Beach Hillel, the foundation for Jewish life on campus, is celebrating Israel Week with a variety of events on campus.
“It’s important to have a presence on campus, and we’re here to raise awareness and tell people what’s happening around the world,” said Phyllis Kenigsberg, administrative and programming assistant for Beach Hillel.
Beach Hillel will have a table by the Psych Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to celebrate Israel Independence Day and provide information to students. There will also be snacks, balloons and goodies like pins, lanyards, stickers and T-shirts.
This year, Independence Day falls on the day after Israel’s Memorial Day, commemorating its fallen soldiers. Nitzan Harel, Beach Hillel Board Member, described this occurrence as a mix of emotions since the saddest day of the year is followed by the happiest day. Pensive feelings of loss and remembrance are replaced by feelings of rejuvenation, happiness and celebration the next day.
“I was born and raised in Israel,” she said. “So I feel very close to this. We want to get this feeling on campus.”
There is also a collection box to raise money to replant the area destroyed by a forest fire on Mount Carmel in Israel last December. The fire burned 12,000 acres, killing 44 people and destroying 1.5 million trees. Beach Hillel’s goal is to raise $100 this week, according to Kenigsberg.
“Sometimes, college students can sort of live in a bubble and become politically apathetic,” she said. “But it’s important to use our intelligence to make a difference in the world.”
The events for the week include a meet and greet with an Israeli soldier on Wednesday and a movie night on Thursday at 8 p.m. The meet and greet is from 1 to 3 p.m. at Beach Hillel’s table by the Psych Quad. The event will move to the Nugget from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
“We’re here to educate because there are a lot of misconceptions about Israel and Israel’s politics,” Harel said.
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