Following social media criticism, Chabad Elon held a private event at The Fat Frogg with a former member of the Israel Defense Forces on Sept. 4.
Chabad Elon, which is not a fully university affiliated organization, announced last week that Adi Karni, a former IDF soldier, would be coming to speak to the organization to share his experiences and give a “message of courage, resilience and Jewish pride”.
The announcement sparked sharp criticism online. The criticism comes amid the almost three-year war between Israel and Hamas. Both the Human Rights Watch and independent experts commissioned by the United Nations claim that both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes throughout the conflict. According to Columbia University’s student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, Karni was on Columbia’s campus dressed as a pro-Palestinian protester Aug. 25.
Chabad Elon then posted online Sept. 3 that the event would not be moving forward as planned. Earlier in the day Sept. 4, there were town of Elon police stationed at the Chabad house on Truitt Drive. Chabad ended up moving the event to The Fat Frogg as a private event as a safety measure, according to senior Chabad president Casey Baldwin. Private security was present at the event, and they helped escort Karni away from the bar.
“A lot of what exploded all over social media went far beyond Elon University, and it felt like a really scary event,” Baldwin said. “We wanted to handle it with safety.”
Chabad member Zach Fellman said he found out about the rescheduling of the event at 5:00 p.m. Sept. 4. Fellman said there was no “inflammatory” language at the event.
“I think what Karni is doing is really good for Israelis and to educate about the IDF and to just show people what’s actually happening on the ground in Gaza,” Fellman said.
The Fat Frogg’s Instagram account replied to a social media post opposing the event and said that they were not made aware previously about the potentially “controversial” nature of the event.
“We were approached about doing a small private event for a student group. We do many of these events and have done them for nearly 18 years,” they wrote. “If this has hurt anyone we offer our apologies. As everyone knows we consider ourselves a safe space for all. We have never been in a situation like this before and moving forward we will be better informed and better prepared.”
Members of Tikkum Olam, a Jewish student organization focused on social justice, were outside The Fat Frogg toward the end. They declined Elon News Network’s request for an interview and said they would release a statement.