 "Photo: Photos courtesy of Nick Lieber")
This past week the UIC JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative and the UIC Persian Cultural Association teamed up for a screening of the film "Persepolis" and a conversation about the shared values of religious pluralism and women's rights. Professor Norma Moruzzi opened the event by discussing Iran's ancient and recent history and the peaceful coexistence that has existed between the Persian and Jewish peoples. This was followed up by Hillel's Rabbi Anna Rosen's discussion of tolerance and pluralism in the State of Israel today.
This program is a prime example of the goal of the Israel Initiative which is to reach out to other student groups and to sponsor programming which gives a better, balanced understanding of Israel to the campus community.
"Israel is inspiring for so many reasons. Unfortunately, Israel's accomplishments are often overshadowed by the challenges and conflicts in the region," Rabbi Rosen said.
Through cultural, educational and political programs the Israel Initiative highlights the achievements and complexity of modern day Israel beyond the conflict. "If you just take human rights for an example, like LGBTQ rights, Israel is incredible," second year graduate student Eric Huebner explained. "Especially for the region of the world it's in. Just look at the Jerusalem Open House." The Jerusalem Open House is the city's LGBTQ center; it offers support and community to those individuals that need it, regardless of religious or ethnic origins. It serves as a safe haven for those LGBTQ individuals in danger all over the region who might otherwise have nowhere else to go.
Because Israel is progressive when it comes to sexuality (gay couples in Israel are given full adoption rights and same-sex unions performed abroad are recognized as valid), the Israel Initiative and UIC Pride view themselves as natural allies and are working together to show the Israeli film "The Bubble," to which all are welcome to come.
While acknowledging and emphasizing these positive aspects about Israel, the UIC Israel Initiative is also empathetic to the plight of the Arabs of Gaza and recognizes and supports Israel's work towards peace and safety for all in the region.
"I've heard people say that Jews don't care that Arabs are being killed. How can they say that?" asked Moving Image major Cara Frazin. "Jewish tradition teaches that every human life is precious."
Between the disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and November 2008, 3,123 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
"Israel just couldn't sit by and do nothing. But, even when forced to act by the pleas of its citizens, Israel went to unprecedented lengths to protect civilian life in Gaza," said Evie Sapphire-Bernstein. "But still, people were killed. We must continue to pray and work for peace in the Middle East."
This semester, the UIC Israel Initiative will be bringing a journalist from the Jerusalem Post to speak at UIC about bias in the media against Israel on Tuesday November 10th as well as having an Israel Shabbat dinner on Friday November 13th and showing the film "The Bubble" with UIC Pride on Thursday November 19th. Next semester they will be bringing a Jewish refugee from Libya to speak about the more than 800,000 Jews who were forced to flee Arab lands between 1948 and 1976.
The Declaration of the State of Israel declared that Israel would be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel and will ensure equality to all citizens, irrespective of religion, race, or sex. The UIC Israel Initiative believes that it is important for students to know that Israel promotes the values of democracy, pluralism, and freedom, and will continue to provide events that demonstrate this. The Initiative recognizes that Israel faces more challenges than any modern democracy yet still aspires toward equality for all of its citizens. This is no easy goal but, in the words of Theodor Herzl, "If you will it, it is no dream."
For more information about the UIC Israel Initiative and its future events feel free to contact Nick Lieber at nliebe2@uic.edu.
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