Over the course of the 3rd week of May, Jewish clubs on campus gathered together to host the 12th annual “Israel Week”. During this week, Cal Poly’s Jewish and Israeli cultural, religious, political, and social groups collaborated to host events each day. In light of ongoing turmoil in Israel and increasing anti-semitism on campus, students took this chance to come together over their shared peoplehood. Here’s a quick look at Cal Poly’s “Israel Week.”
What is Israel Week?
Cal Poly hosted Israel Week the same week of Israel’s Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) and Independence Day, from May 12th to 19th. It’s a week where people of the Jewish and Israeli community can come together to celebrate their peoplehood, religion, nationality and shared experiences on campus.
Who was involved?
Everyone was invited to take part in the celebration, including students, and community members of all religions. The event was hosted by Cal Poly Clubs and organizations like Hillel, Chabad, M.U.F.I., Mishelanu, and ΑΕΠ. International organizations supported the events, too, including Stand With Us, Jewish National Fund USA, Camera on Campus, Z.O.A. Campus, and Israel on Campus Coalition. These organizations help put on events, bring guest speakers, and educate the community.
What events were there?
The groups hosted an event every day, some of which included painting the “P”, prayer services, staging an Israeli Shuk on Dexter, Israeli Dancing, and Jew Prom. Visit SLO Hillel’s Instagram to see the full list of events! At the end of the week, Hillel led a processing session for Jewish students to discuss their relationship with Judaism and Zionism.
Why is Israel Week important at Cal Poly?
As a running tradition, Israel Week allows Cal Poly students with a variety of backgrounds to explore Jewish and Israeli culture. For a campus with many Jewish and Israeli students with diverse connections to their culture, Israel Week allows them to learn more and nurture their personal identities. During a time of immense debate and tension on campus, Israel Week stood as a reminder to students and community members that there is so much more to Israel, Judaism, and each other than conflict. This week, the Jewish community celebrated their culture, their lives, and their belonging at Cal Poly.