Students gathered for a Unity Dinner event to reflect, listen, mourn and connect on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, which presupposed a year of violence throughout Israel and Gaza.
The event, co-sponsored by various offices including American University Hillel, AU Athletics and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, served as the first in a series of dialogue events meant to offer space for community members to listen to and share diverse perspectives on challenging issues.
The event took place on the one-year mark of the Oct. 7 attack, which took approximately 1,200 lives in Israel and the subsequent Israeli government offensive, taking the lives of over 41,000 Palestinians over the past year.
Executive Director of AU Hillel, Jason Benkendorf, discussed Oct. 7 and noted its impact on the Jewish community worldwide, saying that it “left many Jews feeling uncertain about our place in the world.”
Referencing the Hebrew phrase, “Shana Tova,” frequently used during the Jewish High Holy Days to call upon a good new year, Benkendorf wished everyone a better new year: “Shana Yoteir Tova.”
Duane Simpkins, the head coach of AU’s men’s basketball team, set the tone of the event as he introduced President Jonathan Alger outside the Kay Spiritual Life Center. After a special thanks to three Board of Trustees members present at the dinner, Alger gave a brief introduction with a message that continued to ring throughout the night.
“We all come to this solemn and painful moment from different perspectives,” Alger said. “Let’s get to know one another.”
Many students came with a personal connection. Others came to learn.
“I’m just here to listen to it all … I’m here to hear what other people’s perspectives are,” said Manas Alturi, a junior in the Kogod School of Business and the School of International Service.
Alger said he wanted to lift up community members who have suffered throughout the past year, including Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian and Arab students.
“We share a common humanity,” Alger said. “That is our focus tonight.”
He emphasized that students should use these events to grow closer together and get to know one another. Alger also announced more unity meals to come, mentioning the day after election day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as future dates for the meals. Food as a means of connection remained a theme.
Alturi said that he thought the previous administration under former University President Sylvia Burwell did not adequately represent all students, particularly marginalized students, on campus. However, he said he was hopeful that the University has turned a new leaf with a new president.
“I think he’s doing the right thing and starting now is better than starting never,” Alturi said when speaking of Alger.
Noam Emerson-Fleming, a junior in SIS and Alpha Epsilon Pi executive board member, agreed.
“We’re really happy with President Alger meeting the moment and also being willing to meet with the community,” Emerson-Fleming said. “Not to talk bad on the previous president, but Sylvia Burwell didn’t know any of our names and I’ve talked to Alger three times now.”
Emerson-Fleming said the chosen speakers helped foster “interfaith dialogue,” which he stressed to be the most important part of these events. Other speakers at the event included University Chaplain and Director of Kay Spiritual Center, Rev. Eric Doolittle, and Chair of Islamic Studies and SIS Distinguished Professor Akbar Ahmed.
Ahmed focused on identity in his discussion about bridging the divide between those of differing opinions, and the importance of learning in times of conflict.
“I’m a Muslim and we are constantly told to seek knowledge,” Ahmed said as he spoke about connecting both with his own community and reaching out to others. Ahmed referenced work he engaged in after 9/11, when he first joined the University community and emphasized creating open avenues for challenging conversations.
Ahmed encouraged the attendees to take advice from one of his favorite poems, Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses,” and “follow knowledge like a sinking star.”
Jenna Bolonik, a senior in SIS, shared how she would approach reaching out to an individual with a different experience than her own.
“We’re both mourning and I’m sorry for your mourning. I’m sorry for your hurt,” said Bolonik. “And I would welcome an opportunity to speak to this person. I would hope that we could find things that we agree on and I would bet that we’d find common ground.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Maya Cederlund, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Ella Rousseau.
