SevenDays speaker will share his story of losing his daughters but finding a peaceful purpose

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish has faced hardships that many of us could never imagine. He was born and raised in the Jabalia Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip. He wanted to be a doctor from a young age and overcame poverty and violence to become the first Palestinian doctor to receive a staff position at an Israeli hospital.

In May, Shira Wajcman and Dini Freed will be installed as co-presidents of Beth Shalom Sisterhood. Shira is currently Sisterhood president and will continue in that role for a second term as co-president with Dini Freed. Previously, Shira served in many positions on the Sisterhood board. She received the Sisterhood Past Presidents Leadership Recognition Award in 2019. Shira is a native of Kansas City.  She was married to Michael Wajcman until his death in 2011 and has three children, Jeremiah, Samantha , and Eitan.

Why was this year’s Passover different from all other years?

According to the Pew Research Center, Passover is the most observed Jewish holiday in the United States, with some 70% of its Jewish population of 5.7 million usually participating in a Seder. This year, many restrictions remained in place, even as vaccination rates increased. The threat of infection remained real, and not everyone felt safe enough to venture out just yet.

KU Hillel just finished its second (and hopefully last) pandemic Passover. Passover was celebrated by so many students through various KU Hillel programs over the holiday’s eight days.