By Pera Onal, Clare Roth and Katherine Schutzman
More than 350 University of Maryland community members gathered at the site of Maryland Hillel’s new facility to celebrate Israeli culture on Tuesday.
Maryland Hillel and this university’s Jewish Student Union co-hosted Israel Fest, which was held outside Hillel’s nearly-completed new facility just off campus on Yale Avenue. The block-party style event included live music from campus Jewish a cappella groups – Rak Shalom and Kol Sasson – falafel and games such as ring toss and cornhole.
Kira Rosner, this university’s Jewish Student Union president, told The Diamondback that one of its committees began organizing the event at the start of the academic year. Rosner, a sophomore biology major, said the committee moved Israel Fest from its usual location on McKeldin Mall to showcase the new building and bring more enthusiasm to the event.
“The goal is kind of just to bring Jews together… to feel our presence on campus and really celebrate and be proud and show who we are,” she said.
This year was the first time the event was not held on campus, according to Adam Bershad, Hillel’s engagement and Israel experiences director.
Hillel broke ground on its new building at 7505 Yale Ave. in September 2024, according to its website. The facility will include a kosher dining area, café, rental catering spaces, worship spaces, study areas and classrooms, according to the website.
The building was projected to open its doors last fall, but it is now set to officially open at the start of the upcoming fall semester, according to Bershad. Construction on the facility paused temporarily this winter due to severe weather, The Diamondback reported in March.
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At the event, attendees could learn more about different Jewish campus organizations and participate in activities like bracelet making, thrifting and tote bag decorating.
Susie Blum, a junior family health major, helped operate a booth where attendees could make body scrub products inspired by the Dead Sea in Israel. Attendees could mix together salt, coconut oil and different scents to make their own exfoliating skincare products.
“It’s cool to have such an awesome event where we know we’re gonna spend our next few years,” Blum said. “It’s always a highlight of our year.”
Juliet Acosta, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences, said the event made her feel nostalgic, as she usually celebrates Israeli Independence day in a similar way at home. This year, the country’s independence day began at sunset on April 21 and lasted until sunset the next day.
Freshman biology major Sari Steinberg said she enjoyed participating in the different activities at each booth. Her favorite activities were decorating glasses and making her own Dead Sea salt body scrub.
Bershad said students who were involved in organizing the event coordinated with the University of Maryland Police Department and other organizations to close down part of Yale Avenue so they could celebrate along the street.
In past years, Israel Fest has drawn protests from other student organizations. This university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter has hosted multiple past events boycotting Israel Fest, with the two events often using opposite sides of McKeldin Mall.
This year, Students for Justice in Palestine hosted an event on McKeldin Mall called Voices of the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic.
The Nakba refers to when about 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes when Israel was established in 1948 and during the Arab-Israeli War, according to the Associated Press. Israel subsequently barred Palestinians’ return to the state and forced six million Palestinians into refugee camps, the outlet reported.
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When the event was previously held on campus, according to Bershad, Israel Fest had to be fenced off with security checking bags to ensure attendees’ safety. He said it made the event feel less inviting and open.
This year, UMPD officers patrolled the event’s perimeter. Department spokesperson Lt. Rosanne Hoaas told The Diamondback that it “employs equitable practices” to all event organizers.
For many Jewish community members, Israel is tangled into their identity, according to Bershad. He said this event brings community members together to celebrate their Jewish and Israeli culture.
For senior computer science major Aaron Gorbaty, the celebration reflected his heritage, as his mom is Israeli and his grandparents grew up during the state’s foundation.
“Even though I feel very patriotic about the U.S., it’s nice to have two homes,” he said. “It’s nice that we’re able to freely celebrate this.”
Sophomore finance and information systems major Jamie Berger said she was happy this year’s event was by the new Hillel building instead of McKeldin Mall. She said this allowed attendees to have a special space to celebrate Israeli and Jewish culture without becoming a political statement.
“It’s beautiful to have a lot of people who come from shared history, shared background, shared culture, all come to one place to be able to celebrate that,” Berger said.
Contact news editor Pera Onal at [email protected], junior staff writer Clare Roth at [email protected] and assistant news editor Katherine Schutzman at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source dbknews.com ’
