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During a pre-election debate at San Francisco State University, candidates from the Progressive Student Union slate called Hillel "the most racist organization on campus" and threatened to try to revoke its university funding.

Those words thrust Jewish students into action to defeat the PSU slate, which comprises mostly anti-Zionist groups such as the Pan Afrikan Student Union, General Union of Palestinians and La Raza.

The result of their efforts is a student president they support.

On Friday of last week, Paul Chang of the Students for Change slate was elected president. However, a number of other positions, including vice president, were captured by the PSU.

"Paul really understands the campus and wants to see the atmosphere change here," said Stacey Roberts-Ohr, Hillel site director at SFSU, recalling the anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic current that has long permeated the campus.

Because Hillel is a nonprofit organization, it cannot formally support any candidates or slates. As a result, Jewish students mobilized their efforts through campus groups such as the Jewish Student Union.

JSU endorsed Students For Change. In addition, members ran a phone bank at Hillel, calling students to remind them to vote.

Only 7 to 10 percent of the SFSU student population votes in campus elections.

"There's a kind of lock on voting by those that consider themselves political," said Ryan Dulkin, a graduate student and member of both Hillel and the JSU. "We can't get a voice on campus because of an almost institutional anti-Semitism on campus.

"The Jewish students on campus aren't very open. It's difficult trying to mobilize them. But we're interested in working with the administration to change the tone. We're tired of speaking to deaf ears."

By all standards, the political climate at SFSU this year was one of relative calm. In past years, Jewish celebrations on campus were interrupted by Palestinian students carrying signs reading "Zionism equals racism."

In addition, SFSU grabbed national media attention in 1994 when a mural of Malcolm X displaying Jewish stars alongside skulls-and-crossbones, dollar signs and the words "Afrikan blood" was unveiled.

No anti-Jewish or anti-Hillel posters or fliers surfaced during this year's elections. Nonetheless, inflammatory statements hurled during a pre-election debate raised Jewish ire.

"This year was mostly quiet. And then I heard those remarks," Dulkin said. "I've been getting more and more tired of the rhetoric. I'm tired of feeling that Jewish students don't have a voice, that we're a bunch of racists, colonialists. I couldn't sit by anymore.

"I wanted to mobilize interested Jewish students to get out and vote — to awaken a sleeping constituency. Whether this translates next year depends on leadership. Can we mobilize? Can we create more dynamic programs for students?"

According to Dulkin, "Our biggest problem isn't non-Jews who don't know much about Zionism, Judaism or Israel. It's the Jewish students that don't know."