An opportunity for gratitude is welcome at any time, however, in this moment, I am particularly grateful for our students and you – our incredible community. Our students have struggled since the events of 10/7 to balance being college students with the rise in antisemitism nationwide and daily incidents on our many campuses, but we find strength in our Jewish communal family.

In the month since the horrific attacks in Israel, our priority has been to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. We have worked hard to create an environment that provides students with support, comfort, and care in the wake of this unthinkable tragedy. The need is high and it will continue to grow. 

Jack, ECU ‘24, has been at the forefront of our kehillah efforts on ECU’s campus. In the past month, the Charlotte native and ECU Hillel student board member organized a 40-strong vigil to honor the victims of the October 7 attack and sat on a university-sponsored panel to talk about how the Israel-Palestine conflict affects students at ECU. Drawing on Hillel’s assistance, Jack and his friends have shown that advocacy for Israel and peaceful coexistence matters on all of our campuses.

Jack explains in his own words his background with Israel and why this advocacy work is important to him…

My grandparents came from Iraq and Iran to Israel. They had to leave because the regimes changed. They taught that in Israel they could be free. As it said it the Tikva - להיות עם חופשי בארצנו - To be a free nation in our land. But they were wrong. We are not free. I was a child during the second Second Intifada, I was a child during the second Lebanon war and I was a teen, a soldier and adult during several operations in Gaza. I was scared then but now I am scared like I have never been before.

This weekend marked another traumatic week for the worldwide Jewish community. Our team has been working non-stop to hold safe spaces for our students, fielding calls from concerned parents and community members, and working with administrations to respond to the crises in Israel and on their campuses.