BAILEE: IT’S A PEACEFUL NIGHT IN SYRACUSE, BUT WHILE THE CAMPUS IS QUIETLY MOURNING, VIOLENCE IS OVERTAKING ISRAEL. ON OCTOBER 7, HAMAS, THE ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT INFILTRATED THE GAZA STRIP. THEY PROCEEDED TO MURDER INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND TAKE OTHERS AS HOSTAGES. BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY? MEET TAL YECHEZKELL. HE’S THE ISRAEL CHAIR AT THE SYRACUSE HILLEL CENTER. WHILE TAL IS HURTING FOR HIS LOVED ONES IN ISRAEL, HE SAYS THE SUPPORT FROM THE SYRACUSE CAMPUS HAS HELPED HIM STAY STRONG.
TAL: THERE WERE 600 PEOPLE THERE. IN MY MIND IT WAS UNEXPECTED WHEN PEOPLE STARTED WALKING IN AND IT JUST PUT A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE TO SEE THE SUPPORT FROM JEWISH STUDENTS AND NON-JEWISH STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS AND IT WAS JUST HEARTWARMING.
BAILEE: EMMA BURTON IS TAL’S ISRRAEL CO-CHAIR. SHE TOO HAS STRONG CONNECTIONS TO THE COUNTRY BUT KNOWS THAT THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WHAT IS COMING AT THEM. IF YOU HAD ONE THING TO SAY TO ISRAEL RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM? CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THAT MEANS?
EMMA: OH LIKE THE NAITON OF ISRAEL WILL LIVE FOREVER.
BAILEE: WHILE TAL AND EMMA MIGHT BE HERE IN SYRACUSE, THEIR HEARTS ARE 5,000 MILES AWAY IN ISRAEL. THEY HOPE AND PRAY FOR PEACE FOR THE LAND THAT THEY SO LOVE. SOME PEOPLE FIND STRENGTH FROM WITHIN, BUT THE SYRACUSE CAMPUS LOOKS TO EACH OTHER WE COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, RACES AND RELIGIONS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE LIFT EACH OTHER UP REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE PERSON BESIDE US LOOKS LIKE OR BELIEVES IN. FROM THE SYRACUSE CAMPUS, I’M BAILEE MARIE TUCKER, N.C.C. NEWS.
Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) — While violence is taking place 5 thousand miles away in Israel, the Syracuse campus is supporting those who are being impacted. On Oct. 7, the official Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, infiltrated the Gaza Strip. They killed innocent civilians and took others as hostages.
One Syracuse student was determined to raise awareness on campus. Mia Gottesman, a freshman business major, says she has always been the one to stand up and bring attention to the issues that matter most to her.
“My dad has always told me that when something is important to me, go after it,” says Gottesman, “no matter how many people try and shut you out, keep going.”
Gottesman got together with Hillel Center Israel co-chairs Emma Burton and Tal Yechezkell to organize a candlelight vigil in support of the Israel community on campus. Six hundred people showed up on a chilly night to Hendricks Chapel to remember those who have lost their lives and others who have been hurt by Hamas.
Yechezkell, who has friends fighting in the Israeli military, said the support meant so much to him and others on campus who have loved ones in Israel.
“It was unexpected when people started walking in and it just put a huge smile on my face to see the support from Jewish students and non-Jewish students around campus and it was just heartwarming,” Yechezkell says.
The Hillel Center at Syracuse plans to hold more events raising awareness for Israel on campus. For more information, visit www.syracusehillel.org.
