UToledo Celebrates Jewish Heritage Month

March 31, 2022 | Events, News, UToday, Alumni, Student Affairs
By Staff



The University of Toledo is celebrating Jewish Heritage Month throughout April with several scheduled events that combat antisemitism and explore Shabbat.

“I am especially excited that, as a University, we are making a concerted effort to educate our community on the importance of ending antisemitism,” said Aleiah Jones, interim director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success.

“Unfortunately, incidents still occur in our country today. We will be asking people to sign a pledge to end antisemitism and all forms of hate in hopes to create a more welcoming and inclusive community.”

“I am so excited to be helping the University and Hillel provide a month of programs on campus for students interested in Judaism and Jewish life,” said Sophie Alper, president of Hillel House in Toledo, which serves as a home away from home for Jewish students from UToledo, Bowling Green State University and the community.

Among the events:

•  Sunday, April 3, 4 to 5:30 p.m. — “The Hidden Holocaust: Holocaust by Bullets,” lecture by the Rev. Patrick Desbois at the Franciscan Center of Lourdes University, 6832 Convent Blvd. in Sylvania. Between 1942 and 1944, more than 1.5 million Jews were massacred when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. During his lecture, Desbois will review the findings of his decade-long investigation of the war crimes committed by Nazi death squads in Eastern Europe when they killed nearly every Jew in the region through mass shootings. The Office of Multicultural Student Success is offering rides to anyone interested in attending the talk hosted by the Jewish Federation of Toledo. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Wednesday, April 6, 6 p.m. — “Me and the Holocaust – The Moral Questions We Should All Address,” virtual presentation followed by a hybrid in-person and virtual discussion titled “Humans of the Holocaust” in the OMSS Lounge in Thompson Student Union Room 2500.

This program is sponsored by UToledo and BGSU. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Thursday, April 7, 6 p.m. — “A Conversation with Michael Alroy,” watch party hosted in the OMSS Lounge in Thompson Student Union Room 2500 and via Zoom. Alroy will share his life story as a transgender man, recounting his journey from early childhood in South Africa to his family’s Aliya to Israel, attending a religious all-girls school, joining the Israeli army and his difficulties, challenges, loves and coping as a transgender man in Israeli society. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Monday, April 11, 6 p.m. — “A Conversation with Bat-el Papura,” watch party hosted in the OMSS Lounge in Thompson Student Union Room 2500 and via Zoom. Bat-El Papura is an actress, writer, producer and lecturer, and a little person, with a height of 48 inches. Papura created the enormously successful one-woman show, “I am Bat-El,” viewed by more than a million people in Israel. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m. — Chocolate Seder in Hillel House, 2012 Brookdale Drive, Toledo. Passover is celebrated at sundown on Friday, April 15, and ends the evening of Saturday, April 23. Join Hillel for a Seder meal full of fun and chocolate. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Friday, April 22, 5:30 p.m. — Matzah Shabbat in Hillel House, 2012 Brookdale Drive, Toledo. Join Hillel for a Passover Shabbat meal full of fun and matzah. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Monday, April 25, 7 p.m. — “A Conversation with Dr. Rachel Adatto,” Zoom watch party hosted in the OMSS Lounge in Thompson Student Union Room 2500 and via Zoom. Adato is an Israeli doctor, lawyer, politician and former member of the Knesset for Kadima and Hatnuah between 2009 and 2013. She was the first female gynecologist in Jerusalem and is a champion of healthy body image, having been vocal in Israel’s “Photoshop Law,” which banned ads featuring underweight models. This event is in partnership with the Jewish Medical Student Association at UTMC. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

•  Wednesday, April 27, noon to 2 p.m. — “Pledge to End Antisemitism” in Centennial Mall (Trimble Lounge in the Thompson Student Union is the location in the event of rain). Join the UToledo community in its effort to end antisemitism. Enjoy a bagel while learning more about antisemitism, Hillel, Holocaust Remembrance Day and Jewish culture. Visit the event’s Invonet site to RSVP or for more information.

For more information about Jewish Heritage Month, go to the Office of Multicultural Student Success website or call 419.530.2261.

Visit the Invonet website for more information about these events.

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