NEW HAVEN, Conn. — As the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage on and protests for cease-fires continue to happen, and a group of students at Yale is taking a different approach by protesting in song.
Jewish students at Yale are gathering to celebrate Hanukkah while also demanding Yale officials support a ceasefire in Gaza.
“In this moment when it can feel so helpless, I think it’s also really powerful to think about hope and the possibilities of miracles to happen,” said Danya Dubrow-Compine.
During the holiday that commemorates miracles, event organizers said they are using their platform to hope for change in Gaza and at Yale, meeting nightly in front of Yale President Peter Salovey’s official residence to gather in song and prayer.
“In addition to us wanting him to join us in prayer and singing, we also want to have a conversation about why we as Jewish students using our voices in this way and why it is important for us that Yale divest from weapon manufacturing and ensure that they protect student groups,” said Dubrow-Compine, “Look, we were a persecuted minority in this context and that sucked, and no one should have to experience that. We can recognize that as wrong when it’s happening to us and we should speak up also when it’s happening to other people and other minorities are being persecuted or other religious groups, other ethnic groups including when it’s being done in our name.”
They are using their voices to call for unity and an end to violence.
“It’s both about believing in the potential of miracles, but also doing the work to set ourselves up so that can actually happen. That’s kind of partially what I see us doing here today and coming together in community,” said Dubrow-Compine.
Organizers said they will meet for the next seven days in front of Salovey’s home to mark the eight nights of Hanukkah.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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