While music played from speakers and students learned about Israeli culture at Helene G. Simon Hillel Center’s Israelpalooza, the other students upstairs worked on packing 12,000 packs of rice soy casserole that would go on to feed thousands of Hoosiers across Indiana.

Israelpalooza is an annual event at Hillel that celebrates Israel’s culture Rabbi Sue Silberberg, executive director of IU Hillel said. On Wednesday, the event offered students a wide variety of educational activities, crafts, homemade food and service opportunities to take part in.

“We wanted to do something that would help repair our local community and also highlight everything Israel does to also help to repair the world and make it a better place,” Silberberg said.

Silberberg explained how two large values in Judaism are tikkun olam, meaning “to repair the world,” and tzedakah, which means “justice” or “righteousness” but often stands to signify charity. She said Hillel wanted to emphasize these values because Israel has a wide variety of humanity organizations and philanthropies.

Some of these organizations, including Mitzvah Corps and IsraAID, were displayed on posters on the edge of the room. Standing in the middle of the plastic covered floor, students sporting red hairnets worked around three long tables to scoop rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables and vitamins into yellow and white plastic pouches.

The goal for the day was to finish 12,000 packs. Million Meal Movement Sales Account Executive Molly Adams said each food pack weighed 13.8 oz and would feed a family of six.

Million Meal Movement works to package rice soy casserole in order to help feed hungry Hoosiers, so everything packaged at Hillel would be staying in Indiana, Adams said. She said she hoped students would take this idea of volunteering and make it a part of their lives.

“It gives kids a way to volunteer,” Adams said. “They can see the food going to their neighbors.”

Downstairs at the center, students visited different booths, took part in games and activities, and learned about the culture and community of Israel.

Lital Avnor, a junior studying early childhood education who helped organize the event, said she hoped students left with more knowledge about the variety of cultures in Israel. She said she hoped students would gain new perspectives about the country.

“It’s so important to educate IU and the community about Israel and bring the spirit and culture to campuses around here,” Avnor said.

Those who attended Israelpalooza had the opportunities to take pictures against a green screen, appearing as different Israeli cities in the finished photos. They were also able to write notes to be placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The notes will be taken to the wall when students attend the Birthright Israel trip this summer, Israel fellow Yotam Elias said.

People could also help create care packages for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. Elias said people from around the world will volunteer in the IDF, though they may not have family in Israel. As a result, Hillel would be sending care packages to those lone soldiers with messages of encouragement.

Tal Dvir, a freshman studying economics and math, ran a diversity activity at Israelpalooza. She said she researched different minorities in Israel and created three games to inform students about these minorities to disband the idea that Israel is only for Jewish people.

“Israel can be for everyone,” she said.

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