UChicago Maroons for Israel, University of Chicago Hillel, UChicago Kehillah, and UChicago Chabad held a vigil on the main quad on Monday, October 9 in support of Israel in the aftermath of attacks by militant Palestinian group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel. According to the Associated Press, over 1,400 Israelis died and 2,800 more were injured. Israel declared war on Hamas the following day and commenced missile attacks on Gaza, where over 2,300 Palestinians have died and more than 4,250 were wounded.
Members of various Jewish organizations on campus spoke at the vigil, including Rabbi Yossi Brackman from the Rohr Chabad center.
“The Jewish community has been through a lot. But we have to remember that we are part of a large community, and it is time as a people for us to come together to recognize the common bond that unites us,” Brackman said to vigil attendees.
Maroons for Israel and UC Law Students for Israel released an official joint statement on Instagram the same day.
“[We] mourn the dead, rally behind Israel, and condemn Hamas and its supporters. We stand with our fellow UChicago students and faculty who have flown to Israel to defend their homes; we hope they crush the enemy,” the post read.
The statement also condemned an email sent to the University community on October 9 by Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen and Office of International Affairs Executive Director Nick Seamons, calling the statement “horrible.”
While the University statement mentioned the attack and acknowledged the loss of life, it did not specifically condemn Hamas.
