Following a successful fundraising program in the fall, the Students for Justice in Palestine are still working to raise money for humanitarian aid in Gaza. An annual fundraiser dinner on Nov. 16, 2025, at the Islamic Society of Akron and Kent, raised around $227,000 for Gaza.
Saied Okab, president of the Muslim Students’ Association and member of Kent’s SJP, described how the fundraiser began as an Islamic dinner at ISAK three years ago, but has expanded since then.
After the war began in Gaza, the organization turned the dinner into a fundraising event for Palestine, Okab said. The MSA decided to hold a fundraiser dinner every November.
“This year we really focused on making it bigger by collaborating with more organizations [and] bringing in really good speakers,” Okab said.
The keynote speaker was Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American political activist.
“She’s famous a little bit,” Okab said. “We brought her all the way from Brooklyn.”
Along with guest speakers, other student organizations, like the Jewish Voices for Peace, from Kent State and Akron, helped make the difference, he said.
“I think what made it way different and better this year is doing actually our absolute best and collaborating with Muslims and non-Muslims,” Okab said.
On February 4, SJP hosted a fundraising table inside the student center.
This event raised money for HEAL Palestine, a local organization founded by Kent State University alumni.
“The work they do is just incredible on the ground,” Sama Mousa, president of the Kent SJP said of HEAL Palestine. “They bring kids from Gaza to the [United States] to receive medical treatment, … which not many organizations do.”
A fundraising table typically raises anywhere from $100-$500, Mousa said. When weather permits, outdoor tables tend to raise more money.
“When it’s outside, we get a much bigger rush [of patrons],” Mousa said. “People randomly drop $200 and just leave.”
The KSUSJP sells items like snacks, bracelets, keychains and keffiyehs at their fundraising tables. A keffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress, according to NPR.
“The fishnets symbolize the sea that we fish in,” Mousa explained, “the solid lines, … are the trade routes, and then there’s leaf-looking things — those are the olive leaves, which symbolizes olive trees [that] Palestine is rich in.”
It has become a global symbol, and SJP sells them so students can show their support of Palestine on campus. Everyone is encouraged to wear one, Mousa said.
“You see a person wearing it, you know what their cause is,” she said. “It’s just a symbol of resistance right now.”
SJP is working on fundraising events for the future, increasing their goals based on November’s success, Okab said.
“We always have a goal to get better, not to stay in the same spot,” he said. “It will be tough, but I believe we can.”
Amelia Wysong is a student reporter. Contact her at [email protected].