MAY 28 • 2020 | 79 Remembering Survivors Students plan Virtual Yom HaShoah Community Refl ection. O n May 1, the community of Kalamazoo College staff, students, admin- istrators and supporters joined a Zoom call for the annual Yom HaShoah Community Reflection. This event is usually put on every year in person; people fill up the chapel in the center of campus, and we remember the lost and the sur- vivors. When approached with the question of “Should we do a Yom HaShoah reflection this year?” My answer was a resounding yes! It was made possible by the wonderful mem- bers of Hillel at Kalamazoo College and Chaplain Elizabeth Candido. Living in the middle of a pandemic can be stressful, but I believe it is also an opportunity to step back and grow. For me, this time has been spent reflect- ing on my own connections to Judaism and examining what Yom HaShoah means to me. I came to that conclusion the day before our Zoom call, when listening to my fellow classmates practice the Mourner’ s Kaddish, tell the story of Paula Marks- Bolton, sing Eli Eli to remem- ber resistance fighter Hannah Szenes and remember their own thoughts while walking through a death camp. This year, Yom HaShoah must be about learning from our past, cultivating community and honoring the lives of those in the Holocaust more than any past years. I believe the success of the Yom HaShoah Community Reflection came from remem- bering our past so as not to repeat it in the future. Anne Frank and thousands of others died from typhus and disease that spread through crowded camps without access to medical treatment. Today, we have camps with thousands of refugees who have been placed as “the other, ” just as Jews have been, and pris- ons where COVID-19 runs ram- pant. Our Chinese classmates face xenophobia just as our ancestors (and even us) faced anti-Semitism. Through acknowledging these comparisons, we can grow as a society and honor those on Yom HaShoah. This community reflection served to bring our small campus together; not just through the act of joining the Zoom call, but also through creating a common time to mourn as we know how other marginalized communities have felt. We are connected through shared grief and memories, and honoring Yom HaShoah is an act of resistance and comfort in the face of the unknown. We are stronger because of this, and we have learned how to stand up for justice during trying times. Naomi Verne is a sophomore at Kalamazoo College. Naomi Verne } jewish@edu writer TOP: A pre-pandemic get-together of Kalamazoo College’ s Hillel at an Avi Shabbat they had in February. KALAMAZOO HILLEL this demographic faces with content geared toward all stu- dents and young adults. Our account provides mental and physical health support, with posts about telemedicine ser- vices, destigmatizing mental illness, and free resources for improved sleep and physical activity, just to name a few. We also share unique ways to connect with loved ones who are physically distanced, such as virtual games to play and virtual date ideas. Additionally, we promote ways to shape our individual perspectives on the circum- stances impacting our age demographic, including the cancellation of summer intern- ships or the uncertainty about school in the fall. We also post funny and relatable tweets and memes each week because we all need comedic relief during these times. We are so grateful for the success of our account thus far. With more than 1,100 follow- ers, our content has generated support from numerous col- leges, health professionals and Hillels across the country. If you’ re a student or young adult interested in learning how to support your mental and physical wellbeing in quarantine, give us a follow @covid19studentsupport on Instagram! Everyone is strug- gling in their own ways, but know you are not alone in fac- ing these challenges. @ Sarah Wish is a rising senior at the University of Michigan. Marissa Levey is a recent University of Michigan graduate. away from Israel, members “Zooming in” from their own devices, we come together to socialize, explore and devel- op a critical understanding and perspective on Jewish history, contemporary issues and the world around us. Halevi’ s writing is thoughtful, personal and often emotional — qualities reflected in our book club’ s dialogue. We begin each meeting by talking about a chapter of Letters, but inevitably end up drifting away from the text itself, sharing our own feelings and views as well as the ways in which we, as Jewish- American college students, feel the ripples of Israel’ s political turmoil in our own lives. Our discussion helps us interact with the text on a meaningful personal level, while the book itself provides a thought-provoking account that powerfully captures and contextualizes the political and emotional difficulty and complexity of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Soon, Reading Between the Lines will have the incredible opportunity of speaking with Halevi via video call. We look forward to digging even deeper into his work, ideas and connec- tion to Israel. While we are not the “neighbors” to whom Halevi addresses his letters, we are fortunate to be among the many readers touched by Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor. @ Noa Dahan is a student at Western Michigan University. Isabella Lieberman is a student at Grand Valley State University. Sarah Weiss is a student at Eastern Michigan University.