October 18th, 2011—after a half-decade of captivity in Gaza, Gilad Shalit returned home. On October 16th, 2012, nearly a full year later, Mr. Shalit arrived at a new destination: Yeshiva University’s Wilf Campus. In what proved a momentous evening of celebration and inspiration, Mr. Shalit and his platoon appeared before an audience of close to 1600 in YU’s Lamport Auditorium. In fact, so many students showed up that many of them watched the event via live-feed in the Beit Midrash.
Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dean of the David Mitzner Center for the Jewish Future, opened the event with the declaration that “tonight we celebrate the fact that these soldiers have come to visit us in the exact place where, three years ago, Noam Shalit stood and prayed with us for the safe return of his son.” The commander of Mr. Shalit’s unit, introduced as Yoav B, took the podium next and spoke about the June 2006 attack that resulted in Mr. Shalit’s capture and in the death of two soldiers in the unit. In Yoav’s words, after that devastating day in June, “we lived with the memories of our two fallen soldiers and the idea that one of our soldiers was in captivity.” Coming to YU, Yoav stressed, afforded the unit the opportunity to “close the circle” and “move on with our lives.” Yoav dedicated his speech both to Mr. Shalit as well to as the soldiers of the unit who, upon returning to Israel, “will get off the plane and into uniforms.”
The event continued with a question-and-answer session during which the soldiers offered their perspectives on a range of hot-button issues. Questions included “Does Israel have to pay any price to free captured soldiers?” and “Why are Israel and the IDF portrayed so negatively in the media?” Following the Q&A, Sophie Felder, President of the YU Israel Club, addressed the soldiers on behalf of the YU student body. “You and your fellow chayalim [soldiers] are deeply appreciated and respected in the consciousness of YU,” she stated, “and I am confident that this occasion will remain in the hearts and minds of YU students for a long time to come.” The evening culminated with the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah.”
Organizing an event of this magnitude was no easy feat. Adina Poupko, Beren Campus Program Manager, commented that “dealing with security and the fact that we knew so many people were interested in coming to the event presented some logistical challenges.” Therefore, YU worked extensively with the Department of Safety and Security prior to the event and also “closed the event off to YU alumni in order to allow for the maximum amount of seating for as many students as possible.”
The soldiers’ visit to YU, which lasted a little over four hours, began with a tour of Wilf Campus. Stops on the tour included the Beit Midrash, the science lab, and the gym. Ms. Poupko conveyed that the soldiers “were extremely impressed by the vibrancy they felt on campus” and “of course they loved the gym and even got to play a little basketball.” After the tour, YU hosted a dinner for the soldiers, YU student leaders, and YU students who had served in the IDF. “It was incredibly moving for both sides to be with each other for dinner,” Ms. Poupko noted. “The soldiers had no idea there were so many soldiers on campus.”
For the soldiers, the event offered closure and comfort. For the students, it was a powerful testament to the sacrifice and bravery of the IDF. Gilad Shalit related after the event that while in captivity he used to draw pictures of Israel’s street and cities on scraps of paper. His captors would confiscate the pictures, thinking they were secret messages intended for Israeli intelligence. Mr. Shalit would persist in drawing them anyhow—so deeply did he yearn for his homeland. How appropriate that on the first anniversary of his release from captivity the student body of YU stood together with Mr. Shalit and his platoon in proud celebration of Israel and her defenders.