SSI Student Spotlight: Sarah Martynov
Meet Sarah Martynov, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in International Affairs where she currently serves as the president of Students Supporting Israel at UGA. Sarah started her college degree at Kennesaw State University prior to her transfer to UGA.
“I was a board member of SSI at Kennesaw State University and when I transferred to UGA, I knew I wanted to continue my involvement with Israel on campus, take my activism up a notch, continue to get support for Israel, and educate others on the situation.”
As soon as Sarah got to campus, she capitalized on every moment. Last year, Sarah developed relationships with the student government senators and played a major role in unanimously passing the IHRA definition of antisemitism at the University of Georgia. It was a significant moment for the Jewish and Zionist community at UGA.
It is important to note that this was not the first bill SSI passed at the University of Georgia. SSI at UGA started in 2014, and has been one of the oldest and strongest chapters in the SSI movement serving as a model to many SSI chapters across North America. Being proactive on campus is crucial in creating an environment welcoming to discuss Israel, especially when there is apathy and ignorance on campus. Sarah also shares that many students “support Palestine simply because it is trending.” There is a large progressive community at UGA, and it is sad to see these students not supporting the only progressive country in the Middle East. With both of these obstacles, Sarah continues in her fight to support Israel. This is not the only challenge that has come her way.
It has been difficult during the pandemic, but these factors have not stopped Sarah from figuring out new ways to spread SSI’s mission to be a clear and confident pro-Israel voice on campus. Sarah explains,
“Because of the pandemic, we had to get creative with ways that we could spread the word about ourselves and our events. It made it much more difficult to get people involved, but it made us more resilient and we now look forward to being able to table again. I also noticed that we had to rely more on social media to reach students and the younger generations.”
Now that the semester has started, the first event will be SSI’s campaign, “Make Hummus Not Hamas.” Sarah is also planning events to build coalitions which include Krav Maga with women’s groups, an Israeli government lecture with various political groups, and she will continue to build their coalition with the Indian Student Association.
According to Sarah, “Zionism often has a negative connotation to others, but we use that as a driving force to try and change peoples’ minds.” This enables SSI at UGA to gain passion for their activism. Sarah has her own connection to Zionism. She supports Israel because it is her homeland. She says that Israel is the “only country that I can guarantee will protect the Jewish people.” After Sarah graduates, she hopes to make Aliyah and get her master’s degree in government diplomacy studies in Herzliya.
Looking even further into the future, Sarah hopes to work in Israel and be involved with Israel advocacy. We are grateful for Sarah’s leadership at UGA and we look forward to an amazing year on campus with her
If you are a transfer student involved in SSI or interested in SSI, ask Sarah Martynov your questions!
