University of Florida students signing the “Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate” pledge. Photo: Jamie H. Zinn, UF Hillel

Jewish students at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Tuesday rallied their peers to fight against antisemitism, just days after an armed hostage-taking at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, spotlighted the rise in anti-Jewish incidents nationwide.

As part of the third annual “Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate” campaign, UF Hillel gave away free bagels to students who signed a pledge to “combat antisemitism and all forms of hate,” and ensure the campus “is a welcoming and safe place for all.”

“Students not only get a bagel, but also connect with fellow students who help educate them about antisemitism,” UF Hillel Rabbi Jonah Zinn told The Algemeiner on Wednesday. “For many non-Jewish students, this is their first introduction to antisemitism and the engagement is eye-opening. We then follow up with people who sign the pledge with additional learning and advocacy opportunities.”

He said the “students involved love the initiative because it helps to raise awareness about antisemitism on campus and creates an easy entry point into an often difficult conversation.”

Jamie Zinn, UF Hillel’s development director and Rabbi Zinn’s spouse, told the Gainesville Sun on Tuesday that “Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate” began in January 2020, in a bid to raise awareness of rising antisemitism on college campuses and proactively “ensure UF remains a safe and welcoming environment for student, faculty, and visitors of all backgrounds.”

More than 800 members of the UF community signed the pledge last January, while 1,665 did the same this year. One recent signatory, UF student Ifeoma Iheanyi-Okeahialam, told local outlet WCJB that “it’s a really good opportunity to just help others out.”

“It’s not just about fighting hate just with Hillel in the Jewish community. It’s about fighting hate throughout all communities,” added UF student Sadie Kopelman. “We are all in this together. We are all people. We all deserve love and kindness and care and that’s what that’s all about today plus a free bagel.”

Sarah Daly — a UF student and member of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, where the hostage-taking occurred on Saturday — participated in the drive by helping to gather signatures.

“Everybody knows about my small Colleyville, Texas,” she told WCJB. “So as you can imagine, it has been a very emotional, a very challenging 48 hours with so many emotions and being so far from home — from my synagogue, from my family. But with that, Hillel has given me all the support and more that I could possibly ask for.”