Virginia Tech will celebrate its fourth annual Jewish Awareness Month March 15 through April 12.

During this time, the Virginia Tech community will have the opportunity to learn more about the Jewish religion and its people. The theme for this year’s Jewish Awareness Month is “Go Green and Give Tzedakah: The Hallmarks of Judaism.” Events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

Some highlights of this year’s Jewish cultural celebration include “An Evening with Patrick Mureithi,” featuring a screening of his newly released documentary about the Rwanda reconciliation process, followed by a discussion with Mureithi. This will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. in Colonial Hall of Squires Student Center.

On Sunday, April 11 at 4:30 p.m., there will be a showing of “Schindler’s List: A Survivor Celebrates Life,” hosted at The Lyric Theater in downtown Blacksburg. Guest speaker Zev Kedem will share his experiences as an 11-year-old boy whose life was saved by a Nazi industrialist.

Numerous other events are planned throughout the months of March and April. For a complete calendar of events for Jewish Awareness Month, visit the Multicultural Programs and Services website, or contact Kristen Swanson Houston at (540) 231-8584. Jewish Awareness Month is sponsored by Multicultural Programs and Services, a department within the Division of Student Affairs.

For parking near downtown Blacksburg, Squires Student Center is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a visitor’s pass. The parking lot is located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Street. The Shultz Hall Lot, is located off Alumni Drive near the North Main Street campus entrance. Parking meters within the Squires Lot will need to be paid. A visitor’s pass may be obtained Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center, located on Southgate Drive. For parking after 5 p.m., free parking is available in the Squires Lot as well as the Shultz Hall lot. Find more parking information online or call (540) 231-3200.

Written by Katherine Grace Clayton, of Charlottesville, Va. Clayton is a junior majoring in communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

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