Students from various ethnic and political backgrounds came together in the common room of Usen Castle on Thursday evening for Middle Eastern food and thoughtful dialogue at "Shakshouka and Stories." The event was dedicated to the sharing of students' cultural experiences and narratives about Israel. The program was sponsored by the new student group Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World, which describes itself on its Facebook page as a group that "envisions conversations [about Israel] that emphasize innovation, embrace diversity, empower students, and push us to look toward the future."

The event began with introductory remarks by A. B. Troen '14, who acknowledged the importance of sharing personal narratives and being open to new opinions, given the recent violence in Israel and in Gaza. 

Following Troen's greetings, five students presented their stories to the gathered group. Faisal Alasiri, a Saudi Arabian graduate student in the Teaching Hebrew Master's program, spoke first and recounted his first exposure to the Hebrew language in grade school when his teacher uttered a Hebrew curse word to the Arabic-speaking students. Pinchus Polack '14 shared his confrontation at an Israeli gymnasium with local teenagers who attempted to seek retribution on Polack and his friends for asking them to leave a basketball court. 

Shani Abramowitz '14 recited a poem entitled "Corkboard Reality Check" about her experience overcoming the challenges of adapting to Israeli society and longing for the familiarity of home. Chen Arad '15 performed a song on the guitar that he described as a song about "Israeli cockiness." Rena Singer '13, the final presenter, described visiting a commune in Israel filled with Bob Marley-obsessed observant Yemenite Jews. 

After the presentations, students ate a dinner of shakshouka, a meal of eggs and tomato sauce prepared by Gal Barak '16, and broke into smaller groups to share personal narratives in an intimate setting. In the breakout groups, students explored a variety of topics, including uncomfortable experiences in Israeli supermarkets, the unique style of Israeli humor and the political challenges that Israelis face on a day-to-day basis. 

To close the program, Mostafa Hussein, an Egyptian Ph.D. student in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, shared his motivation for studying Jewish Studies. In order to break through the "psychological barrier" that he has found between Israeli and neighboring Arab countries, Hussein, as an Arab Muslim, has studied Hebrew and Judaism in-depth for the purpose of "learning the other side of the story." During his presentation, he both quoted the Quran and recited the Shema, a Jewish prayer central to daily liturgy. 

Students in attendance appreciated the opportunity to share their personal stories.
"I admit, I was slightly ambivalent going into the program," said Zelle Rettman '14 in an email interview with the Justice. "I initially went because I had friends who were performing and was planning on leaving afterward, but I ended up staying because the presentations were all so unique and depicted different perspectives on Israel."

Alex Thomson '15, co-president of the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee, expressed similar feelings about the event. "Especially with the current situation in Israel regarding Gaza, it was great to hear perspectives of Israel not directly related to conflict and war," he said in an email interview with the Justice. "I found what people had to say about Israel to be both illuminating and fascinating."

Arad, speaking on behalf of the bVIEW executive board, reflected on the event in an email to the Justice, commenting that, "Thursday night, we were not only proud of bVIEW but of the Brandeis campus in general. Given the escalating rocket fire on Israel from the Gaza Strip and Israel's response, it was incredibly meaningful to see students, among them Israelis, a Saudi Arabian and an Egyptian, come together to share their stories about Israel and learn from each other."

According to Arad, this program is part of a series of bVIEW events that will culminate in a full-day conference to "lay the foundation for a better vision-based discussion of Israel," hosted at Brandeis on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Editor's Note: Shani Abramowitz is a News staff writer for the Justice.