5th annual Israel Fest showcases various subcultures

Although Jewish people are united under one religion, the country of Israel boasts a variety of subcultures that were on display Monday night at the Union.

MSU’s Jewish Student Union and Team Israel Programming Committee collaborated to host the fifth annual Israel Fest and students were invited to experience the diverse people that make up the country.

The event highlighted the contributions of Latino, Arab, Persian, African, Indian, women and lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender Jews to the Israeli culture, with booths dedicated to each subculture.

“I don’t think most people realize how diverse of a society it is,” said Geoff Levin, president of the Jewish Student Union and an international relations junior. “Even just knowing about their very existence is a step forward to understanding the society better. And understanding Israel is an important part of understanding the Jewish religion and the Jewish people.”

The people of Israel often are wrongly represented by media outlets, said social work junior Jackie Schwartz, co-chair of the Team Israel Programming Committee. Schwartz said she saw Israel Fest as an opportunity to try to alleviate some of those misconceptions.

“We want to show people there’s more to Israel than just fighting,” she said. “When (students) are watching the news and they see something about Israel, (we want them to) know there’s more to it than that.”

Political theory and constitutional democracy junior Igor Shleypak was stationed at the Latino Jews booth and said before he researched the subject, he didn’t even know the people existed. A large portion of the Jewish community moved to South American countries during the Inquisition, he said, and since that time, many have brought their Latin traditions back to Israel.

Shleypak said more than 500,000 Latino Jews live in Israel and make a significant part of the country’s culture.

“It’s a small country, so it’s a fairly large demographic,” he said.

“(Israel is) a really unique place. You get a lot of people there that you wouldn’t
expect there.”

International relations sophomore Jasmin Jones said she was drawn to the festival after she heard about the Ethiopian Jews. The Jewish people living in Ethiopia have been victims of persecution, but in the past few decades the Israeli government has made efforts to bring them to safety in Israel.

“I heard about the Ethiopian Jews and I didn’t even know they existed,” Jones said. “(Their story) is sad, but cool.”