MANITOBAN Vigils held back-to-back on campus Students Supporting Israel host Oct. 7 commemoration event
Students for Justice in Palestine host vigil on Oct. 8
Sylvester Delali Agbado, staff
Ngozi Okose, staff
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photo courtesy of / Harry Chernyakov
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tudents for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a vigil on campus on Oct. 8 to honour Palestinian lives lost and to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Isreal. Kareem Sowid, a member of SJP, shared the group’s vision behind organizing the event, emphasizing the need for a safe space where students could mourn the events that have occurred over the past year. “We just wanted to amplify and raise awareness, not just of the Palestinian occupation, but of the treatment of Palestinians on campus, and the vigil allowed us to provide that safe space for students,” said Sowid. The vigil featured a list displaying the names of children under the age of 17 who were killed in Gaza since March, according to Sowid. The list was draped across the steps of the university’s administration building. Several individuals spoke at the vigil, including David Camfield, a U of M professor and coordinator of
the labour studies program. “Today is a time to mourn,” stated Camfield during the vigil. “As we mourn, we also need to recommit ourselves to action to support the people of Palestine,” said Camfield. Melody McKiver, an assistant professor of the Desautels faculty of music, also spoke at the vigil. McKiver sung “Duck and Dive,” from the Nez Perce people and described it as a traditional song depicting their battle with the U.S. army. Members of SJP also addressed those in attendance from the steps of the administration building. Sowid mentioned that the faculty for Palestine — defined as a “network of academics committed to advancing the struggle for Palestinian liberation, justice and equality through the academic sector” — assisted SJP to craft this event. “Everything went by smoothly,” stated Sowid. “We’re extremely grateful for the turnout.”
photo courtesy of / Students for Justice in Palestine
tudents Supporting Israel (SSI) hosted a commemoration event on Oct. 7 in front of the U of M administration building, bringing together community members to mourn the loss of lives and express hopes for the safe return of hostages held by Hamas. The vigil was organized by SSI, the Jewish Heritage Centre, Etz Chaim synagogue, the Jewish Community on Campus (JCOC) and Hillel. Tomer Hatzir, an executive member of SSI, stated that “the importance of this collaboration cannot be overstated. “It allowed the Jewish and Israeli community, along with our broader community of supporters, to come together in mourning the lives lost on Oct. 7 [2023] and to collectively pray for the safe return of those still held captive by Hamas,” said Hatzir. “This horrible massacre was the deadliest act of violence against Jews since the Holocaust, a devastating reminder of the enduring need to confront hatred and violence.”
The vigil featured community leaders, including Belle Jarniewski of the Jewish Heritage Centre and Rabbi Kliel Rose of Etz Chayim, that addressed those in attendance. “Community members spoke, with tremendous sorrow, about the brutality of Hamas terrorists on that day and of our deep longing for the return of the hostages,” said Hatzir. “Seeing the community come together to mourn and show solidarity reminded me of the power of collective action in times of grief. It gave me hope that even in the darkest of times, we can find strength in unity.” The board of SSI indicated that the response to the vigil was incredibly heartwarming with support from all corners of the community. “We were particularly touched by the attendance and support from various groups across our campus,” said Hatzir. He concluded, “we must continue to come together, raise awareness and stand united in our commitment to peace and mutual understanding for all.”
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October 16, 2024
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VOL. 111, NO. 10