By Bradley Rosenberg
Terrorists detonated a bomb inside of Hebrew University on July 31, 2002, killing nine people, injuring 86, and permanently scarred HU graduate student Eliad Moreh with what she calls “the silence of death.”
On March 3, 2003, Moreh helped assuage her mental scars and the scar of terrorism by speaking out to Northeastern students in a presentation called “Surviving Terror on Campus.”
The presentation, which was sponsored by Northeastern’s Hillel and the Students for Israel, recounted Moreh’s experiences on the day of the bombing, and told of the great anguish that terrorism has caused her. She spoke of the injuries she sustained, the friends that she lost, and the feeling of revolt that she attained through the violent act of one Hamas terrorist.
“Nothing justifies terrorism,” she said. “No cause could ever justify the pain and the suffering that I have been through.”
Moreh now feels it her mission to use that pain and suffering to point out the immorality of terrorism.
“I … felt after I survived [the bombing] that I received life as a present,” she said. “I felt dedicated towards life and the life of my [deceased] friend. This is my way to fight terror; this is my way to say I will not be a passive victim.”
Moreh has not been passive, as she has been promoting her message to as many schools as she possibly can, from Harvard to Brandeis to Wellesley College. So far, she feels that she has been successful.
“In general the response has been very positive,” she said. Moreh suggests that people have been able to relate to her message because “the threat of terrorism is not just for Israel; it’s for the entire world. The tragedy of September 11 has shown [us] that.”
Many of the people who attended the presentation agree.
“Terrorism is not just something limited to the Middle East,” said sophomore political science major Josh Parker. “Her story is one of thousands, and every story has family members and friends that are impacted.”
Parker also stated that he “found it truly inspirational that someone who has gone through the horrors of terror” like Moreh had can still give the speech that she does.
Megan Morton, a middler majoring in civil engineering, was also touched by Moreh’s talk, saying that the speech made her feel “disgusted and confused as to why people would fight over religion,” and that Moreh convinced her that “everyone needs to learn awareness and tolerance” in order for there to be peace.
Moreh believes that to be a crucial part of her speech.
“Terrorism stems from blind hatred, and its aim is the murder of human beings,” she said. “There should be a culture of tolerance to replace the culture of hatred, but there is no dialogue possible when terrorism exists. No dialogue is possible when you’re in danger. The culture of hatred must stop, and then there will be a foundation for dialogue and possible co-existence.”
Moreh ended her Boston area speaking tour Tuesday at MIT. Her message, however, will continue until her goal is reached.
