profile raises questions about their accountability and transparency regarding their financial support for anti-Israel movements.
