RSS
Sad, scared, proud, alone: How US Jewish teens are feeling amid the Israel-Hamas war
(JTA) — Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 was thousands of miles away for Jewish teens in the United States — yet they have found themselves caught in a crossfire of opinions, misinformation and anger about the situation ever since.
JTA Teen Journalism Fellows interviewed their peers about what they have been hearing and feeling over the last three weeks. Our reporters discovered that many high schoolers were afraid to go on the record, saying they feared aggravating tensions or didn’t want to get “canceled” within their community. The ones that did agree to talk, however, say they are doing their best to stay strong and feel united, not divided.
Some of the teens interviewed expressed their concerns about antisemitism while others offered insight into what’s happening in their social media circles. From Jewish day school students in the West to public school kids in the South, here’s what American Jewish teens have to say about the war between Israel and Hamas.
Jacob Abowitz, 17, Parkway Central High School, St. Louis
Abowitz, right, and a friend. (Ami Gelman)
I’m trying my best to show my pride at being Jewish. Just trying to wear my Star of David to school and in public and anywhere I go.
Nathan Arst, 17, Parkway Central High School, St. Louis
(Courtesy)
Being an American teen Jew, if there was one thing I wish adults would know about [us is that] sometimes it can be really hard. For me, I’m fortunate, being surrounded by a strong Jewish community at my school and at my temple, so my community is really supportive. But some of my friends go to schools with small Jewish populations and feel very isolated. People have to keep that in mind. Judaism — you can’t always see it from the outside, unless someone is wearing a form of identification like a necklace or a kippah. You can’t always see it and a lot of Jewish teens are going through a lot of different emotions right now.
Avi Askenazi, 14, Denver Academy of Torah, Denver
(Ami Gelman)
I’m hearing from adults that Israel is trying to do good things to help their citizens and destroy Hamas. [Teens] aren’t taking it as seriously as adults, they think it’s more of a joke than how serious it really is. Some of the jokes are that Hamas isn’t killing innocent people because no Israelis are innocent. It makes me sad that students make jokes about something so serious and sad.
Alissa Barnholtz, 17, Parkway Central High School, St. Louis
(Courtesy)
It’s hard to understand the complexity of the situation on social media. Saying it’s retaliation is kind of like justifying Hamas. Hamas is antisemitic. Their goal is to kill people and Jews. I deleted Instagram because it was a lot to see.
I haven’t personally experienced any antisemitism from this situation but I know people who have. It’s sad and it’s scary because I love being Jewish. I’m so happy to be Jewish, but right now I’m so scared to be Jewish. Right now, I’m lighting Shabbat candles with my family every Friday night which makes me feel better and makes me feel more connected to the community.
Davis Brown, 17, Parkway Central High School, St. Louis
(Courtesy)
For many adults, Zionism is a partisan issue. It falls along the lines of Republican or Democrats; depends whether you are pro-Israel or pro-Palestine and your thoughts on Zionism. With teens I don’t see that as much. That might be because we don’t vote the same way our parents do. Our ties to Zionism aren’t driven by political parties. It comes from a personal belief or friends that are Jewish, our background. It makes the conversation a little bit different.
Elsie Cohen, 17, Latin School of Chicago, Chicago
(Courtesy)
Most people around me are not discussing the war, which feels really lonely. I understand that it is a difficult topic to talk about, but it has to be discussed, and ignoring it makes my Jewish peers and me feel alone.
I have never felt bad about being outwardly Jewish in the past, especially considering I attended a Jewish school up until high school. However, in recent weeks, I have felt uncomfortable displaying my identity, and uncomfortable talking about the situation with those who are openly against my entire religion and people. I feel afraid to walk around wearing my Star of David necklace and I feel awkward being one of few Jewish people in my small school.
Holden Demain, 15, Denver Jewish Day School, Denver
(Liron Amar)
I’m hearing a lot of fear from fellow Jewish teens. I think I’m also kind of feeling a little bit that some people are indifferent to what is going on and just generally don’t care very much. The people that care are scared and the people that don’t care, don’t. A lot of people are scared for family and friends that they might have in the region. There’s also fear of rising antisemitism in America, on college campuses. That definitely also plays a role.
There is this tendency to view [the attacks] as just happening to Israel and not to us, but people need to understand that Israel is just a manifestation of the Jewish people and I believe that an attack on Israel is an attack on the Jewish people. When people are indifferent to Israel, it makes me feel that they’re indifferent about being Jewish.
