UF Hillel has expanded Israel Week into Israel Month this year in hopes of giving students more opportunity to participate.
UF Hillel program director Jeff Kaplan said the goal is to expose students to a different culture they may not know much about throughout the entire month of November.
Compared with past years, this year's events are more concentrated on educational activities.
"We have events that are grounded on what's happening in Israel," he said.
Israel Week served as a complement in the Fall semester to Jewish Awareness Month in March, said Josh Kahn, 27, an Israel Fellow at UF Hillel.
During the entire month, Hillel will be collecting 1,491 Post-it Notes from students who write about something they have done related to Israel in the past five years.
The Post-it Notes will form a large Israeli flag to be showcased on campus to celebrate the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas militants in 2006 and finally released Oct. 18, Kahn said.
Students are also invited to celebrate Shalit's release at the Grog House Bar & Grill on Thursday.
Mitzvah Day for Israel will be held Sunday, where participants can sign up to volunteer at hospitals in Israel.
On Nov. 28, the Hillel will host a screening of the award-winning film "Ajami."
Afterward, audience members can enjoy dinner and hookah under traditional Bedouin tents.
"With more events, the Hillel can reach out to students who want to further their relationship with Israel on a different level," Kahn said.
Kahn, who moved to Israel in 2003, returned in 2010 to serve with UF Hillel. He returns to Israel in May.
"Having an Israel Week really limits what you can do," he said. "Now students have the option to come to different programs."
Kahn said Israel Month is about appreciating the beauty of the country.
"Israel Month is not just for Jewish students," Kahn said. "Israel is more than what you just see on CNN."
Political science senior Matthew Sarrell, 23, escapes a choke hold during a Krav Maga class at UF Hillel on Tuesday evening. Krav Maga is the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces.
