In celebration of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, the Chabad House Jewish Student Center will present “Lighting up Bloomington” at 6 p.m. Sunday. The center is located at 518 E. Seventh St., and the event is free and open to the public.
Following the celebration, which includes a menorah lighting, there will be a discussion of the recent anti-Semitic acts of vandalism on campus.
Two stones were thrown through windows of the Chabad House in the past several weeks, and one rock was thrown on Nov. 27 through a back kitchen window of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center.
It was also reported on Nov. 29 that eight Hebrew texts were found urinated on in eight different restroom toilets of the Herman B Wells Library. The next day, a rock was thrown at the staff directory glass display case for the Robert A. and Sandra B. Borns Jewish Studies Program in Goodbody Hall.
To also address the incidents, student Geoffrey Schmelkin — by using Facebook — has designated Monday “Bloomington Jewish Solidarity Day.”
Bloomington residents are invited to wear blue tomorrow to show support for the Jewish community.
“As the anti-Semitic events of the past weeks continue to unfold, Bloomington Jewish Solidarity Day has been established as a response to the hostility,” said event coordinator Geoffrey Schmelkin in a statement. “Bloomington residents from all religions, ethnic groups and political affiliations will wear blue to demonstrate our refusal to be intimidated by criminal acts of hate toward any members of our community. On Monday, we will reaffirm the unity of the Bloomington community and relieve the feelings of isolation among our Jewish residents.”
— Margaret Ely
