Hillel hosts Israel Awareness Week, honors nation's culture

By: Stephen Clark

Posted: 4/22/04

With the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reaching new heights of danger and uncertainty in the Middle East, the Hillel at Syracuse University is hosting its annual Israel Awareness Week, a retreat away from the storm.

From April 19th to the 24th, Hillel is sponsoring several events that promote the positive and social side of Israel, including a letter-writing campaign to Israeli soldiers, Israeli film screenings and a barbecue on Israel Independence Day next Monday. There's also a Holocaust Art Show held in Schine Student Center until Friday.

"We want people to understand that Israel is not just violence," said Rebekah Smith, a staff member and Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow at Hillel. "It's not what you see in the news. It's a beautiful country. I was there last summer and I felt completely safe."

Middle East tension has dramatically increased since the Palestinian uprising in September of 2000. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his army have targeted Palestinian militant leaders recently, killing Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin and Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi. Palestinians have responded with more suicide attacks.

"Every week in the Middle East makes (Israel Week) more poignant," said Zachary Braiterman, assistant professor in religion. "Any type of program that brings critical awareness to the conflict is important."

But he said he thinks the effect on students is negligible.

"Students don't care about politics," Braiterman said. "If they don't already care, this won't help. Student culture is not inclined to politics and political conflict."

Micah Rubin, a Jewish SU student, didn't know Israel week even existed.

"It's not the school's fault," said Rubin, a graduate photojournalism student. "There's not a campus-wide e-mail, and I don't go to Schine."

But Scott Fein, the program director of Hillel, says that students are taking advantage of the events. About 30 students came to the "Taste of Israel" Monday that featured Israeli food including salads and pitas, he said.

"We do what we can," Fein said. "We put flyers in the dorms and academic buildings. If you look, it's there."

Fein said he believes promoting Israel's positive side is challenging because the American media's coverage of the Middle East is, what he described as, anti-Israel.

"Our bombings make the front page," Fein said. "But not the civilians in Palestine, hiding behind illusions and blowing themselves up."

Fein said an elderly Palestinian lady was stopped by security at the border in February. The guards allowed her to cross over without a check because she said she had a metal plate in her head. Then she blew herself up.

"You might find it in the back page," Fein added. "I don't think people are aware of the realities in Israel. It's technologically advanced, and it has great beaches."

Braiterman said he hopes the events are more than just propaganda or one-sided views because that's a problem with campus events.

"It would be my hope that Israel week would accurately reflect diverse opinion in Israel - left wing, right wing, all the political and cultural expression there."