VETAL, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Binghamton University students with different perspectives on the ongoing war in Gaza are celebrating the October 7 anniversary separately.
Jewish student groups on campus collaborated on an exhibition in the Mandela Hall of the Old University Union that was open all day. It contains photos and information from many of the Jewish settlements and kibbutzim that were attacked a year ago today by Hamas militants during their bloody rampage that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 200 taken hostage.
Each exhibit includes a story about what happened that day, how the colonists responded, and statistics about the number of dead, injured, and hostages.
Senior Saul Hakim is a senior advisor for the BU Zionist Organization, which prepared the event.
Hakim says the somber displays are intended to encourage learning and reflection in the hope that such atrocities will never happen again.
“The purpose of this exhibition was to enable a more personal connection. Where each individual can walk through it on their own, at their own pace, and really reflect on what happened, and think about what we need to do as individuals to create a better future for everyone,” said Hakim .
Photos of the hostages taken were lined up on the floor, including Omer Neutra deferring his acceptance to BU to spend a year in Israel. Black streamers hung above the photos to symbolize the hostages known to have died, while yellow streamers represent the hostages whose fate is still unknown.
The groups are planning a vigil on the university’s Peace Quad tonight from 6 p.m.
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