UCL Friends of Israel organise vigil for fallen Israelis
Photo Courtesy: Rav Gavin Broder
Regardless of your politics, we can all find humanity, share solidarity and express the utmost sorrow for those who are suffering and for those who have lost their lives in the current events unfolding in Israel and Palestine.
On Thursday, October 19th UCL’s Friends of Israel and Jewish societies gathered on Wilkins Terrace to hold a vigil for Israeli victims of the conflict. On a rainy autumnal evening, you might forgive members if they failed to show. But they didn’t, not for this. Police officers were on guard as was campus security, but nothing was going to stop the event from taking place.
As society members slowly filled Wilkins Terrace, a lull fell over the audience in anticipation of the words, thoughts and feelings that six speakers; including Heads of societies, Rabbis, and Professors, would give.
The event focused on expressing sorrow and lament for the loss of life of the people of Israel. Following the prejudice Jewish people have encountered in the past couple of weeks, words of comfort occasionally gave way to condemnation, but the respect for all victims was paramount.
Edward Isaacs, President of the Union of Jewish Students, acknowledged how the events have affected the community and encouraged fellow students and followers to 'continue being proud jewish students on campus...[who] when united...will prevail.'
Songs of peace were sung, candles were lit, and arms were locked together as this community was able to share an undisturbed moment of solidarity.
By focusing on the losses of life and opening space for people to grieve, our campus can focus on the tragic human consequences of the conflict as opposed to catalysing the raw feelings and emotions of students by choosing sides. Through encouraging mutual respect, we can foster a sense of comfort and equanimity between all those who share the UCL campus.
As professor Brad Blitz of the IOE ended his speech with ‘Thank you all for coming, this is an act of bravery, this is an act of humanity’, I am reminded of a quote by Pauli Murray ‘‘when my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them’. As fruitless as these words may be, let us not forget our common humanity.
A special thanks to everyone involved in organising the event and to campus security for being so vigilant throughout. Thank you to all six of the speakers for your words of support and to everyone who came and made the event as respectful and moving as it was.