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Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a powerful display of solidarity and support for Jewish students at New York University (NYU), members of the influential Tisch family projected the faces of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7th during a deadly attack that left over 1400 dead and 5000 wounded, as was reported by the New York Post. The faces of the Hamas captives were projected onto the side of NYU’s library. This heartfelt gesture aimed to offer reassurance to Jewish students who have faced recent threats and were subjected to anti-Semitic incidents on campus.
The Tisch family, who wished to remain anonymous, were deeply disturbed by the acts of anti-Semitism occurring on the NYU campus amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to the Post report. The family member explained to the Post that, “There’s been a lot of threats down there towards Jewish students, and they probably feel very isolated and alone.” They were keen to let these students know that they were not alone in their time of need.
The massive projection was set up inside the NYU Tisch School of the Arts building, projecting a slideshow of the faces and names of the Israeli hostages onto the facade of the university’s library on West 4th Street, as was noted in the Post report. NYU was not informed in advance about the demonstration, and as of now, the university has not provided any official response, the Post report said.
Approximately 70 organizers gathered at the Washington Square Park corner below the library to show their support. As was indicated in the Post report, they sang in Hebrew and waved Israeli flags in a display of unity and strength.
The slideshow paid tribute to the youngest victims of the recent conflict, including a 9-month-old baby and his 4-year-old brother, among the 224 Israelis kidnapped in a surprise attack on Israel earlier this month on the Simchas Torah holiday.
Three NYU students had shamefully torn down posters of the hostages from Tisch Hall only a week earlier, motivated by anger over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Post report said. This act of vandalism directly inspired the Tisch family to organize the projection as a show of support and solidarity.
Another member of the Tisch family explained their shock to the Post by saying, “What was shocking was, I thought the one thing we could agree on was that it’s wrong to take babies as hostages.” The posters did not take sides in the Israel-Hamas war; they simply displayed the word “Hostage” along with the pictures of the victims.
“The reason we did it down by NYU is because of all of the anti-Semitism down there, and we wanted the students to know that they shouldn’t feel like they needed to be stuffed in a room and silenced and not able to present who they really are,” the second Tisch family member told the Post.
“Even if it gets like kind of dire in that environment, there are people all around them that see them and that want to be there to support them. And so that’s really why we did it,” the family member continued.
NYU has witnessed heightened tensions, with its Student Bar Association president stripped of their position for an article accusing Israel of bearing “full responsibility” for the Iranian backed Hamas terror attack, according to the Post report. Additionally, at Cooper Union, which shares academic buildings with NYU, eleven Jewish students were barricaded inside the university’s library during a pro-Palestinian protest that grew aggressive and unruly on Wednesday, the Post reported.
The Tisch family emphasized their solidarity with Jewish students, acknowledging the anti-Semitism that has marred the NYU campus, the report said. Their projection was not only an act of support but a symbol of unity, reminding students that they are not alone, even in challenging times.
Universities across the United States have reported increased incidents of anti-Semitic diatribes as tensions from the Middle East conflict spill over into the country.
Also on Wednesday, it was reported that Cornell University’s upstate New York campus was defaced with hateful anti-Israel graffiti as some messages read “F–k Israel” and “Zionism = Racism” — just days after a professor who called the attack on Israel “exhilarating” and “energizing.”
