for college students by college students
Annie Peurach } jewish@edu writer
I
was not raised
Jewish. I was
raised in a
Catholic household
in Ann Arbor.
I only recently
started learning
about Israel and
Judaism and have
been quite taken
with both. I have
even started the
process to convert.
I am a senior at
the University
of Michigan at
Dearborn majoring in international
studies with a focus on French and
art history.
My major is an indication of my
love of learning about different
cultures and pushing the bounds
of what I know. I always want to
engage in challenging conversations
because I feel like, if done the right
way, there is an opportunity for
growth on both sides. Being an
advocate for Israel in Dearborn
has given me years of experiencing
growth.
When you mention to someone
in Ann Arbor that you support
Israel, you are often met with
“me, too” or even the occasional
“I don’
t know much about the
topic/conflict” from Jews and non-
Jews alike. The first time I faced
adversity in Dearborn was when
someone found out I supported
Israel.
I was talking with someone I
now consider a close friend. I was
telling him how I was converting
to Judaism. The first thing he
mentioned was “How can you
support Israel when you know
what they are doing to Palestine?”
My first thought was “I only said
that I was converting …” My dear
friend is from Lebanon and he has
only heard bad things about Israel.
Because I had not yet had any
classes with the Hillel
of Metro Detroit’
s
Israel Fellowship
program, I had no
idea how to respond,
except to defend Israel
as best I could with
the little knowledge I
had.
We both dropped
this topic and vowed
never to bring it up
again. I wish this
conversation would
have come up after
I had taken HMD’
s
Israel Fellowship series. I wish I
could have explained how Israel is
working hard on peace negotiations
even when the government of
Palestine shoots them down. I
would have explained that Arab-
Israeli citizens have the same rights
as other Israeli citizens, and that
they are free to go about their
daily lives. I would have explained
that Israel tries its best to help
Palestinian civilians receive aid, but
they have to be cautious due to the
threats that Palestine has inflicted
upon Israel. I would have explained
that the land of Israel was given
legally. I would have explained that
the Jewish people lived in this land
2,000 years ago and were forcibly
exiled many times and killed
abroad in many genocides and
pogroms, and now they finally have
their homeland back where they
can feel safe.
I am so thankful that I got a
chance to be a part of the Israel
Fellowship because I now have
an extensive knowledge about the
Jewish people and the connection
to Israel that will help me explain
Israel’
s story to anyone that will
listen, even in a place that is known
for condemning it. @
Annie Peurach of Ann Arbor is a senior at
the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
HMD Israel Fellowship
Program Offers
K
nowledge
Annie Peurach
June 13 • 2019 23
jn