“Unity is a principle of all free-thinking societies,” first-year student Ben Epstein said during a StandWithUs event, held April 25. “It’s our job as the next generation of leaders to lead this nation and the world toward a more unified future.”

Epstein organized the event, which was a screening of the 2007 film “The Band’s Visit.” Epstein said he wanted to hold this event as a way to begin building a community with Jewish students on Ithaca College’s campus. 

StandWithUs is an organization that fights antisemitism and works to educate people around the world about Israel. Epstein said he will be a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow during the 2024–25 academic year. The fellowship was started in 2007 and works to educate college and university students to become leaders in Israel education, building a Jewish community on campus and navigating antisemitism.  

“The Band’s Visit” is an indie-film that is based on the true story of the eight members of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra who found themselves stranded in rural Israel. The movie sets a group of Arabs and Israelis together without any conflict between them, addressing the ongoing Arab-Israeli wars. 

Before showing the movie, Epstein spoke about the five American hostages that were still held in captivity by Hamas. One of the five hostages, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American dual citizen, was shown alive in a video released by Hamas on April 24, according to the New York Times. 

“Obviously, those memories are still with us,” Epstein said. “Those memories of them being taken are not going to fade.”

Epstein also said Austin Reid, interim director in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, helped coordinate with the Office of Public Safety. While the movie played, Chaz Andrews and Jordan Bartolis, campus police Patrol Officers, stood at the end of the hall. The officers declined to comment. 

Epstein said he wanted campus police to be present during the event because of past antisemitic acts on campus. According to reporting from The Ithacan, five swastikas were drawn or carved into surfaces on campus between October and November 2022. The campus community was also notified of a swastika drawn in the Baker Walkway by Bonnie Prunty, Vice President of Student Affairs and Campus life, in a Jan. 20 email. 

Before showing the movie, Epstein spoke about antisemitism on the college’s campus and referred to the April 20 demonstration organized by Ithaca College Students for Palestine during an open house event at the college. 

“Hate and harassment will never be recognized as a rightful means of protest,” Epstein said. “We cannot sit by any longer as performative activism on both sides of the political spectrum becomes the norm.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) defines antisemitism as hostile behavior and beliefs toward Jewish people because they are Jewish. The ADL’s 2024 report of antisemitic attitudes in 2024 said, “Just under 24% of Americans endorsed 6 or more anti-Jewish tropes of the original 11 tested, up from 20% in 2022. The average number of anti-Jewish tropes endorsed by Americans increased from 4.18 to 4.31 out of 14.”

Epstein said he hopes to use his upcoming role as a StandWithUs fellow to build a supportive community within the college for Jewish students and anyone interested in learning more about Israel. He also said that being a fellow will allow him to foster more opportunities for connection between both Jewish students who are pro-Palestine and who are pro-Israel. 

“And I want that change to be for all Jewish students,” Epstein said. “I don’t just want to have that change be for Jewish students who are pro-Israel. I think that we need to unite together, the pro-Israel and the pro-Palestinian Jewish students. Because if we’re going to have a conversation about what’s going on about the consequences and the benefits of the State of Israel and Zionism, that conversation should be had, peacefully and thoughtfully between us.”

In 2019, StandWithUs congratulated students at Cornell University for voting no for a divestment resolution that supported divesting from the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, located in Israel. The institute specializes in bringing technological research that includes innovations in health and urban technology to Israel. However, the development of drones used in Israeli occupied territories can also be attributed to the institute, according to The Nation. 

Students at Cornell are continuing to protest for divestment against the institute as well as demanding the university to call for the U.S. government to declare a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. 

Earlier, on April 25, approximately 50 people gathered on Cornell University’s Arts Quad and set up an encampment. Some of those who set up the encampment were from Cornell’s Coalition for Mutual Liberation and demanded that the university establish a Palestinian Studies program and publicly acknowledge and protect anti-Zionist speech, viewpoints and histories, which were among eight demands from the group. 

“We are college students and college students have historically been the drivers of change and we need to come together,” Epstein said. “And we can do that. By cooperating and finding a middle ground. We can do that by calling our representatives. We can do that, not by going and pitching tents, but we can do that by actually putting something into action.”

Junior Ari Jesselson said he is from Israel and attended the event to support StandWithUs and Epstein. He said the political atmosphere of the campus has been tense and that performative activism from pro-Palestinian groups and pro-Israeli groups may be adding to the tension. 

“Could be better, could also be worse, though,” Jesselson said. “We love to have the heroes and the villains narratives. We love the black and white, but there’s a lot of gray areas, there’s a lot more to understand about [the Israel-Hamas war].”

Misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war has changed on social media. According to the Associated Press, some social media users have claimed that videos and posts have incorporated “crisis actors” as a way to stage scenes of false war. Jesselson said that with misinformation on the rise, people should do research into either side of the war and understand what is real. 

“Do as much research as possible and try to know both sides of the story,” Jesselson said. “Don’t be blinded by a story just because it sounds good when it could be fake. Try to get the right information and try to get as much information on both sides and all sides that you can because it’s very important to know both sides of the situation.”

First-year student Sophia Ashkenas said she feels safe going to events that promote Judaism and said she attended to learn more about Israel. 

“I feel pretty good going to events like these; sometimes I get a little nervous, but I feel like the school has done a good job and Hillel has put out stuff that says stay safe,” Ashkenas said. “I’m not going to let anything stop me from coming to events like this. I don’t think that’s worth it.”

When closing the event, Epstein said he was sad to know there were still hostages during Passover. The Jewish holiday, which celebrates the Jews’ freedom from bondage in Egypt, began April 22 and will continue until April 30. 

“It’s sad at what’s happening in Gaza, and it’s sad that there are still hostages, especially during a holiday when it’s a holiday celebrating liberation,” Epstein said.