By Ceoli Jacoby
Last week, several student groups under the Maryland Hillel umbrella took part in a hybrid version of Israel Fest — an annual ode to Israeli culture which, in pre-pandemic years, was marked by camel rides and a smattering of blue-and-white flags on McKeldin Mall.
The week-long event began April 9 with an Israel-inspired Shabbat dinner: the festive meal which ushers in the Jewish day of rest and prayer. Students enjoyed to-go boxes filled with shawarma, a thinly-sliced meat commonly eaten with pita bread, falafel,and hummus.
On April 11, UMD Mishelanu led Cafe Ivrit – an opportunity for Hebrew language learners to practice their conversation skills with Israeli-American students. The group, which is affiliated with the Israeli-American Council, has hosted several similar events this semester.
Avirah, UMD’s Israeli dance troupe, performed on the afternoon of April 12 in front of McKeldin Library. The show included the line dances Rikud Hashvatim (Hebrew for “Dance of the Tribes”) and Hafinali (Hebrew for “The Finale”).
Later that evening, Hamsa — UMD’s Jewish LGBTQ organization — facilitated a conversation on queerness in Israel through Yarin Shachagi’s personal story. Shachagi is the Jewish Agency Israel fellow at Hillel of Silicon Valley.
On April 13, Maryland Hillel offered free iced “Aroma” coffee for pickup. The frozen blended beverage is popular in Israel and is often served with a small piece of chocolate on the side. Other signature Israeli goodies such as Bamba, a peanut-butter-flavored snack, and Bissli, a seasoned and fried pasta were available as well.
Organizers of Israel Fest always ensure that the event coincides with the Israeli holidays of Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, which are always observed back-to-back. The former is Israel’s national day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and civilian victims of terrorism. The latter commemorates the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
This year, Yom HaZikaron began the evening of April 13 and ended the evening of April 14. UMD’s Jewish Student Union (JSU) joined George Mason Hillel and Hillel@Home in putting on the day’s main attraction – a Zoom call with the director and actors of HBO’s “Valley of Tears.” The series follows three characters throughout the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, tackling themes of collective trauma and Israeli complacency.
Becca Carin, Cultural and Israel vice president of JSU, said that director Yaron Zilberman, along with actors Lee Biran and Shahar Tavoch “really highlight and bring to life the sacrifices Israel and the Jewish people have made to have a Jewish state.” Carin said that roughly 50 people attended the Zoom call while the live video on Facebook was viewed 2,000 times.
Yom HaAtzmaut began the evening of April 14 and ended the evening of April 15. Maryland Hillel threw a COVID-19-safe party in celebration of the 73rd anniversary of Israeli independence. Representatives from Terps for Israel (TFI) played games of Jewish Jeopardy! and matkot, or beach paddleball, with attendees.
Notably absent from this year’s event were pro-Palestine protesters who, in past years, have encouraged students to boycott Israel Fest, citing human rights abuses and violations of international law by the country’s government.
Despite pushback, Israel Fest organizers have maintained that the event is apolitical and emphasized the inextricable link between the land and the Jewish faith.
Claire Shoyer, a rabbinic intern for Maryland Hillel, explained in an Instagram video that the Hebrew phrase from which Israel’s name is derived, Yashar El, translates to “toward God” in English. She added that physically facing the land of Israel during prayer “helps us to focus our minds and our hearts … directly toward God, toward the site of our people’s history and our people’s homeland.”
For students who opted out of the Israel Fest programming, there is still a chance to partake in Israeli culture this semester. UMD’s three Jewish a cappella groups Rak Shalom, Kol Sasson and Mezumenet, each contributed to a Spotify playlist of Israeli pop covers. TFI is accepting recipe submissions for its first-ever cookbook while students of the National Hillel Basketball Tournament at Maryland Hillel are challenging their peers to shoot 73 hoops,one for each year of Israeli independence,and share their accomplishments on social media using the hashtags #YomHaatzmaut and #JewishTogether.
Featured photo: Attendees of Yom HaZikaron: We Remember watch a clip from HBO’s “Valley of Tears.” In this scene, an IDF soldier encourages his mortally wounded friend to take a drink. Ceoli Jacoby/Stories Beneath the Shell.