As the crowd of loud, passionate students at the Capitol swell in remarkable solidarity with each passing day, Madisonians are reminded of how powerful youthful dissent can be in rabble-rousing change. As students, at moments like this it seems that we are invariably a by-product of our institution.

We’re influenced by the place we spend our formative years; the place we sentimentally dub “home.” And when that place consistently nurtures empowerment through change, it comes as no surprise when a couple of average UW students harness this psychology of activism to unify the campus for an extraordinary cause.

In early December of last year a deadly forest fire swept the desiccated northern region of Israel, killing 41 and displacing thousands. Though the blaze – branded the worst in Israel’s history – was contained four days later with immense international aid, the effects of displacement still linger.

Deeply affected by the footage of vulnerable, grieving Israelis clamoring for refuge, UW senior Zac Miller and his roommate, Jeremy Greenberg, decided to tap into the Madison mentality.

“When you hear about a natural disaster the first thing you think is helplessness, and it’s something everyone can relate to,” Miller said. “It really hits home.”

Interested in creating an event that would unify all the diverse communities across campus, while also raising money for the Israeli fire victims, Miller turned to his appreciation for hip-hop – an admittedly modest, yet steadily growing music scene in Madison – as his inspiration.

The pair decided a spring hip-hop benefit concert would provide the necessary platform to raise money for the fire victims while simultaneously raising awareness and bringing diverse branches of the campus together.

“The concert is really about bringing unity to Madison,” Miller said.

And at time when the state is profoundly divided over the very notion of unity, a concert promoting the importance of coalition during moments of crisis could not be more appropriate. But before Miller and Greenberg could even begin to garner interest in the concert, they had to secure the talent.

Using MySpace and some personal connections, Miller extended the invitation to hip-hop artists Prodezra, Y-Love and Diwon, who all agreed to perform at the benefit concert for a significantly reduced price.

“The ultimate benefit of this concert is to help a country, but it’s also very unique that these artists that are coming are from very different backgrounds,” Miller said. “They are very diverse multi-culturally. They’re Jews, and at the same time, they’re African American, so it’s really bridging gaps between race, religion and ethnic groups.”

Of the three artists slated to perform, two are Black Orthodox Jews and one among them is Y-Love, who is at the helm of a new genre self-labeled as “global hip-hop,” which Love describes on his MySpace page as, “global social consciousness combined with pounding rhythms.”

Promoting the importance of unity and peace in the Middle East – a timely sentiment considering the bloodied state of the regional revolution happening on the other side of the globe – Y-Love, who also raps in five different languages, along with Prodezra and Diwon, will be bringing their cultural honesty, awareness and “pounding rhythms” to nurture the unified spirit of Madison audiences.

With the sponsorship of the Jewish National Fund and UW Hillel, as well as several Greek houses on campus, Greenberg and Miller hope to raise between $10,000 and $15,000 for the fire victims – a massive leap from their originally humble goal of $1,000.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” Miller said, commenting on the overwhelming support Hillel and the Greek community have provided thus far.

“Hillel opens their doors to everyone, which is the whole point of this concert – we open it up to anyone, and anyone who supports the idea,” Greenberg said. “It’s about bringing peace to the campus.”

Though campus peace has been undoubtedly disrupted with the flock of students rallying at the Capitol daily, it’s difficult to deny the underlying reverberations of unity. Whether it’s harmonious cries of solidarity or fists triumphantly waving in the air, mutually assured support has been an unwavering emotion pervading the streets of Madison. Pledged by locals and encouraged by both domestic and foreign support, it’s a bonding phenomenon Israelis and Madisonians alike can relate to.

“Israel received immediate help from different countries around the world [in the fire aftermath]; they got support from their allies and their enemies,” Miller said, reinforcing the culturally transcendent sense of empathy. “It’s indicative of a time in crisis; everyone can relate to that feeling.”

The Hip Hop Festival Supporting Israeli Fire Victims will be held Thursday, April 7 from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.uwhillel.org/hiphop. All proceeds will go to the Jewish National Fund. To learn more, and see a complete list of sponsors, check out the Facebook event.