On October 7, 2023, Mady Most was giving a campus tour when her family and friends began calling her persistently. “I had to cut the tour short, thinking there was an emergency,” said Most, a fourth-year health science student and Husky Ambassador. “My mom told me to go home and watch the news.”
Most, who leads Northeastern Hillel, later learned about Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel that day, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and more than 240 hostages. It was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust and ignited a conflict in the Middle East that has greatly impacted the Northeastern community.
“It was a frantic effort to reach out and hear from my loved ones in Israel,” Most recalled. Her mother’s family resides in Israel, and she has visited numerous times. “Witnessing such a tragic and unimaginable event unfold in my homeland, a place so dear to me—I’ll never forget that feeling.”
In the aftermath of the attack, several Jewish student groups organized memorials and demonstrations on campus to honor the victims and call for the release of hostages. “I went to Hillel that day to be with others in this community—we just sat together,” said Gregory Laursen, a third-year data science and international affairs student and Hillel representative. “No one spoke; we all shared the same indescribable feeling, one I hope to never experience again.”
A year after Israel declared war on Hamas, the military campaign has tragically resulted in more than 40,000 Palestinian deaths, including over 16,000 children. Worldwide protests against the war and calls for a ceasefire have spread, including on many university campuses.
“People might not expect young students to engage deeply with these issues,” noted Rebecca Bamidele, a 2024 Northeastern alumna with a dual degree in biology and political science, who deviated from her approved commencement speech to address the healthcare crisis in Gaza. “Our generation is truly leading a change by being vocal, outspoken, and making noise when we perceive injustice.”
At Northeastern, pro-Palestinian students have staged numerous demonstrations throughout the year, urging the university to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel, claiming that Israel’s military actions amount to genocide. Northeastern collaborates with companies that manufacture weapons for Israel, such as RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies), General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin, which also employ students for co-op positions.
“There’s a strong tradition of activism on university campuses against moral injustices,” said Phineas Wormser, a third-year computer science major who has participated in several pro-Palestinian protests at Northeastern. “I believe it’s our ethical duty to advocate for the people in Gaza, who are fighting for basic survival.”
The varied perspectives and understandings among students regarding the conflict have created a tense atmosphere on campus over the past year. Students supporting both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel causes have raised safety concerns related to doxxing on social media and harassment regarding their identities and beliefs.
“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for students on campus,” said Sara Paasche-Orlow, Director and Rabbi of Northeastern Hillel. “This complex, international conflict has shaped many narratives here in various ways.”
Both sides have voiced frustration over Northeastern’s administration’s response to the war and subsequent student protests. Pro-Palestinian students criticized President Joseph E. Aoun for only addressing the Israel-Hamas conflict once, when he released a joint statement on October 10, 2023, condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel.
In August, over a dozen students and alumni filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, calling for a federal investigation into the university’s alleged discrimination against Palestinian, Arab, and Palestine-supporting students. They claimed the university fostered a hostile environment for these students and applied disciplinary measures against pro-Palestinian activism more severely than against pro-Israel events.
Laursen and Most stated they do not oppose the protests, but many Jewish students expressed anxiety about chants such as “globalize the Intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” which they viewed as antisemitic and potentially inciting violence.
“I fully support Northeastern students’ rights to advocate for the causes they care about; that’s a big part of what Hillel is about,” Most remarked. “Regardless of differing opinions, I appreciate that Northeastern offers a platform for students to voice their passions.”
In December, the student group Huskies for a Free Palestine conducted a sit-in at the Curry Student Center, coinciding with a scheduled Shabbat dinner organized by Northeastern Chabad just a floor above. Jewish students attending the dinner expressed feeling “targeted” by the protest, especially after seeing a poster saying “globalize the Intifada” displayed by demonstrators. This sit-in led to three student protesters receiving deferred suspensions, the highest warning level issued by the university.
Tensions peaked when Northeastern students set up an encampment on Centennial Common in April, aligning with a nationwide series of similar demonstrations. After a tense encounter between pro-Palestinian protesters and two pro-Israel counter-protesters, around 100 demonstrators were arrested the following morning by university, state, and Boston police.
Despite the significant police presence, the encampment remained peaceful. Protesters, including Northeastern students and participants from other organizations, even held a Passover Seder on the first night and emphasized that they do not consider traditional pro-Palestinian slogans, like “from the river to the sea,” to be antisemitic.
“There was no feeling of anger. It was a truly hopeful experience, filled with optimism for both the Palestinian and Israeli people and a vision for a better world,” said Wormser, who was arrested at the encampment. “Now, a year later, the focus seems to be solely on the negative aspects—the police response, the violence, the arrests—when in reality, that’s just a small part of the overall picture.”
As the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel approaches, tensions in the Middle East are intensifying. On October 2, Iran launched a missile barrage into Israeli territory, and Israel has vowed to respond. Since late September, Israel has targeted multiple locations in Lebanon as part of its conflict with Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran and allied with Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian students plan to continue urging the university to divest from military companies as the war escalates. Northeastern School of Law Students for Justice in Palestine is participating in a “Week of Rage” on college campuses nationwide from October 7 to October 11, organizing daily events to protest the Israel-Hamas conflict and what they view as Northeastern’s “complicity” in it.
On October 9, Huskies for a Free Palestine will rally outside the Christian Science Plaza to oppose the university’s career fair, which will include weapons manufacturers like RTX and General Dynamics.
“I believe that as long as we keep up the pressure, there’s hope for the university to listen,” Wormser stated. “If they see that a significant number of people care deeply about this injustice, especially if it affects them financially, I hope they will yield to this pressure and divest from the conflict.”
As the war enters its second year, students express uncertainty about the future of protests on campus. This semester, the university updated its Code of Student Conduct and other demonstration policies, introducing stricter penalties for students who violate university regulations.
“The commemoration of October 7 is challenging due to the loss of life and ongoing suffering, particularly regarding hostages, alongside the unresolved nature of the conflict and concerns about the future,” Paasche-Orlow said. Northeastern Hillel will host a vigil on Krentzman Quad on October 7 to honor those lost and show solidarity in the face of ongoing tragedy, according to a Facebook post from the group.
Laursen pointed out that there have been many protests in Israel calling for a ceasefire and the safe return of Israeli hostages.
“On the surface, it may seem like people are completely divided, but I believe that deep down, most of us desire the same thing,” Laursen remarked. “Everyone just wants the suffering to end for all.”
Students noted their relief that tensions at Northeastern didn’t escalate into physical violence. In contrast, other universities, such as UCLA and the University of Arizona, witnessed clashes between students that led to injuries, with protesters and counter-protesters throwing objects at one another.
Paasche-Orlow expressed optimism about the ongoing discussions surrounding the conflict on campus.
“There is important dialogue taking place in various areas of the campus,” she stated. “I believe there’s already much more discourse happening as people become more aware of the complexities of this broader conflict.”
Leave a Reply