In normal times, faculty, staff, graduates and undergraduates each have their own social circles. On October 7th, we realized we needed a different approach. Many students were terrified, and some felt a need to hide their Jewish identities from their peers at their dorms, dining halls and clubs. Hillel and Chabad provided “safe spaces” that helped some. Yet many students felt alone, seeking support and mentorship in this challenging time. Staff, who do not have the protections of students and tenured faculty, were feeling especially vulnerable. Some feared their careers could be impacted simply because they were Jewish.
To address these concerns, Kalaniyot faculty worked with administrators, Hillel, Chabad, and other campus programs to create weekly lunches where all segments of the university’s Jewish community and their supporters were welcome. These spaces created a support network and, equally importantly, a site for communal reflection and planning. Alumni from Israel visited with messages of encouragement and families of hostages came and shared their stories.
New leaders and new initiatives emerged from these lunches as well. One group of students organized a successful effort leading the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to determine that pro-Israel students do not have to pay for the graduate student union’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activities. Another teamed up with students around the region to hold “We Will Dance Again,” a concert that drew hundreds of people to MIT to honor those who were lost in Israel and unite the community. Similarly, faculty organized lectures by Linor Abargil, Tzipi Livni and others, addressing women’s rights and the weaponization of sexual assault, and the prospects for a better future in the Middle East.
MIT-Kalaniyot fellows, together with MIT faculty, will serve as the backbone of this new, vibrant, and growing MIT-Kalaniyot community.
