Over 1,000 people gather on Diag for vigil following attacks on Israel

Content warning: this article contains mentions of violence.

The University of Michigan community gathered on the Diag Monday night for a vigil following the attacks on Israel Saturday. More than 1,000 campus community members attended the event, gathering in support of the lives lost following the attacks. 

On Saturday morning, Hamas troops carried out a planned attack on Israel, first firing rockets into the country and then carrying out attacks by land, sea and air, according to the New York Times. The attack infiltrated 22 cities in Israel and by Sunday morning, officials reported 700 Israelis as dead after the attacks, with an estimated 150 other civilians and soldiers held hostage. 

Israel formally declared war against Hamas on Sunday and carried out an air attack on the Gaza Strip neighborhood Tuesday morning. Officials on Tuesday reported over 900 deaths in Gaza and over 1,000 deaths in Israel. The attack targeted buildings and forced Palestinians to find shelter in the 25-mile Gaza Strip, with the war continuing to escalate. The war has claimed the lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides and is the result of over two-centuries of conflict.

Attendees gathered at Hillel Tuesday to walk to the Diag. According to attendees, students, faculty and community members in attendance were escorted by the Ann Arbor Police Department.

Speakers included students and rabbis from the Jewish Resource Center, Chabad House of Ann Arbor and Hillel. They spoke on their personal experiences and ties to Israel and led prayers for those held in captivity.

Hillel International released a statement about the attacks on Sunday, which was reposted by the Michigan Hillel Instagram.

“We are devastated as we awake to the news of this horrific attack on the Jewish homeland and the Israeli people,” the statement read. “The photos, videos, and headlines we are seeing are shocking and heartbreaking, and our hearts and prayers are with all the people of Israel today. We are also thinking about our many Hillel colleagues and students in Israel, the many Israelis working on our Hillel teams, and the thousands of Israeli students we serve at Hillels on campuses in North America and around the world. We are here for you.”

Attendees at the event gathered for a moment of silence to honor those who have lost their lives to the conflict, which was followed by the singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.

LSA junior Sari Rosenberg attended the event and spoke with The Michigan Daily about the support she felt from the University community at the vigil, from the initial gathering at Hillel to the Diag full of people.

“It brought tears to my eyes to see how many people came,” Rosenberg said. “I’ve never seen so many Jews in (Hillel). It was really great that we were able to provide such a healing space for people and I think there were a lot of tears and a lot of emotions, but it was really powerful to see everyone come together, cancel their plans, and for people to reflect on what was happening and come together in solidarity. As the crowd grew when we came to the Diag and met more people who were there, it was just a really beautiful thing.”

Rachel Cusnir, Co-President of Wolverine for Israel, helped to organize the event and spoke at the vigil. In an interview with The Daily, Cusnir said she was overwhelmed by the turnout at the event and felt reassured by the support from the community.

“Just standing there in a crowd of over 1000 people in which everyone there was just standing in solidarity, standing to mourn, standing to have hope, it was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Cusnir said. “It’s the most empowered and most hopeful I’ve ever felt and it was absolutely amazing, even through all the mourning and through everything that’s happened, it was just a sign that we’re still going to be here.”

Cusnir told The Daily she spent the past summer in Israel and has close family and friends who are currently living in Israel. She said she was heartbroken to wake up Saturday morning to news of the attacks.

“When I woke up Saturday morning to the news, it was devastating,” Cusnir said. “I have family and friends in Israel. I have friends who are serving on the front lines, and it was absolutely heart wrenching and devastating. This is unlike any war we’ve seen since the Yom Kippur War, and it just felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I was worried for the existence of Israel. I was worried for the safety of my friends and family.”

Evan Cohen, Head of Events at Wolverine for Israel, told The Daily he worked with Cusnir and other Jewish organizations on campus to plan the community event and vigil.

“We knew that we needed something to happen,” Cohen said. “We wanted to do what we could to support the community here, and support the community abroad … And so we worked with the Jewish organizations on campus –– Hillel, Chabad and the JRC –– all to create one unity event for the Jewish community, but also for our allies to stand in solidarity with one another, with our friends and family across the world, and to show that we’re strong and that we’re not going to break down.”

In a statement addressed to the University community Tuesday evening, University President Santa Ono wrote that he condemns violence and is mourning the innocent civilians’ lives lost in the attacks by Hamas.

“Many members of our university community are personally affected by these events, and we encourage students to be conscious, kind and compassionate to their peers during this difficult time,” Ono wrote. “We encourage faculty and staff to demonstrate understanding and accommodation for those affected by this violence.”

Ono also provided resources for support, including the Dean of Students Office, the International Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office and Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience.

Rosenberg said she felt assured by Ono’s statement, but added that she wished the University had more directly condemned the violence from Hamas.

“We appreciated President Ono’s statement and we really were glad that he condemned the violence, but I think there was a general belief among the pro-Israel community that (the University) should be condemning Hamas more directly, rather than speaking about the research of Israel or other parts of it that they could relate to the University,” Rosenberg said. “They should be speaking about the people themselves and the atrocities happening to them.”

Cusnir said she was disappointed that it took so long for the University to release a statement, but appreciated it.

“I think we were all waiting for any sort of communication from the University, any sort of message saying we hear you, and I think it took longer than what it needed to, but, in all honesty, when the message to come out, I thought it was beautifully written by President Ono and I think it was really what Jewish students needed to hear,” Cusnir said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, expressing her unequivocal support for Israel following backlash after she released a previous statement that was criticized as being too vague.

The images that continue to come out of Israel on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War are devastating. The loss of lives in Israel –children and families – is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling. There is no justification for violence against Israel. My support is steadfast.

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 8, 2023

Following the vigil, Michigan Hillel posted images of the vigil on Instagram. The post thanked attendees for their support and encouraged those grieving to reach out to Hillel staff for support.

“We will continue to update our community in these difficult times,” the post read. “Thank you to the over 1,000 students and community members who joined us at Hillel and in the Diag to show our support for the Israeli people and the Jewish community. As always, if you need anything, please reach out to a Hillel staff member. We are here for you.”

Correction: This article has been updated to include the correct number of deaths of soldiers and civilians on both sides as of Wednesday morning. The language of this article has also been updated to reflect the death toll in Gaza and Israel.

Co-editors in chief Shannon Stocking and Kate Weiland can be reached at eic@michigandaily.com.