By Adi Raz
Santa Clara University's Jewish Student Union recently presented "Wear It's At," a charity fashion show benefiting Israeli victims of terrorism through One Family Fund. This event was very important for me because my friend's father was killed in a terrorist attack in Israel. I remember feeling so confused and wondering how my friend and her family would be able to cope with what had happened. I felt horrible that I could not help them in their time of need. But someone did. That organization was OneFamily Fund, a Israeli non-profit that provides money and assistance to families that have been affected by terrorist attacks.
Preparations began in May. There were so many things that had to be done, from finding a location to finding designers and models. Hillel of Silicon Valley and the JSU partnered with the Associated Students of Santa Clara University, the Israel Center in San Francisco, Hamagshimim and blueStarPR to support, publicize and run this event. We were fortunate to have the participation of Israeli designers, which gave this event a stronger connection to Israel, and models from Santa Clara University, which allowed me to educate my fellow schoolmates about this cause.
With Israeli clothes modeled on Catholic and Jewish students, I felt a strong sense of pride in being Israeli at a Jesuit campus like Santa Clara. Our brave speaker, Chen Keinan, spoke about her baby daughter and her mother being killed in front of her in a terrorist attack in 2003. She presented a heart-wrenching account of her experiences, which drove home the point of exactly why this event was being put on.
"Wear It's At" was an awesome event that raised more than $3,000 for OneFamily Fund. It makes me happy to know that the proceeds from this event are helping families like my friend's and to know that the event itself helped to raise awareness at Santa Clara. One Family Fund's motto is "rebuilding shattered lives." I think we helped do that, one accessory at a time.
Adi Raz is a student at Santa Clara University and the organizer of "Wear It's At."