A Jewish Journey of Identity and Courage

“And what do you do if they say something nasty to you?” I broke the silence, noticing Emma still wouldn’t lift her gaze. She rocked her legs under the chair. “Like… if they laugh about Jews?” “I just change the subject. Ignore it. What else can I do?” she replied after a few moments. “I do the same,” I admitted. Emma finally looked up at me. “One of the guys from the team is always making remarks. He posts awful reels and tags me in them.” “I don’t get what they have against Jews. What’s the deal? We’re Americans just like they are—like their grandparents didn’t come from somewhere, too.” Emma sounded frustrated, and I understood why. Marcus’s family was from Greece, and Chen was the first in his family born in the U.S., coming from South Korea. “Exactly,” I agreed. “Remember how during COVID, everyone was so awful to anyone who looked Chinese? Or who was assumed to be?” “It was really weird,” Emma said, looking at me with wide eyes. “It was just stupid.” “But it’s the same thing. They were miserable. My friend Chen was afraid to go outside. And it wasn’t that long ago.” “True, I remember that. But it’s over now. Do you think it’ll stop for Jews, too?” “I don’t know,” I replied, seeing the sadness spread across Emma’s face. “Well, there’s not much we can do about it. Let’s get back to our assignment,” Emma said, her voice returning to normal. “I’ll start. Judaism for me isn’t just a religion like Christianity; it’s a tradition, a glorious history of a determined people who’ve preserved their uniqueness for thousands of years. I think I’m

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