By Minnie Stephenson
Israel Fest, an event that celebrates Israel’s Independence Day, returned to campus on Thursday, May 5 for the first time since 2019, and along with it came the boycott of Israel Fest on the opposite end of McKeldin Mall.
Israel Fest was organized by the Jewish Student Union, which is run under Maryland Hillel, who sponsored the event. Students for Justice in Palestine have traditionally boycotted the festival, in support of liberation for Palestine.
Israel Fest took place near the end of McKeldin Mall, complete with a rock wall, bouncy house, falafel and more. Different Jewish organizations tabled the event, such as Meor Maryland and Hamsa.
Leah Bregman serves as the president of the Jewish Student Union.
“It’s just really important to show a lot of the people that wouldn’t be able to go to Israel what Israel is like,” Bregman said.
Arianne Cole, a senior biological sciences major, said this was her first time going to Israel Fest. But she’s experienced the real thing.
“I’ve been to Israel and I miss it,” Cole said.
In terms of the protest happening across McKeldin Mall, Bregman and Cole said they were neutral on the issue.
“I’d love maybe to incorporate [Students for Justice in Palestine] somehow, like maybe give them a table or something,” said Bregman, a sophomore marketing and management major.
Across McKeldin Mall, on the McKeldin Library steps stood Students for Justice in Palestine. They handed out informational pamphlets about the incarceration and cultural appropriation they said Israel Fest supports. They rallied around a hand-painted wall with the phrase “Free Gaza” on it, as well as a banner and Palestinian flags.
The treasurer of Students for Justice in Palestine, Margot Bloch, was at the boycott talking to students about the club and their mission, handing out pamphlets as well.
“I’ve had some nice interactions, talking with people who are really willing to learn and receptive,” Bloch said. “Some people have come by and yelled horrible things, so that’s definitely frustrating for our Palestinian students.”
Bloch said the club has traditionally boycotted Israel Fest in years past, not engaging with the event across the mall and educating students about the issue separately.
“We believe in uplifting the freedom for Palestinians and not uplifting the voices of Israel and the Zionist students on campus,” the junior government and politics major said.
Minna Hudhud, a freshman general biology major, attended the boycott. She’s half Palestinian and has been meaning to join the group, feeling very connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I’ve gone to a lot of protests. I’ve had a lot of discussions with my classmates about it,” she said. “[The conflict] is always being talked about in the household.”
Bloch said as a Jewish student, she has had conversations with those she disagrees with about the issue, and thinks the boycott is important to educate those within her community.
“That’s why I joined — to get more involved locally on campus because that’s where I feel like students can make a really big difference,” she said.
Featured image: The Jewish Student Union hosted Israel Fest on McKeldin Mall on May 5. Students for Justice in Palestine protested the event at the opposite end of McKeldin Mall. Photo by Minnie Stephenson.