My name is Ilana and I am a second-year journalism and communications student at Carleton University. I also happen to be Jewish. I realize that this may be considered a “theology blog” and by no means am I claiming to be a theology expert. I’m simply here to give you a window into my life as a typical, somewhat involved, fairly secular, Jewish student: the more windows, the more enlightenment.

While at a party earlier this month, an Arab-Canadian girl/fellow partygoer cheered on my beer pong game with chants of “yallah, yallah!” (the Arab term for “let’s go”). When the game was over, she told me I was Arab at heart, a comment I took as a compliment considering the pride she exuded. She proceeded to tell me that I should visit the Middle East, and when I explained that I was in Israel over the summer she quickly interjected, “You mean Palestine?” My first thought was: “Oh god. I am drunk and trying to enjoy myself…do we really have to get into this right now?” Sure enough, we did.

The point is that there is tension on our campus. Today, Israel Awareness Committee (IAC) and Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) were tabling in the Atrium at the same time. Although there are no “incidents” to report, and both parties were respectful of one another, I felt the tension.

I am not like the girl at the party in terms of displaying my nationality. There are days when I don’t want to wear my “magen david” (Jewish star) necklace and I certainly don’t walk around parties greeting everyone with “shalom,” telling them that they’re Jewish at heart. Clearly, it’s not that I’m ashamed, I am writing this blog on Judaism after all. I just feel there’s merit to a more subdued form of pride (depending on the time and place, of course).

The IAC did a showing of an Israeli movie earlier this week called “Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi” and despite taking place in modern Israel, in the midst of
this overwhelming conflict, the film doesn’t so much as mention it. Maybe that’s because there is more to a person’s story than their religion or their
political standpoint. I believe that talking politics is one thing and defending your beliefs in the right forum is paramount. But, on a regular basis, carrying yourself as an individual, free of that baggage— the opinions we carry— could leave our campus feeling a lot less tense and more united.

At the end of the day, most of us just want peace. So I leave you all with a big “SHALOM” (Hebrew word for peace, hello, and goodbye).

Be well and keep those windows OPEN.