“It’s just a reminder of how strong we are”

After a long day of classes, often lengthened by horrific news updates from the Middle East, walking back home to the sight of dozens of flags of Israel is a source of comfort for many Jewish residents of College Park Towers.

Tamar Fineberg, a junior psychology and sociology major from Teaneck, New Jersey, is one of many Jewish CP Towers residents who decided to display an Israeli flag on their window following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

“When I’m in between Hartwick and Knox, I feel like I’m safe,” Fineberg said.

CP Towers is located south of the University of Maryland campus, across the street from South Campus Commons. It comprises two apartment buildings, one on Hartwick Road and the other on Knox Road.

Many of the residents are students of this university, and many of those students are Jewish.

Fineberg mentioned the decision to put up a flag was “a little scary,” but knew deep down it was the right thing to do.

“Knowing that the whole building is decked in Israeli flags made us feel better,” Fineberg said.

Like many students, Fineberg is filled with pride and strength seeing many Israeli flags hang over CP Towers.

“A lot of immediate frustration and confusion”

Ari Geller, a junior business management major from Owings Mills, Maryland was also among the Jewish residents who hung a flag in mid-October for passersby to see.

“It was a cool feeling to be a part of that strong community,” Geller said.

On Nov. 2,  2023, College Park Towers management sent a memo requiring residents to take down their Israeli flags.

“If the Israeli flags and balloons are not removed by Monday, November 6, 2023, a hearing with the Board of Directors will be scheduled with the tenants that fail to comply,” the memo read. “Fines and/or sanctions such as the suspension of parking and fitness center access may be assessed.” 

“To me, it seemed very targeted,” Geller said, “that [the building manager] was so quick to say this is not okay.”

Geller’s landlord voiced his support in an email to him expressing disagreement, and frustration with the memo. Later, the President of the CP Towers Board shared a picture of the front of his house featuring two flags hung up — of the United States and of Israel.

“It was really powerful to see, to know that we have his support as well,” Geller said.

A few hours after the memo was sent the building manager sent a second memo, apologizing and saying the first memo “was not cleared by the board and is being withdrawn.”

“How am I going to act…”

While Noam Efergan initially joined the crowd of Jewish CP Towers residents who hung Israeli flags, numerous incidents led to his decision to take it down.

The sophomore pre-PA from Chicago, Illinois recalled a time when someone parked their car outside his apartment and blasted Palestinian music. When Efergan went outside to see what was happening, the driver took their phone out to film his reaction.

Efergan feels a strong sense of solidarity with Israel and is not against the idea of putting up flags, but these kinds of interactions concern him.

When sitting on his balcony by his Israeli flag, Efergan could never focus on the book he was reading or the conversation he was having.

“I’m sitting outside…I’m showing I love and support Israel,” Efergan said, “[but] how am I going to act if someone yells at me? Am I going to yell back?”

More incidents occurred on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

Shabbat ended at about 8:30 p.m.and students were able to check their phones to see that Iran had just launched an attack on Israel, marking an escalation in the war.

Later that night, a group of seven women walked around the CP Towers parking lot yelling “free Palestine” and “f–k the Jews.”

One Jewish student mentioned that she was in an elevator with the group in The Standard, an apartment building across the street from CP Towers. 

This student told the girls that her sister is in Israel now, and one of the girls responded, “I hope she dies.”

“A barrier to dialogue”

Shortly after Oct. 7, 2023, a Jewish student who lives in the CP Towers building on Hartwick Road initially put up the flag for others to see.

They wanted to show people walking by that this issue is not so far-removed from the U.S., and it impacts fellow students.

However, this student decided to take the flag down in late January. They felt that the Israeli government may not have been prioritizing the hostages in Gaza, like their flag and “Bring Them Home” signs were symbolizing.

They questioned what kind of message he was sending to observers based on the decisions made by Israel’s government.

This student believes that the connotation of the flag being hung up has changed over the last several months, that hanging up Israeli flags no longer says the Jewish people are “reeling” from Oct. 7.

He considers that observers who see a flag of Israel hung up think the person hanging it supports Israel unconditionally, without any kind of criticism.

This person is a Jew and a Zionist but believes that keeping their flag up is doing more harm than good.

“It does not send a message of dialogue,” this student said, “I think the flags [are a] barrier to dialogue.”

But the Iranian attacks towards Israel on April 13 forced this student to put the flag back up once again.

That night helped them distinguish the appropriate times to have a flag up based on the public’s perception of when Israel is on the “offensive” as opposed to the “defensive.”

For the last several months, the look of Israel being on the “offensive” forced this student to take the flag down.

But these most recent attacks by Iran changed the current connotation of the flag – compelling them to hang it back up.