Nate Friedman, 17, Riverwood International Charter School, Atlanta
(Sandy Friedman)
From my Jewish friends, everyone’s really informed, and they all know about it, and everyone discusses how they’re disgusted by it. The main topic of discussion is just how there’s a lot of propaganda and how [other] people are really misinformed about what’s going on in Israel and the truth. We talk together, support each other and give each other a little pick-me-up to let each other know it’s going to be okay. It really makes me feel comforted, and it gives me hope.
“My non-Jewish friends have made jokes about it; they just don’t understand the significance and seriousness of the situation. When I hear jokes from non-Jewish people, actually, it really upsets me. If you don’t know about it, don’t joke about it, don’t say anything about it. You need to educate yourself before you speak up on a sensitive subject.
Deborah Haspel, 16, Yeshivat Kadimah High School, University City, Missouri
(Courtesy)
When talking about the whole situation in Israel with my peers, there has been a lot of frustration and sadness. Everyone is worried, really worried. We are making sure we are praying and donating to the IDF. It’s a very difficult situation. It puts a strain on everything. Making sure we are contributing and praying — it’s pretty much all we can do.
Rachel Katzke, 18, The Masters School, Ardsley, New York
(Lydia Ettinger)
I refuse to be ashamed of my Judaism. Once again this conflict is so complex and hard and depressing that, yes, there are some things I purely cannot defend, like videos of IDF soldiers putting cement in the water pipes in the West Bank, but there are other cases where people don’t know context and that I can defend.
I feel on social media the words “colonizers” and “open-air prisons” just egg people on. When there is an infographic about how we are ‘colonizers’ then everyone in the comments says “Free Palestine” it just feeds into the perspective that we are colonizers and that we have never lived in this land.
Lauren Elle Lavi, 15, Edmond Memorial High School, Edmond, Oklahoma
(Courtesy)
Even though I live so far from Israel, I still think it’s such a scary situation. Misinformation is being spread quickly through social media, and it spreads easier through teens versus adults. They don’t even realize what they’re saying is antisemitic. I think I was more open about being Jewish, prior to what’s going on in Israel. But now, I have more awareness of what other people think.
Kayla Minsk, 17, Atlanta Jewish Academy, Atlanta
(Leora Frank)
I’ve been hearing from teens the pressure to perform what they’re supposed to be saying, what they’re supposed to be feeling. We get so caught up in what the ‘perfect’ reaction is, we watch the videos on social media, or we repost all of the flyers and the posters because we want others to know that we feel even if we don’t. I think that can take away from the real action that you can do. People aren’t being true about what they feel because of feeling judged, so the reaction is more performative rather than doing something like packing bags or writing letters to actually feel like they’re making an impact.
Celia Pincus, 17, Jones College Prep, Chicago
(Celia Pincus)
Teens are very active on social media concerning the situation in Israel. I would say there is a combination of pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian, and somewhere in between — really something from every viewpoint. The quantity of posts on social media is insane and, personally, I’m not someone who has ever posted anything political on social media. I feel overwhelmed. The news follows me everywhere and it’s not something I can forget about.
Just because I’m Jewish doesn’t mean I support all actions the Israeli government takes. And that makes me frustrated, it makes me sad, and it makes me angry. I don’t think that I feel less pride in being Jewish, or more afraid to show it. I’ve never been a person who has worn a Jewish star necklace or anything like that so I feel like I don’t have an identifier. I don’t think I’m concealing my identity, but I am definitely not broadcasting it to the world. And since I’ve never done that I don’t really feel any different, but it does feel like slightly more of a conscious choice.
Sam Pressman, 16, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati
(Abigail Rubinstein)
I see a lot of things on Instagram, talking about how many Israelis got killed, and the situation happening. And it’s really making me feel like our world has gone horribly wrong. I was kind of in a crisis with all the events going on. I’ve always showed my Judaism. I’m not afraid to tell anyone and especially now you should have more pride in it being Jewish. Because if you try to hide it now, that gives Hamas what they want.
Ava Sherman, 17, Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri
(Courtesy)
The main source of talk is about the false information and propaganda that is being posted on the internet and social media platforms that teens, who are always on social media, resort to. The best thing you can do is educate people on the correct facts. Be ready for somebody to ask you a question or come at you with an opposing view. The best thing you can do is defend yourself while also being neutral. There are no sides. It’s, “Do you want peace or do you support terrorism?”
