On Friday, Nov. 17, members and supporters of the new student organization Jews for a Free Palestine gathered in front of Wilder Hall. At 12:45 p.m. student representatives read the open letter the group had published in the Review and made themselves visible as a body of Jewish students who support Palestine. As of Thursday, the letter has been signed by 130 Jewish students, alumni, and allies. Additionally, they reiterated their support of Students for a Free Palestine and aligned themselves with SFP’s demands. This includes calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Israel–Palestine and for Oberlin’s divestment from corporations that support the Israel Defense Forces. The group estimated that around 100 students were in attendance. Campus Safety officers and a member of Oberlin administration were also present.
The group was formed by College third-year Olivia Wohlgemuth and College second-year Maya Miller. The two went to the North American Students of Cooperation conference at the University of Michigan from Nov. 10–12. There, they attended an anti-Zionist Shabbat service held by Michigan’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. Inspired by the service at Michigan, Wohlgemuth and Miller felt the need to start something similar at Oberlin because they believed that the two official organizations on campus for Jewish students, Chabad at Oberlin and Hillel, did not provide a space for anti-Zionist Jewish students.
“As a Jewish person right now who really believes in Palestinian liberation and in a ceasefire, in divestment from Israel, and in an eventual end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it just felt really important for me to correct the record a little bit and be like, ‘As a Jewish student, I do not support this,’” Wohlgemuth said.
After returning from Michigan, Wohlgemuth, Miller, and other students who felt similarly began writing the letter.
In addition to reading the open letter, students recited chants and sang songs. Many Jewish students wore handmade shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Not in our name.” Throughout the event, a large banner reading “Jews Say Ceasefire Now” was displayed.
Due to the rain and cold, and a desire for continued visibility, the group later moved to Mudd Center, where they sat in a circle on the main floor and continued their chants and songs until around 3:30 p.m.
In addition to becoming a chartered organization, Miller explained that the ultimate objective of the group was to maintain solidarity with SFP.
“Creating a Jewish community space that is explicitly anti-fascist, anti-Zionist, and liberation-oriented is the goal, and also a way to get more people to organize with SFP,” Miller said. “Nurturing community is an important part of organizing for change.”
College second-year and SFP member Zane Badawi commented on the continued solidarity between Jewish and Muslim students.
“There’s been a lot of Jewish support for Palestinian students, which I think is a product of having a lot of Jewish students and being a very progressive institution,” Badawi said. “The Jewish community isn’t a monolith, but I think we’ve seen over the past month that there is a lot of Jewish support for the Palestinian cause.”
Later that night, the group celebrated an anti-Zionist Shabbat with students, faculty, and community members. Wohlgemuth and Miller estimated that about 50 people attended. Jews for a Free Palestine will host a second Shabbat, advertised as a “Liberation Shabbat,” on Friday, Dec. 1.
