Photographer Shlomit Levy Bard traveled across Israel capturing powerful photos. (photo by Karina Pires)

College campuses have become battlegrounds of ideology, and as the Trump administration cracks down on student activism – revoking visas and deporting international students involved in the pro-Palestinian movement – rhetoric often supersedes education. Behind the polarizing debates and deportations lies a raw, complex reality – one that many students have yet to confront. And as American activists wave flags, Israeli society – Jews, Muslims, Druze and Christians – grapple with what Zionism means in the wake of Oct. 7.

A new traveling exhibit, “(RE)Defining Zionism: Portraits and Perspectives from a Post-October 7 Israel,” brings their lived experiences into the heart of campus discourse.

The exhibit opened on April 7 at Hillel at UCLA and features unfiltered, emotive photographs and personal stories from over 60 Israelis, challenging the one-dimensional narratives dominating Western debates. It forces viewers – whether staunchly anti-Zionist or deeply committed to the cause – to rethink assumptions and engage with perspectives they may have never considered.

“Campus conversations on Zionism often force people into ideological boxes – either you stand for Palestinian rights, or you stand for Israel. But in Israel, the lines aren’t so clear-cut. This exhibit challenges those binaries, offering firsthand perspectives that refuse to be reduced to a slogan,” said photographer Shlomit Levy Bard, who traveled across Israel – Haifa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheva and the Gaza border – capturing the powerful stories.

While students argue Zionism in theory, the exhibit confronts them with the people who are living it. It sparks dialogue, challenges assumptions and asks, “Is there room for complexity?” The exhibit, which runs until June 18, invites students and community members into the space for meaningful conversations, encouraging engagement with the diverse and often conflicting perspectives that shape the issue.

“(RE)Defining Zionism: Portraits and Perspectives from a Post-October 7 Israel” is sponsored by the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel, the Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies at UCLA and UCLA Hillel.

UCLA Hillel is located at 574 Hilgard Ave. For information, visit uclahillel.org/dortortevents.