Noah Shurz, 17, Denver East High School, Denver
(Norah Krause)
It feels like it’s very divided. Some people on Instagram are pro-free Palestine, but some are pro-Israel. There’s a lot more people in the center. Around me people are very supportive, but don’t talk about it outside of social media most of the time. I never truly knew what side people were on until this. Someone that I had a lot of respect for, that I thought was very smart, I lost a little bit of respect for them because it was very blanket pro-Palestine, out of nowhere.
Ayalah Spratt, 15, The Masters School, Hastings, New York
(Lydia Ettinger)
I’ve been hearing people in America diluting this down to such basic opinions when, in reality, this is such a complicated issue, especially from people who have no idea of what they are talking about. I’ve heard people make this into a pro-Israel versus pro-Palestine issue which at its core I don’t think it is — it’s not a political war, it’s terrorism, which is completely different. People are dying, people are being murdered and there is not a world in which that is OK.
I’ve been trying to stay off social media with all the things people are slapping onto their Instagram stories just like taglines, because it’s not really helpful. Even things that are promoting the things that I believe in, I think the whole process of just mindlessly posting on your story and feeling that you’ve done something like “Help Israel” I don’t think that does anything.
Andrew Wittenbaum, 17, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati
(Abigail Rubinstein)
There have been multiple incidents at school. I believe someone drew a swastika on the stall in the bathroom. They haven’t found out who it is, but they’re trying their best so everybody can be safe in the school. I do feel like my school supports me as a Jewish person. Because I know that there have been many announcements with our principal and our dean of students, and our counselors that are offering so much help that we can go to if we ever need that. And I know that they’re trying their best.
—
The post Sad, scared, proud, alone: How US Jewish teens are feeling amid the Israel-Hamas war appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
RSS
UFC Head Dana White, Israeli Fighter Natan Levy Respond to Fighter Calling Hitler ‘Good Guy,’ Jews ‘Greedy’
Natan Levy steps on the scale for the official weigh-in at the UFC Apex for UFC Fight Night – Font vs Vera on April 29, 2022 in LAS VEGAS, United States. Photo: Sports Press Photo via Reuters Connect
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White and Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy slammed American featherweight Bryce Mitchell for “dumb” and “disgusting” comments he made this week, which included praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and denying the Holocaust ever happened.
“I’ve heard a lot of dumb, ignorant s—t in my day, but this one’s probably the worst,” White said during a press conference. “Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the face of the earth, and anyone who even tries to take an opposing position is a moron. That’s the problem with the internet and social media — you provide a platform for a lot of dumb, ignorant people.” He added that the UFC reached out to Mitchell regarding his comments and said the company is “beyond disgusted.”
Mitchell made a series of antisemitic and shocking comments during the first episode of his new podcast “ArkanSanity,” which he co-hosts with fellow Arkansas native Roli Delgado. The two were discussing Elon Musk’s speech at Capital One Arena after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this month, and how Musk stretched his hand out to salute in a pose that many observers said was reminiscent of the Nazi salute.
“I honestly think that Hitler was a good guy based upon my own research, not my public education indoctrination,” Mitchell then said during the podcast episode, which aired on Saturday. “I really do think, before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy to go fishing with. He fought for his country. He wanted to purify it by kicking out the greedy Jews out that were destroying his country … when he got on meth and turned on Russia, I believe that’s when he [Hitler] got full nutty.”
“W[as] Hitler perfect? No. But he was fighting for his people and he wanted a pure nation,” he added. “These Jews were controlling his country … and now that [Hitler] lost the war, he’s the bad guy.” Mitchell then went on to state, “I’m not a Nazi, I don’t love Nazis, I’m just saying they were in a bad spot and Hitler come to power.”
Levy responded to Mitchell’s comments in a series of posts on X/Twitter on Thursday. “Crazy how a guy blessed by God with so much success and opportunity chooses to pay it forward by spreading hate and division every time he gets a mic,” Levy wrote in one post. “Anyway, next time you see me, you’re welcome to have a real conversation and actually learn about Judaism our history and culture, firsthand. Or, if you’d rather, you can call me a greedy Jew to my face, and we’ll see what’s up.”
He additionally offered to take his UFC rival to a Holocaust museum, to educate him about World War II, or even on a trip to Israel. Levy said he wants Mitchell to learn that “[Israel is] a beautiful land with people just like him, we don’t have horns, we don’t all conspire to take over the world, we just trying to live our lives and enjoy the sun.”
