Dozens of students convened in McMillan Hall for Charlotte Korchak’s talk titled “Concepts and Misconceptions about Israel, Zionism, and Jews.” Korchak, founder and senior educator at the Jerusalem Education Institute (JEI), led the discussion-based lecture focusing on understanding Zionism and the Jewish identity on March 27. JEI’s stated aim is to improve education and information surrounding Israel, Zionism, and the Middle East.

The main goal of the lecture, Korchak said, was to provide a comprehensive perspective on Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people. By providing a historical framework, Korchak said that she, as a Zionist, hopes to foster constructive dialogue around these topics. 

“We’re going to learn how we deal with some of the misconceptions out there and how we hold some of the concepts,” Korchak said, referencing the importance of dispelling myths while retaining important truths about Zionism and Jewish identity. “That way, we can really push against a lot of the propaganda and rhetoric out there and maybe be able to get to a place where we can have some dialogue.”

The event was preceded by outcry on social media due to a series of Instagram stories posted by Eden Yair, the Jewish Agency for Israel Fellow at Chabad WashU. In the posts, students painted a promotion for the event on the South 40 underpass. Yair’s post sparked debate online over what some users viewed as an offensive reference to the mural previously in that spot, which featured the phrase “Free Palestine.”

The Coalition for Liberated Students, who had produced the original mural, provided a comment to Student Life about the incident.

“We are extremely concerned at the behavior exhibited by a staff [member] of Chabad on her Instagram story, depicting her painting over the words “Free Palestine” on a mural painted by students of color depicting themes of displacement, sexual violence, genocide, and erasure,” the Coalition said.

Chabad WashU, who collaborated with StandWithUs to organize the event, noted that the audience was mostly comprised of Jewish students and members of Chabad staff. StandWithUs describes itself as a pro-Israel organization dedicated to fighting anti-semistism via education.

WashU sophomore Alex Janower, a Building Israel Connections Engagement Project (BICEP) Fellow with StandWithUs, reflected on the lack of non-Jewish students or affinity groups present at the talk. 

“I was hoping that some people would come,” Janower said. “I think it’s really important for people to listen to those they don’t agree with, because that’s how we can understand one another’s arguments.”

Coalition of Liberated Students said that they did not feel that pro-Palestine students would be welcome at the event.

“The harassment and delegitimization of activism by students of color is part of a pattern by several WashU affiliated community members who have intimidated pro-Palestine students for over a year,” the Coalition said. “Given this established pattern of harassment and intimidation tactic by publicly painting over the mural, it is disingenuous to expect coalition members [or] affinity organizations who have not been invited to willfully enter a hostile environment.”

The first subject Korchak tackled in the talk was understanding the Jewish identity. She explained that to be Jewish is not merely to practice the Jewish religion. Moreover, Jews are not necessarily white, Korchak said. Rather, they are defined by a complex ethnic identity and bound by a common culture, origin, and nation.

“Argument number one to understand Zionism goes back to the notion that we are a Jewish people,” Korchak said.

To understand this concept, Korchak said, it is important to understand the shared history, culture, language, and land of the Jewish people. She argued that the existence of Israel is essential to preserving and protecting the Jewish people and their identity. 

“You cannot disconnect the Jews from the land of Israel,” Korchak said. “Our connection to that land goes back 3,000 years, and yes, it is an indigenous connection.” 

The topic of indigeneity is important to understanding the Jewish people’s claim to the land of Israel, Korchak said. She argued that Jews have linguistic ties to the land, and that Arabic-speaking Palestinians do not.

“I am someone who very much believes that Palestinians have a deep connection to the land that they call Palestine … but to call Palestinians indigenous is just wrong,” Korchak said. 

The Coalition of Liberated Students said that they thought it was more important to focus on the current conflict.

“Rather than argue in circles and uselessly litigate who is and isn’t Indigenous, it is better to ask which state is blocking aid to and starving the people of Gaza?” they wrote in a comment to Student Life.

Korchak was also concerned with putting forth an understanding of modern Zionism. 

“Zionism is the belief in a Jewish state in the land of Israel,” Korchak said. “Don’t put anything else on me when I label myself a Zionist.”

Korchak said that being a Zionist does not mean you have to take a side on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“You can believe in modern Zionism and also believe in the Palestinian nationalist movement,” Korchak said, “If you don’t, you’re a hypocrite.” 

Korchak also aimed to debunk what she views as false claims against the existence of Israel. In particular, she argued that Israel has not committed genocide against the Palestinian people. Instead, she said, Israel is focused on targeting Hamas. 

“This is war, not genocide,” she said.

Korchak encouraged the audience to “learn the full history” so that they can engage in more productive conversations about Zionism, especially with Palestinians. She was hopeful their differences can be reconciled through informed discussions.

“Maybe just one day if the two of us can understand each other’s stories, one day we could actually live in that land together and work together and thrive in that land together,” Korchak said.  

Kyra Sorkin, senior and member of the group Jewish Students for Palestine at WashU, wrote in a comment to Student Life that Israel’s actions make coexistence more difficult.

“This is exactly what the term “Free Palestine” means. A place free from colonialism and occupation, where everyone, regardless of their religion, has equal rights under the law,” Sorkin wrote. “This is not the case today because of the apartheid system implemented and upheld by the Israeli Occupation.”

Director of Engagement and Programming at Chabad WashU, Itta Khutoretsky, expressed that bringing speakers like Korchak adds additional context to the conflict.     

“There are answers, and you just need to ask the right people,” Khutoretsky said.