Despite repression, hundreds of Jewish students observed Sukkot in solidarity with Gaza
Across the country, Jewish students at 22 campuses erected Gaza Solidarity Sukkahs. Campus police, staff and agitators destroyed almost half of the sacred dwellings.
(USA, October 25, 2024) To honor the eight-day long Jewish festival of Sukkot, students from Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish student groups across the country erected Gaza Solidarity Sukkahs on their campuses. Inside the beautifully decorated, hand-made Sukkahs, hundreds of Jewish students gathered in prayer and protest as the Israeli military continues to invoke Jewish tradition as fuel for the destruction of Gaza.
Sukkahs were erected on at least 22 campuses. Nine Sukkahs were forcibly dismantled by university police and staff, and in some cases destroyed by pro-genocide agitators. In destroying students’ Gaza Solidarity Sukkahs, university administrations confirmed their primary goal of silencing support for Palestinian rights, even at the expense of Jewish religious practice.
“When universities destroy a Sukkah and desecrate sacred religious objects, they are trampling on students’ ability to practice their religion. Judaism is a religion that values life above all else. For a large and increasing number of Jewish students, practicing our religion is inseparable from taking actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people. A university has no right to decide what Jewish practices are permissible. Anti-Zionist Judaism is legitimate, widespread, and has always existed. The Israeli government is violating Palestinians’ basic human rights and Judaism’s core commitments to justice (tzedek) and repairing the world (tilkkun olam).”
Jonah S. Rubin, Senior Manager of Campus Organizing, Jewish Voice for Peace
At Northwestern, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, UCLA, UNC Charlotte, Yale, Swarthmore, NYU and American University, administrators and staff destroyed the Sukkahs, robbing students of the ability to practice their faith. At Brown University, 17 students are now facing conduct violations for sleeping in the Sukkah. At Northwestern, the administration tore down a Sukkah in violation of their own policy, and have launched disciplinary proceedings against students. At USC, administrators withdrew permission from students hours before they planned to build their Sukkah saying the action, “appeared political.” At Swarthmore College, administrators began tearing down the sukkah in the early morning hours, while students were still fulfilling their religious commitment to sleep in it. It is more clear than ever that universities across America are infringing on students’ religious freedom and right to free speech as part of a zero tolerance policy for Palestinian solidarity.
“Northwestern claims to care about the wellbeing of Jewish students, yet they sent police to dismantle our sacred Sukkah in the dark of night. This reveals that Northwestern’s claims of caring for Jewish students were really only about punishing any students who speak out for Palestinian freedom. Because we dedicated our Sukkot to the people of Gaza who are currently enduring genocide, Northwestern decided to send in the police“
Isabelle Butera, a senior at Northwestern University.
At UCLA, pro-genocide agitators harassed students in the Sukkah, while administrators refused to protect the students. Agitators surrounded the Sukkah and taunted the students with slurs and threats, including antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, and homophobic hate speech. UCLA police in full riot gear watched as agitators harassed students in and around the Sukkah for 30 minutes, and did not intervene. The students were ultimately forced to abandon the Sukkah and disperse for their safety. Police then issued a dispersal order and stood by as agitators ripped apart the walls and decorations in the Sukkah. Shortly after, UCLA maintenance workers completed the destruction of the sacred dwelling.
“UCLA has chosen to further militarize the campus and criminalize speech and political activity instead of withdrawing its support for Israeli human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Despite threats from pro-genocide agitators and UCLA police, we remain committed to calling on UCLA to divest from the Israeli military which is waging a genocide against the people of Gaza.”
Benjamin Kersten, a graduate student at UCLA and member of Jewish Voice for Peace.
In alignment with Jewish tradition, Jewish students intended to eat, pray, and sleep in the Sukkah—a ritual in remembrance of Jewish ancestors forced to live in temporary structures in the desert while fleeing slavery. This year, as tens of thousands of Palestinians are forced to live in temporary shelters due to Israeli genocide, Jewish students observed Sukkot in solidarity with Palestinians and their right to a liberated future.
“I think it’s despicable, cowardly and highly hypocritical—after all the UW Administration’s efforts to supposedly address antisemitism on campus, they then just tore down our Sukkah? It shows the truth: Admin does not care about antisemitism and is not afraid to wield it to silence criticism of Zionism and their complicity in genocide.”
Roza Fernandez, a Jewish student in the Sephardic Studies program at the University of Washington
These groups of Jewish students are committed to practicing their sacred traditions and speaking out against the U.S.-funded genocide of the people of Gaza. For these students their religious and political commitments are fundamentally intertwined. The Jewish tradition teaches that pikuach nefesh, saving a life, is the most holy commandment in all of Judaism. These students are calling their universities and the U.S. government to stop funding the Israeli military which is destroying life in Gaza. Many of these students have been ostracized from other Jewish student groups on campus, like Chabad and Hillel, for their support for Palestine rights. Jewish students seek spaces where they can honor their sacred traditions and uphold the political commitment to collective liberation.
“As a fairly observant Jew, I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to find a place to celebrate Sukkot this year. I’ve faced harassment from individuals who attend Chabad and the campus Hillel, so I didn’t feel safe going there. I also live in an apartment, so I have no public space to put up my own Sukkah, and dwelling in a Sukkah is a key mitzvah (commandment) of the holiday.”
Zalman, a student at UC Berkeley, explains why the Gaza Solidarity Sukkah was important
Despite enduring tremendous repression from school administrators, anti-Zionist Jewish students remain committed to practicing their faith and speaking out against the Israeli military’s genocide of Gaza.
Interviews with students available upon request; photos available here ###
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world. JVP organizes a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality and dignity for all people.
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