“I’ll make it simple for everyone, Keep my people’s name out your f—king mouth,” he added in another post on X. Levy said that for those defending Mitchell’s freedom of speech, his response was: “Yeah! every idiot is free to speak and I am free to tell them to shut the f—k up.”
During the podcast episode on Saturday, Delgado argued that Hitler was wrong for persecuting Jews, such as forcing them into Nazi concentration camps. In his response, Mitchell denied the Holocaust. “That’s what your public education will tell you, Roli. Because you believe your public education. Because you haven’t done your own research,” Mitchell insisted. “When you realize there is no possible way they could have burned and cremated six million bodies, you’re gonna realize the Holocaust ain’t real.”
“History is HIS-story. History is written by the victor. Hitler lost so you didn’t get to hear his side of the war, you didn’t get to hear how the Jews took his country over,” he suggested. “Do I believe that he tortured Jews to death and killed them and all this stuff for fun? No. I believe they were work camps and they starved to death because [Hitler’s] very army were starving to death … I don’t believe he’s that bad of a guy … Hitler — he was for freedom. Hitler just wanted to free his people. But we can’t talk about the Holocaust like it was a real thing because I don’t believe it. I don’t believe the bulls—t that they try to tell you at the public school.”
The post UFC Head Dana White, Israeli Fighter Natan Levy Respond to Fighter Calling Hitler ‘Good Guy,’ Jews ‘Greedy’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
University of Michigan Suspends Anti-Zionist Group for Two Years
A person carrying an American flag cuts into a pro-Palestinian march through the University of Michigan on Oct. 7, 2024, marking the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
The University of Michigan has suspended an anti-Zionist group responsible for several infractions of school rules for a maximum period of two years, ending on its own terms a dispute with the group which started after Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones decided to suspend and revoke recognition of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) following an investigation of the group’s conduct that lasted several months, according to The Michigan Daily, the campus newspaper. The university’s intention to discipline the group was first announced in November, with reports that an internal office had filed a complaint against it which, according to SAFE, alleged that a Nov. 17 sit-in violated school policies on peaceful assembly.
“Protests are welcome at U-M, so long as those protests do not infringe on the rights of others, significantly disrupt university events or operations, violate policies, or threaten the safety of the community,” the university told The Daily in a statement which explained its decision. “The university has been clear that we will enforce our policies related to protests and expressive activity, and that we will hold individuals and student organizations accountable for their actions in order to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all.”
However, Jones issued glowing statements about SAFE in a letter which notified the group of its suspension, describing it as “instrumental” and having “a history on campus and impact as a legacy organization supporting Palestinian students.” Jones also offered the group a chance to end its suspension early by agreeing to “work in good faith to complete the education and restorative measures outlined in this decision,” an opportunity of which SAFE can avail itself as soon as the winter of 2026.
In a statement, SAFE rejected any notion that the university offered grace and a chance to correct its behavior.
“While admin [sic] continued to attempt to repress and silence Palestine on campus, we know that the movement for liberation only grows stronger under attack,” it said, writing on Instagram. “This ploy to isolate SAFE from the campus community will prove unsuccessful because admin fails to understand, yet again, that the demands for divestment and Palestinian liberation are part of a popular, mass movement.”
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, SAFE has long been a source of anti-Israel activity on campus. In 2023, its members staged an anti-government protest against the former US presidential administration, represented by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who appeared at the school to discuss climate change. They chanted “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide” and called for mass casualty events inspired by Islamist terrorism, screaming “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution” while waving Palestinian flags. The student who appeared to be leading the demonstration condemned the Biden administration for approving aid to Israel, which she referred to as “the Zionist entity.”
In 2022, during observance of the Jewish New Year, SAFE erected an “apartheid wall” on campus and led an anti-Israel protest in front of it. Some University of Michigan students approached the protesters and urged them to become fully apprised of the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, The Michigan Daily reported at the time. Standing atop a nearby structure, they made a “thumbs-down” gesture when they perceived the protesters’ remarks as offensive or lacking nuance.
SAFE was also one of many anti-Zionist student groups which commandeered school property during the conclusion of the 2023-2024 academic school year and refused to surrender it unless the university agreed to boycott and divest from Israel. It was nearly a month before the university cleared the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” erected on the occupied school grounds, during which both students and non-students destroyed school property, disrupted university business, and amassed outside the homes of school officials.
