On Friday, USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim attended a Friday Shabbat dinner hosted by the Chabad Jewish Student Center at USC.
Chabad at USC, a hub for the Jewish community and religious practice on campus, hosts dinners weekly to celebrate the beginning of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, on Friday evening. The Oct. 3 Shabbat dinner was named a “Resilience Shabbat” in remembrance of the upcoming anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on an Israeli music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people.
Wearing a borrowed kippah, Kim said he had been invited to a recent Shabbat dinner, and, unable to make the previous invitation, had decided to attend the one on Oct. 3. He added that he had been meeting with and attending events for religious groups across campus, including multiple events with Chabad previously.
Kim said that although he had not specifically come for the remembrance event, the Oct. 7 anniversary had been on his mind, and added that he intended to continue to meet with the Jewish USC community.
“To be really honest, I’ve been showing up well before October 7,” Kim said. “It’s just something that I’ve always wanted to do, and of course, in this new role as interim president, one of the greatest experiences has been really kind of getting to know many more communities that I didn’t have time to connect with in my previous role.”
Students and other attendees took turns speaking to the crowd to share their experiences of resilience as Jewish people. President Kim stood before the audience and gave his own account of his family’s Korean roots and his mother’s adversity in leaving her home during the Korean War, which he related to the experiences of persecution and resilience shared by Jewish community members.
“There is this temptation always when we’re commemorating a very significant tragedy event to put our heads down, and it’s important to remember, but don’t let terrorists win,” Kim said during the speech. “They win when they erase hope and joy, and the reason I mention this is because every time I come to Shabbat dinner at Chabad, I am so filled with the joy of being with all of you.”
During the speech, Kim said that though his role as interim president could be seen as difficult, he felt that it was simple if one knew their convictions.
“Antisemitism is morally wrong, full stop,” Kim said.
Ava Schwartz, a junior public relations major and student co-president of Chabad at USC, said the event was the first commemoration of the Oct. 7 attacks at a Shabbat dinner. The organization recently hosted former hostages of Hamas at another Shabbat dinner to give them a place to speak to the community, and these events also serve as a way to raise awareness for current hostages, she added.
“It’s a dual issue of remembering atrocities and holding space, and recognizing we still have hostages in Gaza,” Schwartz said. “It’s both remembrance and active mourning.”
Ariella Kohanoff, a junior political science major and attendee of the Friday event, said she felt touched to hear other students’ stories of resilience and Kim’s personal story in his own speech. Kim’s attendance made her feel more connected to the university, she said, adding that his administration felt more supportive of Jewish students than Carol Folt’s university administration.
“We have a president who doesn’t care about saving face in front of whatever the major opinion is,” Kohanoff said. “I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion of the war, but not when it lets hatred get to us.”
Schwartz added she felt Kim’s presence showed USC’s support of Jewish students’ identity and practices. Kim has also been present at other Chabad at USC events throughout the previous year, which made her feel his support for the community was consistent, she said.
“To know we have an administration that backs us and understands the Jewish community is priceless, and we’re absolutely grateful,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz said this year, the Oct. 7 anniversary will coincide with the first day of Sukkot, a celebratory Jewish holiday, and therefore, Chabad at USC plans to host later commemorations of the attacks. On Oct. 16, Chabad, in partnership with USC Hillel, Trojans for Israel and Cinegogue, will host a screening of the Oct. 7 documentary “We Will Dance Again” at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.