Almost one year to the day after the ongoing Israel-Hamas War began, roughly 35 students gathered Sunday evening in front of Deering Library to honor the lives lost in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.
Organized by Northwestern’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, the vigil featured readings of Palestinian poetry and the Quran, candle lighting, prayers, community reflections, and a moment of silence to honor those who have died during the conflict.
Associate University Chaplain for Muslim Life Tahera Ahmad, who read from the Quran at the vigil, said the text calls on humanity to stand up for justice.
“Being at one of the most elite universities in this world, we have the responsibility to stand firm for those whose voices have been silenced,” she said.
The vigil comes as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials. The ground and air offensive follows the militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel which killed about 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli officials.
In recent weeks, the conflict has escalated, as Israeli forces have clashed with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border and Israel has conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah forces in Syria.
“No matter what way you spin it, it is clear that the paper tiger known as Israel is externalizing its cultural senseless violence, unleashing its tyranny broader and broader in the last ditch attempt to salvage its rotten core,” said one SJP member who did not identify themself by name.
On Sept. 27, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces struck Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah — who was also recognized during the vigil.
The vigil coincides with Disorientation Week, a partnership between SJP and other student activist organizations to help NU students understand the “real Northwestern.”
The week also includes events reflecting on the April encampment on Deering Meadow and the free speech environment on campus after the University announced updates to its demonstration policy and Student Code of Conduct in September.
“The point of academia is to critically think and to use our voices within those institutions with the knowledge we learned and apply it to the real world,” said an SJP member, who asked to remain anonymous for safety purposes. “The fact that all institutions across the United States have tried to limit student voice is really disappointing.”
SJP will hold a walkout from classes at The Rock on Monday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m., according to the organization’s Instagram account. The planned demonstration would violate NU’s new Demonstration Policy, which prohibits protests at The Rock before 3 p.m. on weekdays.
At the vigil, SJP organizers honored Hassan Hamad, a Palestinian journalist killed in an artillery strike Sunday. Hamad shared videos of Israeli airstrikes on his social media accounts.
After Ahmad read from the Quran, SJP organizers opened the microphone for community responses. Weinberg junior and Jewish Voice for Peace member Evgeny Stolyarov read the Mourner’s Kaddish — a prayer recited in memory of the dead — in Hebrew.
“It was important for me to be here to make it clear that there are Jewish people who see it as genocide,” Stolyarov said. “We’re going to call it a genocide, and my Jewish tradition calls on me to speak out.”
A student who spoke during the community response period said a central theme of the vigil was the responsibility of NU students to use their privilege to speak out against Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza.
“It’s very easy to be caught up in our privilege,” the student said. “We complain about our homework, the test we haven’t studied for, the essay we haven’t written. I just want to remind everyone that, for every single one of us here, there is a Palestinian citizen who hasn’t seen the privilege of a secondary education.”
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— Students for Justice in Palestine hosts vigil to honor lives lost in Gaza this week
