Josh Walovitch/Collegian

Wednesday was Israeli Independence Day and University of Massachusetts Hillel collaborated with Student Alliance for Israel to host a Tel Aviv-themed Independence Day party on the campus lawn where hundreds of five-college students celebrated Israels‘ 61-year anniversary of independent existence.

The event was planned and coordinated by Dana Golan, an Israeli fellow at UMass Hillel.

The celebration ‘- complemented with live music, a variety of food, crafts, hookah tents, activities and a moon bounce ‘- lasted all afternoon.

Earlier this month, Israel‘s second largest city, Tel Aviv, celebrated its 100th birthday, and UMass Hillel commemorated Israeli Independence Day by creating models of the famed parts of the city.

Each section of the event was representative of a famous area of Tel Aviv. The grill station emulated the Carmel Market, Tel Aviv’s largest market place, where fresh meat and produce are sold. A tabling area selling hookahs and other crafts was called Shenkin Street, a trendy area in Tel Aviv home to ‘ clothing stores and caf’eacute;s. Tented hookah stations imitated the Florentine area of Tel Aviv, where travelers find many hookah caf’eacute;s.

‘This event signifies that Israel is independent and this is something that all Jews can be proud of in the world today ‘- that we have a Jewish state we can call our own,’ said UMass freshman Ethan Sobel. ‘I think it’s unique that even people who don’t live in Israel are celebrating its independence just to show our loyalty to our state and to show how much support is there for the Jewish people and the Jewish state of Israel.’

A small gathering of protestors showed up to the event promoting their disagreement with the Israeli occupation of Gaza, but left shortly after their arrival.

‘ ‘In Israel people are faced with this all the time in a much more violent way, they have rockets coming down on them all the time yet still on the independence day in Israel they find a way to celebrate life and freedom and it’s amazing,’ said former SAFI president Mike Feder. ‘They came and it’s just like Israel, so they can be happy with what they are doing and we can be happy with what we are doing and all is well. It’s a beautiful day.’

Josh Walovitch can be reached at‘ [email protected].