The UA Hillel Foundation will host influential graffiti artists and shine a positive light on Israeli culture in their annual Israelpalooza event on Oct. 19.
Artists 4 Israel will be on the UA Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to promote the diversity of Israeli culture through the beauty of graffiti artwork.
The two artists coming to visit the UA are neither Jewish nor Israeli — they are simply educators focused on expressing the culture of the people of Israel.
The goal for the event is to inform UA students to look beyond the conflict surrounding Israel and collaborate with the artists on a piece of artwork that encompasses the beauty of Israel’s rich history and unique blend of cultures.
By using their talents to portray the misconceptions that surround Israel, students will have the opportunity to educate themselves about the diverse country of Israel.
Elyse Pincus the IACT coordinator for Israel engagement at Hillel, works with the Taglit-Birthright Foundation, which gives Jewish teens and young adults the opportunity to explore the country of Israel for the first time.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to see Israel’s culture and diversity,” Pincus said.
This winter’s Birthright trip through Hillel will feature a graffiti tour along with the other sites on the two-week adventure.
Or Maoz has been the Jewish Agency Israel fellow for Hillel since the beginning of last year.
The role of an Israel fellow is to promote students to discover a tie to Israel, whether it be through culture, religion or personal experiences.
Maoz said showing Israel through the eyes of an artist is a way for each and every UA student to understand the many cultures that make up Israel’s landscape.
Students are offered leadership positions through Hillel and various other Jewish and Israeli organizations that will be active at the event on the Mall.
Devo Hanai, a pre-business sophomore, is a fellow for the organization Masa Israel Teaching Fellows.
“I would love to see everyone on campus to come [to Artists 4 Israel],” Hanai said. “This promotes diversity in Israel in a positive way.”
Hanai is a passionate supporter of Israel and constantly spends time educating herself on the current issues plaguing Israel.
Artists will craft a graffiti-art mural on one side of the canvas while students who participate in the event will create whatever they desire on the opposite side.The artists will also be designing and trimming down the size of their work to fit onto white hats for students to wear and take home.
Israeli music will be played throughout the event, and Jewish Arizonans on Campus will provide Israeli food.
The Artists 4 Israel event falls in the middle of the Jewish celebration of Sukkot. The Hillel Foundation will construct a Sukkah, or temporary hut used for holiday meals, for students to eat in for the entirety of the festive week.
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