Contributed by CAMERA intern Lilia Gaufberg
Above: Noam Bedein presenting at the University at Buffalo.
On March 11th, Noam Bedein was hosted at the University at Buffalo by the Israel group on campus, UB for Israel. Noam is a photojournalist and the founder and director of the Sderot Media Center. The goal of this event was to spread awareness of the rocket reality that the residents of Southern Israel face. Noam’s presentation provided a tangible story to the Israeli side of the conflict, and informed attendees about the town of Sderot, which is located just one kilometer from the Gaza strip.
Flyers, mass emails, and texts were distributed, and social media outlets were utilized, in order to publicize this event. The leaders of a variety of campus organizations were also contacted directly about Noam’s appearance on campus. The event was a success, and many attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be exposed to a different perspective on the conflict than what is typically offered by mainstream media sources. The audience asked questions and remained engaged throughout Noam’s presentation, and there was no opposition to the event.
UB for Israel will continue to bring speakers and events to campus to help educate fellow students about what is happening in Israel and in the region!
