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Resource Category: General Education

By Talya Gordon | I don’t have the answers for how or even if we will be okay. Right now, all we can do is sit with the pain and be honest about how we are doing. We are not okay. We need the world to do more. We need to mourn and cry and take care of ourselves. We need support from non-Jews, so we know people outside of our community care about our safety.
On college campuses, which are homes for student activism and academic debate, students are describing hostile environments, hate speech, and incidents of violence based on perceived or actual religious affiliation or nationality. These attacks threaten their sense of safety and well-being. To protect the mental health of all students, The Jed Foundation (JED) suggests colleges and universities take the following actions to engage students and support their mental health during this time and beyond.
The Jewish people are at an inflection point, where the reality of antisemitism has become increasingly relevant to us and to our learners. As educators, we need to make sure that our anti-antisemitism toolkits are full with knowledge, questions, answers, and best practices so we can set ourselves up for success in empowering our learners and their families at this moment and beyond. Educators will come away with talking points for asking and answering big questions about antisemitism, actions you can take to kickstart critical conversations with your learners, and ideas about how to empower your teens if/when they encounter antisemitism at this stage of their Jewish journeys. Watch Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath and Amanda Berman in an interactive conversation about antisemitism, Jewish teens, and this unique moment.
By Betsy Stone, Ph.D. | We urgently need to support parents, teachers and other communal professionals who work directly with children with resources for speaking with young people about what is going on as the present conflict continues to evolve.
“Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la zeh – All Jews are responsible for one another” is a Talmudic phrase most often used as a call to action. A symbol of the responsibility we should feel for the well-being of others. It is also a sign of unity and strength, and it reminds us that we are never truly alone in our struggles.
It is true that people aren’t always ready to accept help, even when they desperately need it, but that doesn’t mean we need to wait until they hit rock bottom before accepting or seeking help. We can and should intervene before our friends get to that point. But we need to understand how to do it most effectively and sensitively.
Person helping another person up.