After Oct. 7, Jewish students across America experienced a surge in harassment, shouting, and targeted incidents simply for being Jewish. A leading rabbi was tasked with assessing the prevalence of antisemitism in public and private schools across Atlanta. Over 4,142 Jewish students participated through the Jewish Student Union (JSU) programs. The rabbi expected to hear stories of fear, anger, and isolation, but the first reaction from the teens was a surprising lack of recognition of the issue. The rabbi was initially relieved, assuming Atlanta might be an exception. However, further questions revealed a different truth.
When asked about experiences such as Jewish jokes, stereotypes about Jews controlling money or media, and anti-Israel sentiment, every teen raised their hand. The rabbi realized that the real problem was not the presence of antisemitism but the desensitization to it. Many Jewish youth were conditioning themselves to not feel outrage but to accept it as part of life. This normalization of hate is concerning because it allows it to spread unchecked.
The current situation has Jewish teens growing up in an environment where ancient stereotypes are recycled as humor, with anti-Israel chants spreading across TikTok and classmates repeating hateful slogans without understanding their origins. This constant exposure has numbed the youth to what is happening around them. When antisemitism stops shocking us, it starts defining us, and the rabbi warns that this normalization is how hate spreads unchecked.
In conversations with teens, the rabbi heard requests that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, such as changing the name of their club to avoid offending people who hate Israel or discussing topics other than Jewish issues in meetings for the sake of comfort. These requests stem from exhaustion rather than apathy. The teens are so accustomed to hostility that their survival strategy is to hide in plain sight.
The rabbi emphasizes that the true offense is not the name ‘Jewish Student Union’ but the idea that a Jewish teenager should ever feel the need to erase their identity to make others more comfortable. If Jewish teens accept antisemitism as normal, the community has failed in teaching them what is not normal. The normalization of hate erodes self-worth, weakens solidarity, and invites escalation. Hence, the rabbi stresses the importance of action from parents, educators, and community leaders to ensure Jewish teens feel proud and supported rather than silenced or alone.
The incident after Oct. 7 showed how quickly centuries-old hatreds could resurface. However, it also demonstrated the power of Jewish resilience. The rabbi believes that same strength must be passed to the teens not through fear but through pride. The future of Jewish identity in America depends on whether the children have the courage and confidence to stand up as Jews, unafraid and unashamed. The rabbi concludes that the only thing more dangerous than antisemitism itself is a generation that no longer recognizes it.