New Jewish Student Center in Utrecht Named After Fallen Soldiers
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- New Jewish student center "Beth Omer" opens in Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Center named for two Israeli soldiers, great-grandsons of a Holocaust-era rabbi.
- Initiative addresses rising antisemitism and insecurity among Jewish students.
- Project aims to provide safe housing and community for Jewish students.
- Crowdfunding campaign launched to support the center's establishment.
A new Jewish student center, "Beth Omer," is being established in Utrecht, Netherlands, to provide a safe and vibrant space for Jewish and Israeli students amidst a rise in antisemitism and strained diplomatic relations between Israel and the Netherlands. The initiative is led by the Jewish community of Utrecht and the Goldor-Van Gelder families, who are launching a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project.
The "Beth Omer" center aims to offer a secure environment for Jewish students who report feeling unsafe on university campuses, with some even hiding their Jewish identity. A government report indicated deep insecurity among Jewish students and faculty. The center will also address a significant housing shortage for students in Utrecht, a city with approximately 70,000 students.
Rachel Levi, head of the Jewish community in Utrecht, stated that since October 7, 2023, Jewish students have become a vulnerable minority, facing regular pro-Palestinian demonstrations that sometimes include antisemitic slogans and Hamas propaganda. The existing student housing, with only five rooms, is insufficient to meet demand.
The center is named in memory of two cousins, Omer Moshe Gal Dor, 30, who fell in a battle in southern Lebanon in November 2024, and Omer Van Gelder, 22, who fell in Gaza in June 2025. Both were great-grandsons of Rabbi Yosef Van Gelder, who served as the chief rabbi of Utrecht during the Holocaust. The family later immigrated to Israel.
Ilan Gal-Dor, a family member spearheading the initiative, expressed that naming the center "Beth Omer" allows the family to transform their grief into a positive force, creating a safe haven for young Jews and connecting Israel with the diaspora. The new building will be located on the grounds of a historic Jewish school and will serve as a social and community hub for the Utrecht Jewish Student Association, "Barvaz," which has nearly 200 members. Donations for the project are tax-deductible in both Israel and the Netherlands.
Read the original at Maariv