On Friday, Nov. 7, the Brandeis Jewish Bund held a sit-in. According to the digital flyer posted on the Bund’s Instagram, the event was held in honor of Palestine. When asked about the intentions behind the event, a member of the Bund stated, “We are here to draw attention.” A fellow member expanded, “We want … Zionists … to know their place in the university hierarchy … isn’t cemented.”
The protest itself consisted of a group of approximately 15 students sitting at three tables in Farber One. The students were quiet, seemingly working on schoolwork—as was encouraged in the digital flyer mentioned above. In addition to the protestors themselves, there were flyers placed on the desks of said protesters. The materials had names and photos of Palestinians with the captions “Murdered by Israel.” At the main table, the Bund laid down a tablecloth with a keffiyeh pattern, the “New Year No Genocide” banner featured at their last protest and a banner with “The Bund” written in Yiddish. On top of the banners were a variety of flyers, pamphlets and zines.
The section of the library where the protest was held was moderately empty, with few onlookers. The majority of the people not participating in the protest seemed undisturbed by the event. When asked if they had encountered counter-action, Bund members stated, “We’ve had a number of Zionists taking photos.” They elaborated, “Our policy is we don’t agitate … we’re not trying to platform genocide … Just them standing on the debate stage is giving them too much validation.” The Hoot has not confirmed these allegations and will provide an update if this story develops.
