To educate people about antisemitism means to be knowledgeable in Jewish history, Israel’s history, and the origins and current manifestations of antisemitism. I explore this concept in my StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship every day.
StandWithUs (SWU) focuses on educating students around the world about Israel and combating antisemitism. During the summer, I attended SWU’s four-day training conference with 200 other Leventhal Interns from the U.S. and Canada, exploring topics from Jewish and Israeli history. Additionally, every month, I attend an interactive Google Meet with interns in the Mid-Atlantic Region where my High School Regional Manager, Ari Chesterman, teaches us about various events in Jewish history. Ari revealed that he originally joined StandWithUs because he wanted to be involved in the “Israel education space, and the rest is history.”
Some of my main work in my internship grants me the opportunity to go to local schools in Baltimore and educate their students on the intricacies regarding Israel’s history, the Israel-Hamas War, and ways to respond to antisemitism. In January, I conducted a presentation at the local NCSY JSU (Jewish Student Union), and taught high schoolers ways to respond to antisemitism online and in-person. For instance, I created the method called EUB, or Engage, Unfollow, and Block. These are crucial components to responding to a friend or acquaintance spewing antisemitism. First: engage. Understand their perspective and estimate whether or not they are willing to participate in a conversation with you. Second, if you feel that your mental health may become jeopardized or you feel uneasy, unfollow. And as a last resort, block. The most important thing when responding and combating antisemitism is to protect yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Although I cover many historical Jewish topics in my Jewish history classes throughout high school, this internship advances my knowledge by going more in-depth in these areas. For instance, I have conducted presentations in my history class, and Jewish history class, and taught my peers about the origins of antisemitism. This includes history regarding the Spanish Inquisition, the crucifixion of Jesus, President Grant’s Number 11 Proclamation, and the Holocaust. To become aware and knowledgeable about antisemitism today, it is important to internalize the past of the Jewish people. Providing me with resources and materials to educate my peers, family, and community, StandWithUs encourages me to grow within my Jewish identity.
Ultimately, “StandWithUs’ goal is for there to be no need for StandWithUs”. This is because SWU emerged as an organization to combat antisemitism and hopes eventually its mission will succeed. Therefore, we as a society must strive to increase Jewish pride and educate people on Jewish history. As Ari Chesterman explains, by educating over “100,000 students every year”, the StandWithUs Leventhal Internship supplies teens from all over the world “with dynamic education.”
