As many of you have probably read, heard about, or experienced firsthand, the war in Israel has spilled over — at least rhetorically — onto American college campuses. This week, we asked some of our Wise college students to reflect on their experience(s) over the past few weeks and beyond. 

On October 7th 2023, I think I finally realized what it really meant to be Jewish. I came home to my apartment in NYC to find two of my roommates, sitting in silence on the couch. I heard what had happened in Israel, but due to school and work I hadn’t had any time to process it. I put my stuff down, and joined them. We sat in silence for a good while, sometimes looking at each other, trying to come up with words that might be consoling, but nothing came. Finally after about 20 minutes, one of my roommates stood up and said, “We gotta do something about this” and went into his room to plan. The days that followed were confusing as I’m sure it was for most of us. We were still finding out information, disregarding misinformation, and trying to wrap our brains around what had just happened to our people and the place we all hold so dear.

The following week is when I started to feel uncomfortable and at times unsafe. My first interaction with a situation regarding the war against Hamas was in my Fashion History course, a class that I assumed would never discuss this topic. About ten minutes into the class a fellow student brought it up, exclaiming how happy they were that the Palestinian people were “finally fighting back against the Israeli government”. After the weekend that every Jew in the world had just experienced, hearing this in my fifteen person classroom, I could not stay silent. I responded back calmly, attempting to explain that it was not the Palestinian people, that it was a terrorist organization that was doing the most disgusting, vile and despicable acts upon innocent lives. Their response was bland and, instead of giving me a counterpoint (which there isn’t one), they decided to point out the Israeli flag pin that I have on my school bag. I responded very defensively, admittedly using some words I should not have. This is when the TA finally butted in to change the subject. I sat there for a few minutes, feeling lots of eyes on me. I began to feel uncomfortable so I took myself out of the situation and left class early. The reason I left wasn’t because I was uncomfortable being with my fellow classmates, I left because I felt that I wasn’t supported by my teacher, which is something that my school prides itself on and promotes as a dominant culture of the institution. I felt alone in a place where I shouldn’t feel alone.

While that was the only personal situation I have faced this far, I do want to comment on current and sometimes extreme antisemitism in New York City. I live in the East Village, which has the largest population of young adults that I have seen in my life. Commonly, young adults have progressive and liberal views, the vast majority of which I agree with and would promote. For some reason that I still can’t wrap my head around, a significant amount of the young adult population in New York is wholly and completely against Israel. Anytime I go to a rally in support of Israel, I see a “Free Palestine” protest not even a block away. On my walk to class I am shoved anti-Israel, anti-Jewish flyers by masked individuals. Two weekends ago, my boss told me that she wanted me to stay home from work because of the disgusting threats made by Hamas to Jews around the world.

I have grown up Jewish my entire life. I went to Wise for Sunday school, and go to services here every year. I went to Milken for middle school and high school and camp Alonim almost every summer. In my 10th grade year of high school, I studied in Israel at Alexander Muss High School and grew to love Israel like it was a second home. Judaism has been instilled in me in all of the best ways possible. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the most beautiful and the safest Jewish environments possible. I’m saddened to say that this is the first time in my life where I’m scared to be Jewish. A feeling I sadly share with many of my Jewish friends in and outside of NYC.

I tell you all of this not to add to our collective growing fears that all Jews are experiencing right now, but to remind everyone that we’re not alone. I grew up learning about antisemitism, but this is the first time I am personally experiencing it. I’m so grateful for that shelter that I was granted during my younger years but as sad as it is, I’m also appreciative that I am experiencing it as a young adult because I now have some tools that I can use to combat it. As unfortunate as it might be, nothing beats experience.

What this past month has taught me is that nothing is more powerful than community, a community I have greatly missed since leaving the Milken and Wise communities almost two years ago. I used to not understand why my parents sent me to Jewish day school. I thought it was so that I could learn Hebrew and the morals that come with our tradition. I now understand that these wonderful and impactful institutions planted seeds in me that would grow when they needed to. The time to react and make change when you can is now. I have since joined a small community of Jewish kids here in New York and it has brought a sliver of that shelter from home and also given me so many new friends. I am proud to be Jewish, and will continue to wear my Star of David and Israel pin without fear. We can’t let them take that from us.

—Jack Milkes
Fashion Institute of Technology
New York City