Penn State, State College invite residents to Old Main Lawn for moment of prayer for Israel

Halie Kines
·2 min read

A moment of prayer and show of support for Israel is planned for Tuesday evening at Old Main on Penn State’s campus.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, a moment of prayer will be held on the Old Main lawn in partnership with Penn State and the State College borough.

“The Penn State community is coming together for a moment of prayer, support, and solidarity with all people of Israel,” Penn State Hillel wrote in a Facebook post.

The event will include a student MC, campus clergy and remarks from State College Mayor Ezra Nanes and Penn State’s Executive Vice President and Provost Justin Schwartz, a spokesperson from Penn State Hillel said. It’s expected to last about half an hour.

The event comes as Hamas militants stormed into Israel Saturday morning. The militants slayed hundreds of residents in homes and streets near the Gaza border and bringing gunbattles to Israeli towns, according to the Associated Press.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi wrote a letter to the community Monday about the “horrific violence and terror unfolding over the last few days in Israel and Gaza.”

“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,” Bendapudi wrote.

The letter listed several services available for the Penn State community to use, as well.