Just before Thanksgiving, the Indian Student Union and the Bruins for Israel collaborated and hosted the ‘Namaste Shalom’ event at UCLA. The event was meant as a partnership between the two, and to show unity between the communities.
The event consisted of musical and dance performances native to both cultures, as well as traditional foods and art, with one of the biggest successes being the Henna booth. The crowd was sizeable, likely thanks to trendy publications, especially the use of the hashtag #partywithhinjews—a play on ‘Hindus.’
Michael Vaysman, the CAMERA liaison at UCLA, reported that students really seemed to enjoy the performances, and that the collaborative goal of fostering a positive dialogue between the communities was reached.