The Impact of Community
Gainesville, Fla. – The impact of war can be felt from thousands of miles away. At the University of Florida, Jewish organizations support students in their grieving.
On Oct. 7, the world received news of an attack in Israel that claimed the lives of hundreds of citizens. Within the week, war was declared and conflict erupted quickly in the Middle East. To the student population of the University of Florida the impact was detrimental. With 16% of undergraduate students being of Jewish descent, the tensions on campus were palpable.
The University of Florida’s Jewish community is primarily centered around Hillel and Chabad located in Gainesville. These organizations take pride in providing gathering spaces and protection for Jewish students. In response to the war, these organizations quickly became pillars of support within the community. On Oct. 9 Hillel organized a vigil in honor of the hundreds of lives lost in the war. At the vigil there was a collection of speakers, and hundreds of students who showed up in support of the Jewish community.
Rabbi Jonah Zinn of Hillel and Rabbi Berl Goldman of Chabad spoke at the vigil. They were joined by others, many having a significant influence within the school’s Jewish community.
President of the University of Florida, Ben Sasse, was one of the speakers who showed his unwavering support for the cause and the community. In his speech at the vigil President Sasse said, “The University of Florida is home to the largest number of Jewish students at any university in this country, we are proud of that legacy.” He continued, “As a community, the Gator community, we stand by you.”
Along with Sasse, Noam Levi, an Israeli-American who is currently attending the University of Florida as a freshman, spoke. During his speech, he outlined his recent immigration to the United States, and the anxiety he feels leaving his family behind in Israel. He finished by leading a prayer for participants.
Students of various demographics, grade levels and religions attended the vigil. Justin Barber, a junior at the University of Florida , shared why he felt as though attending the vigil was important to him, “So many of my friends and family are being impacted by the current events.” He continues, “I felt that it was an obligation for me to attend the vigil in support of those who I love and for the land I hope to go back to one day.”
Claire Hooper, a senior at the University of Florida, shared that although she herself did not identify as being Jewish, she still felt an importance of attending the vigil to show her support as an activist. She says, “I felt the need to attend the vigil last night to support my friends who are affected by these cruel acts of violence and to show my support to the Israeli people” She adds, “I want to show my support in any way I can and amplify Jewish voices.”
Following the vigil, President Sasse released a public statement reiterating his support for the Jewish student body. He writes, “We are tremendously proud of the students who came to stand with Israel.” He adds later in the statement, “We will protect our Jewish students from violence.”
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SOURCES
Justin Barber
Claire Hooper
Adelson, Jeff. “UF Has Largest Jewish Student Population.” Gainesville Sun, The Gainesville Sun, 11 Sept. 2007, www.gainesville.com/story/news/2007/09/11/uf-has-largest-jewish-student-population/31536789007/.
Sasse, Ben. “Selected Speeches - President: University of Florida.” President, 10 Oct. 2023, president.ufl.edu/selected-speeches/?j=1357574&sfmc_sub=283747111&l=272_HTML&u=74438540&mid=518003455&jb=1.
Simon, Scott, and Daniel Estrin. “Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu Declares War after Surprise Attack by Gaza Militants.” NPR, NPR, 7 Oct. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/10/07/1204450888/israel-prime-minister-netanyahu-declares-war-after-attack-by-gaza-militants.
“UF President, Ben Sasse, Shows All Other Universities How to Write Public Statements - Worldwide Speakers Group.” Worldwide Speakers Group - Top Motivational Speaker & Global Lecture Agency, 12 Oct. 2023, wwsg.com/speaker-news/uf-president-ben-sasse-shows-all-other-universities-how-to-write-public-statements/.
