Members of the State College and Penn State community will hold a vigil for Israel Tuesday evening.
The gathering at 8 p.m. on Old Main Lawn will be a “moment of prayer, support and solidarity with all people of Israel,” according to Penn State Hillel, in the wake of the attack by Hamas militants that began on Oct. 7.
A student MC will lead the ceremony, which will include words of prayer and healing by campus clergy and remarks by State College Mayor Ezra Nanes and Penn State Provost Justin Schwartz, a Penn State Hillel spokesperson said.
The event is expected to last about 30 minutes. Penn State Hillel, Chabad of Penn State and State College, Chabad of the Undergrads at Penn State, Sigma Delta Tau sorority, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority, Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, Beta Sigma Beta fraternity and Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity are among the organizations supporting the event.
More than 1,000 people have died since the Hamas attack on Israel and more 800 have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli counteroffensive, according to multiple reports.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi issued a letter to the university community, writing, “Our thoughts are with those to those being impacted by the bloodshed, the innocent lives lost and their loved ones, and the millions of people who are living in fear for their safety.”
The university has reached out to students, faculty and staff with ties to Israel and Gaza, according to Bendapudi.
“Many in our own Penn State community also are feeling the impact of this escalating violence,” she wrote. We have students, faculty and staff who call Israel and Gaza home, and we have already been in touch with them directly to offer support. We know others have families who live there and still many more identify with the region in some way or another — ethnically, culturally or religiously. We grieve with you over this unspeakable tragedy and offer our support to those within the Penn State community who are being impacted by these events.”
University resources are available to those impacted.
- Counseling and Psychological Services for students: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling, 814-863-0395 at University Park, or visit Commonwealth Campus location for campuses.
- Student Care and Advocacy offers support for students in crisis and connections to various resources: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/studentcare, 814-863-2020, or at StudentCare@psu.edu.
- The Center for Ethical and Spiritual Development: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/spiritual
- Penn State Global: Information for international students, highlighting support available, can be found at https://global.psu.edu/category/international-students
- Penn State’s Employee Assistance Program offers a free, confidential employee and family resource for personal or work-related concerns for employees and their families.
“As an educated community that works to create not only an inclusive society, but also a greater understanding of our complex world, we urge Penn Staters from all backgrounds to come together to discuss our shared humanity, to comfort those in need and to most importantly, hope for peace,” Bendapudi wrote.
