Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Rhatigan Student Center, a heavy silence hung over a vigil held by the Jewish Student Alliance as attendees mourned those who have lost their lives in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The Oct. 24 meeting served as the club’s kick-off, with the content of the meeting undergoing slight adjustment to touch on current events.

“Unfortunately, today can’t begin on such a joyous note,” Kian Williams, president of the Jewish Student Alliance (JSA) said. “Today, we represent numerous religions, cultures and nationalities, all united in this room with one shared purpose: to mourn the tragic loss of lives in the Middle East.”

In 1947, the United Nations voted to split the area encompassing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, though Palestinians disapproved. Israel then claimed 78% of the region’s land and displaced over 700,000 Palestinians in 1948.

As violence increased in intensity over the years, a Palestinian militant group, the Hamas, began retaliating against the Israeli government. The conflict has since escalated; on Oct. 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack in Israel, resulting in the deaths of about 1,400 Israeli people. Israel then began a bombing campaign in Gaza.

“As of now (Oct. 24), just shy of 6,500 people have perished in the conflict in Palestine since Oct. 7,” Williams said. “To this day, people from all across the world are suffering.”

As of Oct. 29, over 8,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza.

Williams led the small congregation, first explaining the context of the war and JSA’s solution of peace.

“For us, there’s no easy resolution to the conflict and there’s no easy resolution to fighting discrimination,” Williams said.

Following the debriefing of the conflict, Williams recited a traditional Jewish prayer of grieving – the Mourner’s Kaddish – in Hebrew to honor the deaths and celebrate the lives of all those lost in the ongoing war.

After a moment of silence, Williams presented a seminar on antisemitism and how to be a good ally to Jewish people. Williams said there are five strategies to combat antisemitism: monitoring and recognizing hate and discrimination, educating and sharing informational resources and other aspects based on advocacy and support.

“I’m a really big believer in activism that actually translates to community engagement,” attendee Ayleen Escobedo said. “The things that marginalized people need, like people of color, like Palestinians, like Jewish people, they need people there to support them instead of screaming into an echo chamber of the internet.”

Williams also spoke on how advocating for peace, rather than violence, is the only humane way forward in the conflict, and gathering in peaceful settings, like vigils, is one of the best ways to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict. 

“(We aim) to rise above hate. While it may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of international relations, you showing up to this vigil today does have an impact,” Williams said.

All students, regardless of political, religious or other affiliations, are invited to attend JSA meetings. The location, times and dates of meetings will be announced on the clubs Instagram account: wichitajsa.