Middle Eastern cultures coalesced in a celebration of diversity and peace Thursday on the Foote Green as students celebrated the event called Peace in the Middle East.
Hillel, Emet Israel, Muslim Students at the University of Miami, the Saudi Students Association and the Armenian Students Association presented Middle Eastern music and dancing, sports competitions, an inflatable castle and a variety of foods and desserts.
Sammy Schneider, the event chair and Israel Programming Chair on the Hillel Board, saw this as an opportunity for future growth and cooperation.
“This event is just the beginning of the relationship building between all the organizations,” Schneider said. “We all plan on working together again in the future and hope that our friends who came to the event are as inspired as we are.”
Students who came to Peace in the Middle East were able to visit the various booths where they could make their own pita, learn about the Hebrew language, explore Armenian culture, learn about internship opportunities in Israel, and many other activities.
The event even had its own snapchat filter available all day from the Richter Library to the end of the Foote Green, designed by Sam Wyner, the Communication Chair of Hillel.
“We sometimes forget that all the organizations are in it together to really promote diversity,” Wyner said. “This is probably one of the first big events that does that,” Sam said. “I think in our campus, because we’re so diverse, everyone’s really supportive of it.”
An interactive Mural which read: “Peace in the Middle East; Peace… Art… Love…” was designed by Artists 4 Israel, a charity organization that works through artists to educate people about Israel worldwide. Students were able to add their own messages to the back of the mural.
Feature photo courtesy Pixabay user Alexas_Fotos.
Correction: The titles of Sammy Schneider and Sam Wyner were incorrect in the original version of this story.