BLOOMINGTON -- The war overseasis having a major emotional impact on so many people across Central Indiana, including thousands of Jewish Students at Indiana University in Bloomington.
“It’s really scary – all my friends and I just refresh all my social media making sure they are alive," Senior Ronni Lewis said.
"One of my friends is on base, I haven’t heard from her in 17 hours and my heart is broken and my heart is pounding, it’s really scary,” Ronni Lewis said.
Israel and Hamasare now in their 4th day of a war. A war that has killed hundreds and left multiple towns in ruins and sent many others fleeing for their lives. Ronni Lewis is a senior at IU.
“My heart is broken – my family’s hearts are broken, and I don’t live anywhere near Israel,” Lewis added. Many of those students came together inside the IU Hillel building.
The organization is considered the home away from home for the roughly 4,000 to 5,000 Jewish students who call Indiana University Bloomington home.
“People don’t understand that Israel is our home for over 2 thousand years we as jews have been yearning to be there,” Rabbi Sue Silberberg Executive Director at IU Hillel
The Jewish community here in the Hoosier state are just trying to make sense of it all.
Trying the to figure out how to cope with all the emotions and go about their everyday lives.
“The only place in the world where I still feel safe as a Jew is Israel. And I know wherever I go even here in America I will face antisemitism,” Rabbi Silberberg added.
Dr. Guenther Jikeli, who specializes in antisemitic studies at Indiana University says this war isn’t good for Jews or Muslims.
“The Hamas terrorists do not care about any civilians – they do not care about Israeli civilians. They want to kill Jews – that’s what they are here for but they also do not care about Palestinian civilians,” Dr. Jikeli said.
During the sleepless nights – and the hours spent crying - Ronni Lewis the senior at IU offers this:
“Care about all the people,” Lewis concluded
