Bella Kawala, sophomore journalism major, adds her handprint to the Israeli map at Central Florida Hillel on Wednesday. The handprints stood as a testament to the connection that the UCF Jewish community shares with Israel.
Benjamin Huber
NorthView’s banquet hall and rooftop were transformed into a space for Jewish UCF students to come together for a service of remembrance, followed by a dance party on Wednesday evening.
The “We Will Dance Again Ceremony and Celebration” brought the community together in unity, marking both the recent liberation of Israeli hostages from Gaza and the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
Alexa Morchelies, senior political science major and co-founder of UCF’s KnightPAC chapter, said the event represents both closure and renewal.
“We had been mourning for 738 days,” Morchelies said. “It feels like October eighth now.”
Originally planned only to be a memorial of the Oct. 7 attacks, it quickly shifted into a joyous occasion following the release of the last 20 living hostages, allowing a moment of relief in the midst of uncertainty.
The inspiration for the dance aspect came from the location of the Oct. 7 attacks, the Nova Music Festival.
“The dance party is symbolic, we grew this saying, ‘We will dance again,’” Morchelies said. “So now this is our time to dance.”
The opening ceremony featured speakers from several Jewish campus organizations, students who had served in Israel, rabbis and U.S. Rep. Randy Fine. Each offered a personal perspective on the conflict and reflected on what the recent news meant to them.
Fine spoke about being the only Jewish republican in the Florida legislature and his policies to oppose terrorism and antisemitism. Fine also claimed he contributed to making Florida one of the safest places to be Jewish, with the audience erupting in applause.
All of the speakers shared a common theme: Oct. 7 was one of the most pivotal moments in their lives and changed the way they view their Jewish identity.
Daniel Kaprow, senior event management major and Hillel president, took the audience through his experience, describing how it started like any other day, until he checked his phone.
“It was the single worst day since the Holocaust for the Jewish people,” Kaprow said.
Now, 738 days later, Kaprow describes the past week as “a way to find hope after a period of collective trauma.”
Dr. Jeff Levin, director of Jewish Student Experiences, emphasized that the event balanced both remembrance and celebration, acknowledging the mixed emotions everyone in the community currently shares.
“Joy is more joyful when it’s juxtaposed against the bad,” Levin said.
Students dug into the array of food laid out, including falafel and Bamba, a puffy peanut butter-flavored snack. Under the string lights of Northview’s rooftop, the dance stood as a statement for many attendees.
“’We will dance again’ is something we’ve said for a long time,” Levin said. “And now we finally are.”