University Jewish students divided by protests seek common ground

University of Maryland Police officer speaks with Jewish Voices for Peace protester, Rifka Handelman. (Theo Rose/The Black Explosion)

Four students rustled in a room with a silent and focused crowd in Adele H. Stamp Student Union Prince George’s Room on April 9.

They revealed the kaffiyeh underneath their clothes and smeared blood-red paint on their hands.

The students stood, held their painted hands high and silently walked out of the room amid a speech made by member of the Knesset, Dan Illouz.

During his address, Illouz recounted the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, expressed concern for hate perpetrated against Jewish students and applauded the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza.

Some of the students attending agreed with Illouz’s remarks. However, the demonstrators made their disagreement and message silently but strikingly clear.

“This is not about the Jewish community,” said one of the protesters, Rifka Handelman, a junior environmental science and policy major and a member of the University of Maryland’s chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace. “It’s about Israel and our country’s ties to Israel.”

By engaging in this form of silent protest, members of Jewish Voices for Peace said that they intended to protest within the bounds of university policy for “expressive activity,” which prohibits individuals from disrupting events authorized or hosted by the university.

“We did not specifically communicate with the university beforehand, but we ensured that our actions were in line with posted guidelines, as we were silent, respectful and not disruptive,” said Holden Zeidman, a junior secondary education and math major and board member of the university’s chapter of JVP.

The university confirmed that both the planning of the Terps for Israel event and the simultaneous outdoor counterprotest followed “university processes and protocols.”

However, the students who demonstrated during Illouz’s speech were referred to the Office of Student Conduct by university police officers who were present, according to Lt. Roseanne Hoaas, public information officer for the University of Maryland Police Department.

Though silent, some Jewish students who attended the conference saw the protester's demonstration as harmful.

“We really just want to be a community and just feel each other’s pain,” said Einav Tsach, a sophomore journalism and marketing double major. “It’s unfortunate that people decided to counter-protest that.”

Tscah said the event wasn’t to take away from the Palestinian narrative but as a moment for his community to recover from something traumatic. 

Some Jewish students also see the JVP movement as the minority voice in the conversations surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Anyone whose starting statement is ‘as a Jew’, you can assume that what they’re saying is not representative of how the collective majority feels,” said Judith Rosenbluth, a senior marketing major.

Handelman said their Jewish identity can’t be dismissed out of hand. They understand that their movement doesn’t represent their whole community – but a part of the Jewish community they feel needs to be heard.

“Just because we’re a minority, doesn’t mean we’re wrong,” Handelman said.