42 | NOVEMBER 23 • 2023 

and the entire Jewish community as we 
all share the same fear. But safety? Safety 
and support are two different things. 
I try to have Hillel events serve as 
education events for those who want 
to learn more about different aspects 
of Judaism. When I saw that Yitzhak 
Rabin’s memorial day was on a Friday, 
I immediately knew I wanted to do a 
Shabbat dinner education event. (This 
was back when I was originally planning 
out our calendar for the year, back in 
August 2023). On Oct. 27, Hillel at 
EMU held a Shabbat Education Dinner 
learning about Yitzhak Rabin and the 
work he had done to implement peace 
between Israelis and Palestinians before 
he was assassinated in 1995. We even 
had our Hillel Israel fellow join us, and 
he gave a meaningful speech about 
Yitzhak Rabin and how especially now, 
we could use someone like him. 
“We are talking about someone who 
dedicated his life to Israel and Zionism 
and the thriving of the Jewish people 
and of Israel,” our Israel fellow said. 
“He wanted us to believe in the State of 
Israel and the Jewish people.”
It feels wrong to celebrate at a time 
when others are suffering. On Oct 7, 
while Hamas was waging war on Israel, 
I was at EMU’s Homecoming football 
game. Photos of which I still haven’t 
posted because it feels wrong. It feels 
wrong that I can never say “throwback 
to Oct. 7” and attach a fond memory 
to that day. It’s tough, that is all I can 
say. Which is the same answer I give to 
everyone who asks me how it is going: 
“It’s tough.” 

OUR HEADS ARE DOWN
With the Jewish student population 
being very small at EMU, it is easier 
to keep our heads down instead of 
standing up and facing a group that 
outnumbers us. We are not going out of 
our way to post flyers around campus 
in support of Israel, while everywhere 
we turn, there are many in support of 
Palestine. We are keeping our heads 
down. Even when someone confronted 
me about how it was “freedom of 

speech” to put them up but it wasn’t 
when I tore them down. I simply said 
“OK” and walked away keeping my head 
down.
I removed my number as a form of 
contact from Hillel at EMU’s Instagram 
page after a hateful comment was 
directed at me. I am keeping my head 
down. I asked my friend if he could 
meet me and we could walk to our 
destination together in broad daylight 
(when I usually ask at night), because it 
was a day designated to killing Jews. I 
am keeping my head down. 
I went without wearing my star 
necklace because I was keeping my head 
down. When I saw a friend of mine 
sharing misinformation about Israel 
on her social media, I didn’t confront 
her, I just kept my head down. When a 
sorority Hillel was collaborating with 
for an event promoted our event on an 
EMU class snapchat story and was met 
with backlash from someone saying 
“Not to be a party pooper, but Hillel is a 
Zionist organization,” I had the sorority 
take down their original post. I had 

to explain that we are not promoting 
publicly to all the students because we 
are keeping our heads down. 
With social media encompassing 
much of my life, I find it difficult to 
avoid. It is how I stay connected to my 
friends and former classmates. It is how 
I express myself and spread messages 
of kindness and positivity. It is also 
now where I see misinformation being 
spread, and as much as I try to believe 
there is good in society, social media 
shows me differently. 
I have had followers on social media 
comment that an attack on Israel is not 
a direct attack on the Jewish people. 
What they don’t realize is that any attack 
on Israel opens the doors for attacks on 
the Jewish people.
If there wasn’t an attack on Israel, 
would I need police presence at Hillel’s 
events? If there wasn’t an attack on 
Israel, would I constantly be targeted on 
social media? If there wasn’t an attack 
on Israel, would I feel pressured to hide 
a part of myself that I am so proud of? 
If there wasn’t an attack on Israel, would 
Jews be getting attacked on college 
campuses all over the U.S.? If there 
wasn’t an attack on Israel, would I feel 
safe walking the same path to my classes 
that I’ve walked a thousand times? 
Studying sociology, I know that 
everyone is susceptible to their 
environment growing up and the 
lessons it teaches; it is considered one 
of the biggest influences in shaping 
who we become. Being immersed in 
a Jewish environment throughout my 
life, I learned that with every attack, we 
have come out of it with our heads held 
high and with an even stronger sense of 
Jewish pride. 
So while it may seem neverending, 
to everyone who feels my same sense 
of fear and needing to keep your head 
down, I promise we will lift our heads 
up again. 

Shayla Mostyn is in her second year in the Honors 

College at Eastern Michigan University, majoring in 

sociology with a minor in journalism. She is president 

of Hillel at EMU, a writer for the Eastern Echo and is a 

#EAmbassador for EMU.

Shayla 
Mostyn

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