Stand with Israel club hosts open discussion about the nation of Israel in Jerry Falwell Library

On Nov. 5, the Stand with Israel Club hosted a table talk in the Jerry Falwell Library where club members discussed questions with attendees regarding the nation of Israel and its biblical heritage.

Liberty junior Amanda Murray attended the table talk because she wants to learn how to best share the Gospel with her Jewish family and understand her Jewish heritage. She said this is the reason the club exists. 

“I would say the club’s main mission is to spread awareness about why we should support Israel biblically, culturally and politically, ultimately so we can be a light to the Jewish people and show them that Yeshua (Jesus) is their Messiah,” Murray said.

Stand with Israel hopes to have more community-based events to educate students about the Jewish culture and the importance of the nation of Israel. The club hopes to host more Shabbat meals and community engagement opportunities in the future, according the Assistant Vice President Emily Kerkhof. 

Kerkhof said the club seeks to understand Israel’s biblical, political and cultural worth. She said they help promote a positive relationship with Israel.  

Some non-Jewish students attended the meeting, interested in learning more about why it is important to support Israel morally and politically. Liberty senior Steven Ciskie said he found out about the event through a Facebook post and was interested because of his fascination with Judaism and Middle Eastern history. 

“I believe it is (morally and) politically to support Israel … the Bible is pretty clear going back to Genesis that God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants,” Ciskie said. “It’s this covenant that essentially started the Jewish faith.”