Letter to the Editor: OSU Chabad responds to The Lantern’s coverage of Schottenstein Chabad House’s event with Israeli Defense Force soldiers Monday

Jane Shevkin
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 03:41:19 +0000
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(Left to right) Noy Keren, Noa Baron, speaker Saar Ari, speaker Maya Desiatnik, Romy Kornberg, Ariella Raby and Ava Zweig. Desiatnik and Ari pose with Ohio State Jewish students after sharing their stories at Monday’s OSU Chabad event. Zweig, co-founder of Students Supporting Israel at Ohio State, gifted Desiatnik and Ari SSI T-shirts. Credit: Courtesy of Jane Shevkin

Jane Shevkin, a fourth-year in speech and hearing science, is vice president of OSU Chabad’s student board and a Jewish student leader.

An article titled, “Approximately 60 students and community members protest Israeli Defense Force soldiers at off-campus Schottenstein Chabad House Monday night” was published in The Lantern Monday.?

The story grossly mischaracterized the events that occurred earlier that evening, which was International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

As the vice president of OSU Chabad, sitting on the front porch of Schottenstein Chabad House, a Jewish student center, is not an uncommon way to spend my evening after classes. However, what The Lantern failed to illustrate in its article was the antisemitic chants that rang outside of one of the only safe spaces for the Jewish community on our campus on our day of mourning the loss of six million Jews.

Ohio State’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter stood outside with their faces covered, and its members proudly shouted their Jew hate, screaming, “From the River to the Sea” — which calls for the ethnic cleansing of the Israeli people — “Allahu akbar” — which literally translates to “God is greater” and is used by many in Islamic prayer, though has also been used by terrorist groups calling for violence — “baby killers” —? a popular blood libel — and rallying for another intifada — a call for violent terrorism against the Jewish people — among other sayings.?

After the event ended, a few protesters stayed around to ensure we got their final message for us “to kill ourselves.”

What is not lost on any of the Jewish community at Ohio State is how ironic it is that SJP and the other student groups on campus that are united in their antisemitism decided to spend their Monday evening shouting, intimidating and proudly displaying their antisemitism on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.?

Monday evening was a powerful reminder that the same people who claim to advocate for “peace” refuse to take a break from their blatant hatred for Jews on such a powerful anniversary of what so much hate can fuel.

If the rioters had put their raging antisemitism aside for the night and come to Chabad to learn from the two soldiers who spoke, they would have had a rude awakening that the labels they have pushed on the Israeli people are grossly wrong.?

They would have had to listen to Maya Desiatnik, a young woman who was merely 19 years old during the brutal attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. She shared she was assigned to an all-female unit tasked with monitoring the Gaza border and alerting the command center if and when anything unusual occurred.?

Neither Maya nor the women in her unit had ever held a gun, as their role was primarily observational, and a separate combat unit had been assigned the responsibility of safeguarding Maya’s unit and the Israeli civilians.?

The antisemitic protesters would have had to reflect on what started the war and realize their blame should be directed to the Hamas terrorists who violated a ceasefire and broke into Israel Oct. 7 with the sole purpose of murdering, raping and terrorizing the Israeli people, and by extension, the entire Jewish nation.?

They would have had to look Maya in the eyes as she shared her longing for her friends — who have been held hostage in Gaza for the last 480 days — to come home.

The protesters would have had to sit in front of Saar Arie, a medic sergeant in the IDF, as he shared numerous stories of risking his life to indiscriminately treat Israeli civilians, Israeli soldiers, Palestinian civilians and even a Hamas terrorist. His bravery and determination to help others led to him getting shot and injured multiple times Oct. 7.?

They would hear how over the last year and a half, Saar’s friends have been fighting terrorists to ensure his loved ones can come home while he has struggled to rehabilitate his wounds, both physical and psychological in nature.?

Rather than listening and learning, the “peaceful protesters” chose anger, hatred and bigotry. How can they be fighting for peace in the Middle East if they refuse to engage in respectful dialogue and kindness?

Student groups on our campus decided to spend their evening proudly displaying antisemitism while over 130 students from different backgrounds and religions came to our event. Chabad had so many students attend Monday evening, they ran out of chairs.

Students came eager to hear, learn and come face to face with what so many Israelis our age have had to go through these past 480 days.

Monday was an incredible reminder of the strength of the Jewish people, as so many students bravely passed the antisemitic mob to be with each other during such an important anniversary.?

As a Jewish student leader on this campus, it is not lost on me the narrative others on this campus will push onto us. However, the Jewish people will not stop being proud of who we are and where we come from while standing up for our homeland.?

I cannot express the immense pride I felt seeing our Jewish community and friends show up and drown out the sounds of violence and hate with love and unity.

As always, Am Yisrael Chai,?

Jane Shevkin