Standing with Israel, and our students - a letter to our community
To Our NC Hillel Community -
Thank you to the many community members and university administrators who have reached out to our staff to voice their concerns about anti-Israel sentiments on campus. On what should have been a joyous Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah holiday, Hamas, a terrorist organization, launched a war on Israel. Our hearts and prayers are with all of the people and families who have been affected by this tragedy. We are thinking of our students, alumni, and community members with family and friends in Israel. We know that we are just days into this war, and we are working to ensure that Jewish students continue to feel supported not just today, but in the days to come.
Like so many Jewish communities around the country and the world, Jewish students at NC Hillel are devastated and heartbroken by the recent events that have unfolded in Israel. We grieve for those who were murdered, kidnapped, wounded, and have had their lives shattered and upended during this tragic time. As an organization, we are here for our campus communities as they cope with the reality that pogroms are not things of the past.
Over the weekend and as we came back to campus, NC Hillel professionals helped students organize and attend on-campus and at-large gatherings focused on solidarity, prayer, and community. Our staff has prioritized checking in with students 1:1 and in small groups to process, answer questions and provide support. We will continue to do so, and are quickly updating and developing new Israel education programs so our students can better confront the evolving situation and feel empowered to speak on the topic. Our team is also actively working with university administrators to help them understand why our students are personally impacted by the situation and how events in Israel can translate to an uptick in anti-Jewish activity on their campuses.
Below is a snapshot of programming across the state this week concerning the attack and its effects on our entire community. I hope you are as amazed as I am at the rapid response, support, and creativity of our professional team and student leadership. Our number one priority right now is taking care of our students’ physical and emotional well-being. We will continue to add more programming and support in the coming days, as the situation in Israel and on our campuses are ever-changing.
If your family has a loved one at any of our campuses who needs support at this time, please reach out to our Campus Directors:
For our Link campuses (Appalachian State, East Carolina, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington), please contact Ginny Vellani (gvellani@nchillel.org)
For NC State, please contact Sarah Gindes (sgindes@nchillel.org)
For UNC Chapel Hill, please contact Nikki Michaelson (nmichaelson@nchillel.org)
For any NC campus not listed above contact Max Weinberg (mweinberg@nchillel.org)
Each university also has their own mental health and wellness resources students and university professionals can access that are available 24/7.
Thank you for your support of our students during this time.
L’Shalom,
Hannah Spinrad
Executive Director
Link Campuses (Appalachian State, East Carolina, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington)
All of our Link campuses have received communication about accessing mental health resources on campus. These students also have our Link staff’s contact information (email and personal number) if they need/want anything.
Our Link staff has long-term relationships with each school’s campus administration and are actively encouraging them to write messages of solidarity and concern.
At a minimum, we’re hoping to get messages from the administration to share with our Jewish students. We are currently crafting these with the Offices of Intercultural Affairs.
Appalachian State
Our students were invited to join Appalachian State’s Dean of Students, Judy Haas, at the vigil Temple of the High Country hosted on Monday.
UNC Greensboro
The students of UNC Greensboro were on Fall Break the last few days. They are planning an educational program and solidarity gathering when they return.
UNC Charlotte
The students of UNC Charlotte are hosting a vigil on October 20.
UNC Wilmington
The students of UNC Wilmington held space for prayer and solidarity Tuesday evening.
East Carolina
The students of East Carolina are holding a gathering at the Intercultural Center Wednesday evening.
NC State University
NC State returned from fall break today. The students who were in town joined Hillel campus director, Sarah, to attend the community gathering and vigil hosted by the Jewish Federation of Raleigh.
For the remainder of the week, the Hillel @ NCSU building will have extended hours and programming to support students. An educational Israel program is being planned for next week.
UNC Chapel Hill
On Monday evening, a vigil was held at UNC Hillel for our UNC Chapel Hill community. The vigil was co-hosted by Heels for Israel, JStreetU, SRL (the Jewish sorority), AEPi, TAMID and Chabad.
On Tuesday, we received a surprise visit at the UNC Hillel building from Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Dr. Leah Cox, the Chief Diversity Officer of UNC. They spent close to 2 hours with an intimate gathering of students listening to their stories and concerns.
For the remainder of the week, the Hillel building will have extended hours and programming to support students.