Ono Dean Muses on Muslim-Jewish Iftar Event at Jerusalem Campus During these Tense Times
Prof. Yuval Elbashan, Dean of the Multicultural Campuses, Ono Academic College shared his thoughts on the recent Muslim-Jewish Iftar (Fast-breaking meal during the evening’s or Ramadan) Event.
“At first, I objected to the event. I thought it would be a mistake, during these tense days in Jerusalem, to organize an Iftar dinner meal for Jewish and Arab students. It would be too complicated and dangerous. But the directors of our student union, Mohamad Adarbeh and Oron Eisenstein insisted that we continue the tradition that has developed on the multicultural campuses of Ono Academic College in Jerusalem. “We’ve been doing it for five years and canceling it now means the zealots will win!”, they said. And they were right. How right they were! Tonight, nearly 300 Jewish and Arab students from the Jerusalem campus celebrated, as in all past years, the Iftar post-fast dinner of Ramadan with members of the multicultural faculty led by Tova Marcovich. I thought how lucky we are to have such students and leaders like Muhammad and Oron to teach us what evidently we had forgotten. It is impossible to defeat those who do refuse to give up. Ramadan Karim to everyone!”
