A Shabbat table is set up in the Central Mall for Israel Week to symbolize 133 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Marquette’s Jewish Student Union created the display and incorporated signs that line the walkway to Lalumiere Hall.
Jane Blossom, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and President of Marquette JSU said some of the victim’s names were hand written by JSU members.
“I believe that demanding the release of innocent hostages does not require bravery and is not political either,” Blossom said.
Blossom said that JSU’s display is a part of a greater campaign called “Bring Them Home Now,” which has Shabbat tables displayed in Jewish communities and on college campuses around the world.
A Shabbat table is symbolic to the Jewish religion as Shabbat is the rest period between Friday and Saturday evening. In the religion, they gather around the Shabbat table to rest and celebrate.
“We chose to do a Shabbat table to represent the fact that the hostages are not able to sit around a table for Shabbat dinner currently, and in hopes that they will be released soon and get to celebrate Shabbat with the rest of the Jewish community,” Rachel Gershon, a junior in the Colleges of Education and Shabbat Chair of Marquette JSU, said.
Blossom said that the display aims to humanize the victims of Oct. 7 attacks which has been the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
“As a Jewish community at Marquette because it has been an incredibly difficult time the past 6 months for Jews at Marquette,” Gershon said.
Marquette JSU said on Instagram that they mourn all the innocent lives lost due to the conflict whether they be Israeli, Palestinian or others.
The display will remain up until Friday April 19 when JSU will host a Shabbat service and dinner for the Marquette Community at the Alumni Memorial Union.
“We stand united, we stand together as a Marquette Jewish community, and we pray that all of the hostages will returned swiftly back to their homes and their families so that they can sit around a Shabbat table together,” Blossom said.
This story was written by Ellie Golko. She can be reached at [email protected].
