Pali’s Students Supporting Israel (SSI) club hosted a tribute seminar for the hostages taken on the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
At the event, the SSI cabinet presented the status of Israeli hostages and their families and explained the history of Israel. Attendees sang along to the Israeli national anthem and distributed yellow ribbon pins – a symbol of solidarity with the hostages – along with pamphlets outlining the Gaza war’s timeline.
The attacks, carried out by Hamas, involved land and air strikes on southern Israel, leaving nearly 1,200 civilians dead and 251 taken hostage, according to PBS News. Freed hostages later described being tortured, starved and beaten during captivity.
While discussing Israel’s importance to the Jewish people, senior and SSI co-president Shaya Soleimani highlighted their connection to Israel’s capital Jerusalem, a sacred city for all the Abrahamic religions.
“I love how there were Jews, non-Jews, boys, girls – just so many different people [at the event],” Soleimani said.
Senior and co-president Misha Keyvanfar explained the event’s mission to empower students.
“We want to teach ourselves and then teach others…because what’s happening in Israel is not just a Middle Eastern conflict – it transcends,” Keyvanfar said. “It’s up to us to speak out about it.”
Sophomore Delila Emanuel said she believes that the event accomplished that mission, adding that she appreciated the diversity of attendees.
“I learned a lot more about the less-than-human conditions Hamas puts hostages in, and it made me feel even more urgency to get [the hostages] home,” Emanuel said.
Keyvanfar encouraged students to share pamphlets and engage in discussions with her outside of the event.
“I think that having conversations and being open-minded are the most important things,” Keyvanfar said.
The event also gave members an opportunity to reflect on the emotional distress that the war, protests and counter-protests caused.
“I stopped wearing my Star of David necklace because of all the hate around me…I feel like SSI’s event is a step towards clarity and understanding,” Emanuel said.
The engagement encouraged Soleimani as she looked ahead to upcoming events, including a commemoration of Mizrahi Remembrance Month.
“We had a diverse community show up wanting to learn more, which excites us for the future [of SSI],” Soleimani said.
While the conflict continues to stir global debate, SSI co-presidents said they plan to continue hosting educational events throughout the year to foster dialogue and understanding on campus.
