As Israel celebrates its 70th year as an independent Jewish state, students at Binghamton University will host their own festivities at the Newing Co-Rec Field from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The annual event for Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Israeli Independence Day, brings together thousands of students from across campus to commemorate the state’s founding on May 14, 1948.
This year’s event will feature a live concert, an open-air market and authentic Israeli food as attendees take a “walk” through Israel. Student leaders from Hillel at Binghamton, an organization that aims to educate and enrich the lives of Jewish students on campus, organize the project each year.
For Hannah Loffman, a freshman majoring in human development and the first-year representative for Bearcats for Israel, an organization under Hillel that encourages students to form a connection with their Israeli roots, this annual celebration is especially significant because it commemorates the country’s accomplishments.
“[Yom Ha’atzmaut] serves as a reminder that there is a Jewish homeland,” Loffman wrote in an email. “However, Israel is so unique in her acceptance to all races, religions and ethnicities, so really Yom Ha’atzmaut is a celebration of humankind’s accomplishments and a recognition of all we have to celebrate.”
In addition to a photo booth and a live concert by The Magic Sabras, an Israeli cover band, attendees will also experience a life-size model shuk, or open-air market, like those seen in Jerusalem.
According to Alexandra Abels, the co-chair for the event and a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, attendees will explore Israel’s beauty, culture and innovation from north to south.
“When you enter [the north] we will be recreating the Bahai Gardens, located in Haifa, Israel, out of lollipops,” Abels wrote in an email. “When you enter the south you will be given the opportunity to see Israel’s innovative drip irrigation technology, and even walk away with a succulent.”
Several other organizations, including Chabad, the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and the BU Zionist Organization, are also helping to sponsor the event.
Loffman said the organizers not only want attendees to have an authentic taste of Israel, but also to cultivate lasting memories of Israel’s birthday.
“All our planning has been geared toward how and what students, faculty and community members will not only enjoy but remember from Israel turning 70,” Loffman wrote.
Alexandra Baker, a junior majoring in English, said she plans to attend Hillel’s Yom Ha’atzmaut because of her passion for Israel and her connection with the community.
“I am very passionate about Israel,” Baker wrote in an email. ”A lot of my friends are very involved with the planning of the event and have put a lot of effort into it, so I really want to support them. I am excited for the amazing Israeli food and music, as well as the opportunity to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary with my friends and the Binghamton community!”