Hillel, the BSU and the GW Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in cooperation with the Anti Defamation League, presented the movie.

The movie discussed German-Jewish refugee relations with the black community in the South during World War II. Throughout the movie students reacted to the gruesome pictures of starving people in concentration camps in Europe and bloodied protestors during civil rights demonstrations in the United States.

After the film Rita Robinson, director of the Equity Assurance Office, and Allison Milofsky, assistant director of the ADL, led a discussion about bridging the gap between ethnic and religious groups.

Students formed groups with the people around them to discuss what they felt could be done to open communication and bridge the gap that separates students by race and ethnicity. Groups wrote their ideas on large sheets of paper and presented them to the entire audience.

One of the ideas students discussed was how student groups can do more to publicize their events to everyone on campus and not just people within their organizations.

“This will foster community building,” freshman Brandy Kelly said.
“We are here to bridge gaps and create inter-group understanding.”

Phillip Robinson, president of the BSU, announced the Unity Ball, which will take place in April. He said he hoped the ball would unite all ethnic student groups on campus and encourage them to come together for a party.

Robinson also told students and faculty about a program called Operation Understanding, which was started “to foster relationships between blacks and Jews,” he said.

Some JSA members said the Multi-cultural Freedom Seder Hillel sponsors yearly around the time of Passover allows students of all backgrounds to come together and discuss how different groups have won freedom and triumphed over adversity.

The students and surrounding community began to build “significant relationships that will make a difference,” said Simon Amiel, executive director of Hillel.