University officials are not the only ones resisting extreme anti-Zionism.
Last semester, members of the Central Student Government impeached and convicted former president Alifa Chowdhury — the controversial leader of the Anti-Zionist “Shut It Down” (SID) party who led a failed and unpopular effort to freeze funding for student clubs until school officials enacted a boycott of Israel — resulting in her removal from office. Chowdhury had faced three charges in total: incitement to violence, defamation, and dereliction of duty, the last of which she was found guilty of on Dec. 23, according to a statement issued by the Central Student Judiciary (CSJ). Her vice president, Elias Atkinson, was convicted of the same offense.
Chowdhury’s anti-Zionist zealotry led her to allegedly commit several disqualifying acts which blighted her office and shocked her CSG representatives. In the articles of impeachment filed by Rep. Margaret Peterman, the now-former president was described as having “gravely endangered” students — for example, by participating in a protest of CSG which led to threats and an assault by spitting — as well as the “integrity of the democratic system.” She also failed to perform key functions of the presidency, including submitting reports, preparing committee members for their roles, and convening meetings with CSG’s executive council — a pattern of neglect which led to her conviction for dereliction of duty.
The takeover of CSG by Chowdhury’s party, SID, in March led to a historically dysfunctional administration, prompting the involvement of school officials at key moments when its brinksmanship threatened to derail core functions of the university. In August, the administration resolved to fund student clubs over Chowdhury and SID’s objections, effectively stripping the new government of the power of the purse. Explaining the intervention to The Algemeiner at the time, university spokesperson Colleen Mastony said it was prompted by Chowdhury’s “senior” colleagues in the CSG Assembly.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post University of Michigan Suspends Anti-Zionist Group for Two Years first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
NYC Street Named in Honor of Yad Vashem’s Commitment to Holocaust Remembrance, Combating Antisemitism
(From left) New York City Council Member Keith Powers, Holocaust survivor and Park East Synagogue Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, and Consul General of Israel in New York Ofir Akunis holding the sign for Yad Vashem Way. Photo: Nir Arieli/Yad Vashem
New York City honored Yad Vashem on Thursday with the unveiling of a street named after Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust in Jerusalem, in tribute to its commitment to combating antisemitism and preserving Holocaust remembrance.
The new co-named street Yad Vashem Way is located at East 67th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood, where a large number of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the US after World War II now reside with their families. It is also in the neighborhood of Rabbi Arthur Schneier’s iconic Park East Synagogue. New York City is home to one of the largest Holocaust survivor communities outside of Israel.
The street co-naming was sponsored by New York City Council Member Keith Powers with support from New York
City Mayor Eric Adams. The unveiling of the new street sign was attended by Adams and Powers, as well as Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan and Consul General of Israel in New York Ofir Akunis. It took place the same week as International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, which this year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
“This street sign is more than a name — it is a powerful symbol of our shared responsibility to preserve Holocaust memory and combat the disturbing rise of hatred and intolerance,” Dayan said at the unveiling ceremony on Thursday. “By bringing the name of Yad Vashem to the heart of Manhattan, we are hopeful that this street will inspire those who pass by it to remember the murdered and the survivors and to carry the story of the Holocaust forward with them.”
The newly co-named street Yad Vashem Way. Photo: Nir Arieli/Yad Vashem
On Wednesday, Yad Vashem, which describes itself as the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, co-sponsored an event in the New York City Council to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The event was co-sponsored with New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Jewish Caucus Chair Council Member Eric Dinowitz, and New York City Council Members Keith Powers, Julie Menin, Lynn Schulman, Lincoln Restler, and Inna Vernikov. Dayan gave the keynote speech at the event.
“As we confront the global resurgence of antisemitism, this event and its decision to recognize Yad Vashem’s impact reaffirms New York City’s commitment to ensuring that the Holocaust’s lessons remain a guiding light for humanity,” he said. “Together, we must stand against hatred and ignorance.”
According to data released by the New York City Police Department earlier this month, a majority of the hate crimes that took place in New York City in 2024 targeted Jews. Out of 641 total hate crimes, 345 targeted Jews, amounting to 54 percent of all hate crimes in the city and a 7 percent increase from the previous year.
The post NYC Street Named in Honor of Yad Vashem’s Commitment to Holocaust Remembrance, Combating Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.