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<\/a>He noted that the UBC student union had endorsed a student strike for Palestine, part of a larger trend that, he said, has \u201cleft Jewish and Zionist students feeling unsafe and unwelcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite all of it, our students didn\u2019t back down,\u201d said Gavrieli. \u201cThey continue to speak up. The strength and resilience of our students should make everyone in this room proud. We have leaders here, we have a future in students who are brave, grounded and unwilling to be pushed aside. At Hillel, we do everything we can to stand with them, to be their Jewish home away from home, a place of strength, a place of safety and a place they are never alone. Tonight is about them. It\u2019s about all of you who made this evening possible, as well, and those who stood with Hillel and our students through it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, lauded students, as well as the staff and lay leadership of Hillel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is such an incredible evening that I wish we didn\u2019t have to do,\u201d he said. \u201cI wish that you, as students, were not going through what you\u2019re going through. The hostile environment that\u2019s being created for you here on this campus and on campuses across BC is unacceptable and your courage is incredibly, incredibly inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event featured the presentation of Maccabee Awards to students from campuses throughout the province.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shanken presented a Maccabee to Simon Fraser University student Yael Toyber, who Shanken noted is also the recipient of Federation\u2019s 2024 Young Leadership Award.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis student fights for justice not through confrontation, but through education \u2013 using their creativity and insight to create educational materials that are accessible and compelling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Toyber\u2019s work with StandWithUs and their leadership of the Jewish Students\u2019 Association, Shanken said, has made her instrumental in strengthening the Jewish community at SFU.<\/p>\n Gavrieli presented the award to UBC student Rachel Seguin, who he credited for her contributions to the Israel on Campus group, and as \u201ca bold voice for Jewish students, ensuring that our community stands proud.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis student has bravely stepped into conversations with UBC administration to address antisemitism, ensuring that Jewish students feel heard and valued,\u201d said Gavrieli.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gordon Brandt, president of the board of Hillel BC, recognized University of Victoria student Audrey Gaulin, who he called \u201ca force to be reckoned with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond Hillel,\u201d Brandt said, Gaulin has \u201cstepped into leadership roles as a Common Ground Ambassador with Allied Voices for Israel and as a director-at-large with the University of Victoria Student Society.\u201d<\/p>\n Ellie Sherman, Hillel BC\u2019s director of student life, presented an award to Langara College student Ethan Doctor.<\/p>\n Doctor is a Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) Fellow, an active member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and \u201ca champion for the Jewish community,\u201d said Sherman. In his role as the Western Canada representative for the J7 Working Group on Campus Antisemitism, he has \u201camplified student voices, pushing for meaningful change at both local and national levels.\u201d<\/p>\n Ishmaeli Goldstein, Hillel\u2019s campus advocacy specialist, recognized Roman Chelyuk with an award for allyship. Chelyuk is a senior fellow with CJPAC and an Emerson Fellow with StandWithUs, treasurer of Israel on Campus (IOC) and a past executive of the Ukrainian Club, who has \u201cshown a deep commitment to standing with the Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n Andy Gitelson, campus support director from Hillel International, attended the event from Portland, Ore., and presented the second Allyship Award to UBC student Zara Nybo.<\/p>\n