I never thought I would be living in a time of heightened antisemitism. October 7th, 2023, was a regular day. When I heard the news of Hamas invading Israel, my heart sank. I was angry and confused. I thought antisemitism was subsiding. I had no one to relate to in Tucson, and I felt lost and hurt. I decided from that moment on that I did not want to live in fear.

I decided I wouldn’t hide my Judaism, which is a very important part of my life and identity, forever. I was motivated and passionate about incorporating Jewish tradition and pride into my daily life. There was no one outside my family that I could talk with to understand the anger I was feeling and the cruelty of antisemitic words. No one could relate or even offer empathy and compassion to me. There was not a single person who was trying to understand the Jewish perspective.  I came across uneducated people trying to place unfair and inaccurate blame and allegations on Jewish people.  I knew there had to be other people feeling similarly to me. 

I didn’t know how to find them, or even if I ever would. In a peer discussion in my 7th-grade English class during our Holocaust Unit regarding “Night” by Elie Wiesel, I was told by a classmate in what seemed to be a joking tone, “I wish you were in the Holocaust.” I was disturbed and in disbelief. Why would someone say something so damaging as a joke? The last couple of months have been hard for me. I wanted community, acceptance, and the ability to feel comfortable in my skin. I was able to recognize how happy being Jewish made me feel, and I knew that if I were able to find a local Jewish community that I would feel proud and happier. I would be able to talk about antisemitism with people who would be able to relate to me and approach any situation with similar empathy and support.  The rise of antisemitism on college campuses across the US, as well as the aggravation of the conflict in the Middle East, made each day going to school, hearing comments, and seeing videos much harder. 

I know that as a community, Jewish people have been through a lot of adversity and made a lot of sacrifices to get to where we are today. Jewish youth are often targeted for antisemitism, causing them to feel ashamed of showing pride in religion and culture. I know that these events have helped me prioritize Judaism more and higher level than I had in a while. I made this decision on my own that I would never live in fear of antisemitism. This led me to join BBYO and embrace my Judaism more publicly than before.  I am proud of being Jewish, and I am taking steps every day to feel comfortable displaying my Star of David necklace in public and deepening my connection with my heritage as well as my family’s traditions. I now have friendships with incredible people who understand the toll of antisemitism on one’s mental health. I have found community, had amazing experiences, built my confidence, and feel encouraged to take risks.