A deluge of Israel-oriented activities organized by all Israel-related clubs on campus greeted Yeshiva University students from April 10-15. This phenomenon, known as “Israel Week”, was an inspiring and exciting opportunity for students to come together in support of Israel, which has in recent times seen brutal stabbings and tragic car rammings, as well as contempt from many European governments. As the emails advertising Israel Week declared, “Israel Week is a week for us as a university to connect and show our achdut and ahavat chinam for each other and for the rest of the Jewish people here and throughout the world. Hopefully through all of us connecting, HaShem will have mercy on us and all the Jews of the world, specifically those in Israel that are really in dire circumstances.”
This was a stark contrast to what took place only several weeks earlier on many other college campuses across New York City, including Hunter College, Columbia University, John Jay College, and City College, among others, where students organized events for what was titled Israeli Apartheid Week, aiming “to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system” and to build support for the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign as part of a growing global BDS movement.”
As a university that for the most part maintains a strong connection and support for the state of Israel, there are students who believe it is our duty to be that voice among the rest of our college-aged peers, and that is what Israel Week was about.
On Sunday, Bnei Akiva hosted an event in honor of Good Deeds Day that gave students the chance to volunteer at a Jewish soup kitchen. Afterwards, students ate pizza together in Bryant Park, still feeling the afterglow of the charity work they had performed.
The second day of Israel Week had several stimulating events: on Beren Campus, Stern students were able to partake in a photobooth that involved props and backdrops as well as large cardboard letters cut out to spell “ISRAEL.” Many girls got their friends together to participate in this and updated their profile pictures on various social media platforms to publicly demonstrate their support of Israel.
That night, buses left for Wilf Campus, where students were impressed to see the incredible effort put into a Mock Shuk. Reminiscent of a genuine Israeli marketplace, the room was resplendent with dried and fresh fruit, spices, sour candies, books, pastries, savory treats, sour pickles, and henna. For no cost at all, students were able to try all of these delicious foods, be photographed at a photo booth, have beautiful henna designs painted onto their skin, and take home books relating to Israel. A push-up contest, pumpkin seed spitting contest, and spicy hummus eating contest generated much laughter. “Israel week was meant to unite the different types of people here at YU for one common cause — Israel. The shuk was the premier event in the fact that when most of us have gone to Israel, one thing that really sticks out is the Shuk Experience,” explains Shlomo Anapolle, who organized the Shuk, adding, “And…who doesn’t love free food?”
Tuesday gave students the opportunity to participate in many different types of events. During the day, Israel Club had a table set up that allowed students to write letters and send gifts to Israeli soldiers. The Sephardi Club also hosted a middle-eastern ensemble with Rabbi Moshe Tessone.
On Wednesday, Stern students had the chance to send emails to congressmen asking for their support of Israel. That evening, a kumzitz gave students from Yeshiva University and other colleges the chance to sing and dance together. This kumzitz was led by Aryeh Tiefenbrunn and Tani Polansky and the beautiful music and impassioned dancing was extremely memorable. “Even though the turnout was smaller than the last kumzitz, there was a certain energy in the room that everybody could feel,” says Michael Osborne, an organizer of the powerful event.
Thursday, the last day of Israel Week, featured tables of exciting freebies with logos of various Israel advocacy organizations such as Zionist Organization of America and CAMERA. Items such as ping pong balls, mugs, water bottles, bottle openers, credit card holders for phones, and pens were given out.
“We were proving to the world that we stand with Israel,” stated Osborne. “And everyone [here] was proving to themselves their deep-seated dedication to their Homeland.”