for college students by college students

May 26, 2016 / 18 Iyar 5776

VOLUME 7, NO. 2

Laughter Helps

In The

Diverse groups get together at UM-D.

Ellana Collins } jewish@edu writer

Gray Zone

Q

uestion: A Palestinian and a Jew: What do they have in common?
Answer: A comedy show where they bring two different cultures
and worlds together by standing up for peace.
Arab American Dean Obdeillah and Jewish American Scott Blakeman recently
performed their Stand Up for Peace comedy show, which uses humor to create
mutual respect and understanding between the two groups, for a room full of
University of Michigan-Dearborn students.
The campus hosts a large population of Arab Muslim students. The Jewish
Student Organization on campus is small compared to the Muslim Student
Association, Lebanese American Student Association and Chaldean American
Student Association. So why would I, as president of the Jewish group, want to
reach out to these other student group leaders?
Dialogue is very important to student organizations on campus and, in an
effort to promote this dialogue, the Stand Up For Peace comedy show seemed
like a perfect program. With help from the Hillel of Metro Detroit staff, we were
able to schedule a meeting between the student leaders to find a way to work
together to bring this comedy duo to UM-Dearborn.
Lebanese, Chaldean, Muslim and Jewish student organizations all played
important roles in advertising the show around campus, online and to the fac-
ulty. Funding came from the Dean’s Office, the Office of Student Engagements
and from each organization. Students from each organization worked together
and, in planning the event, an inter-group dialogue already was happening.
On April 18, the UM-D Union hosted the two comedians to help bring our campus
closer together. Students from all different backgrounds attended. The show itself
was a brilliant way for Arab and Jewish students to laugh at themselves in an open
environment. Blakeman and Obeidallah were able to shed light on our similarities
and also on the Middle East and the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
The comedy show presented Jewish culture in a positive light to many audi-
ence members who had minimal exposure to Judaism. After the event, the
comedians hosted a question-and-answer session, which prompted a good dia-
logue between the students and the comedians.
This event proved to be a successful platform to make students from all
different backgrounds work together and talk about their differences and simi-
larities. It invited open conversation, and provided a new perspective to the
students’ ideas about each other and the UM -Dearborn campus.
Thanks to Presidents Nasri Sobh (Lebanese Student Association) and Emily
Kakos (Chaldean American Student Association) as well as the Muslim Student
Association for pulling together to make this event happen. @

Ellana Collins of West Bloomfield completed her junior at the University of Michigan-
Dearborn. She is the current UM-D Jewish Student Organization president.

UM-Dearborn students with Stand Up for Peace
comedians Dean Obeidallah and Scott Blakeman (center)

56 May 26 • 2016

Arab-Israeli news anchor Lucy Aharish speaks at Grand Valley State
University about coexistence in Israel.

Arab-Israeli’s lecture at GVSU embraced the
complexity, coexistence of life in Israel.

ture about coexistence in the Middle East, it was
a much-needed breath of fresh air.
On a campus with its fair share of challenges
for the Jewish community, Aharish’s balanced
n the U.S., it’s pretty much a given that
conversation about the realities of living in Israel
if you’re Jewish, you’re in the minority.
and identifying as an Israeli was the model of
This couldn’t be more true for Jewish
students at Grand Valley State University, the kinds of conversations we, as members of
the Jewish faith, should be having. She didn’t shy
which is right in the West Michigan Bible Belt.
away from criticizing Israel for its wrongdoings,
As an active member and former co-president
but Std
she 55
wholeheartedly
explained
she felt No
it
of Hillel at GVSU, I’ve found that
students
No Jewish
indent
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leading.
was 55
so Roman
important
her to 11 call
a proud
who are open about their faith tend
to field
indent
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9pt to type
pt herself
leading.
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Israeli.
countless questions about Judaism
from Frutiger
curious LT Std
indent
55 Roman 9pt type 11 pt leading.
The 55
fact
is that 9pt
the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
peers.
Indent Frutiger LT Std
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type 11 pt leading.
is nuanced
and 9pt
complex,
it doesn’t
do anyone
Many students may not have met
a Jewish
Indent
Frutiger LT Std
55 Roman
type and
11 pt
leading.
any 55
favors
to ignore
that truth.
order to Indent
con-
person before. It’s not uncommon
at GVSU
to be LT Std
Indent
Frutiger
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leading.
nect with
have
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asked incredibly basic questions, Frutiger
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Jewish
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type and
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@ discus-
sions about this, or any other topic of contention,
people believe in God?” By default, we become
Loraxes for the Jews — spokespeople for an entire it is vital to look at these issues from all sides.
Aharish’s standing as an Arab Muslim living in
religion and culture.
Israel gives her the unique ability to understand
Of course, that’s an impossible task. Jewish
people can’t agree on anything, and we all have an just how complicated it is to talk about or live
through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But she
immense range of opinions, no matter the ques-
also knows how outsiders view the issues at hand
tion at hand. This is especially true when talking
is a far cry from the reality of the situation.
about Israel.
“The real issue is not about what you see on
More and more, I’m finding that people with
the news; it’s not about what you hear on the
little interfaith knowledge confuse what it means
radio. It’s not black and white,” Aharish said,
to be Jewish with what it means to be Israeli.
speaking to a crowd of more than 75 people in
While many Jews wholeheartedly support
GVSU’s Mary Idema Pew Library on April 13.
Israel in its every endeavor, the reality is that
As a member of GVSU’s Jewish community, I
viewpoint is not uniform across the board. So,
was proud and encouraged to see such a promi-
when Hillel at GVSU was lucky enough to host
nent woman as Aharish be able to engage in a
Arab-Israeli news anchor Lucy Aharish for a lec-

Audra Gamble } Commentary

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