Following October 7, Jewish educators in Western countries faced difficult challenges. One was the direct antisemitism Jewish children encountered, which for some was a first-of-its-kind experience. Another was that children who grew up in a world where Israel’s existence was a given, providing them confidence and moments of pride, had to cope with a new realization that the Jewish State was still existentially threatened. Yet another was that because of the accessibility to social media, children were exposed to traumatic images. The more they were engrossed with events, the more horrific documentation they saw.

Complicating matters further are, on the one hand, the culture of regulated speech, which makes moral clarity almost impossible, and on the other hand, the culture of manufactured emotions, which makes distinguishing authentic sentiments from artificial ones difficult.

One result of the troubling times was that some Jewish kids grew closer to their Jewish identity and particularly developed a greater sense of affinity to Israel, as suggested by conversations with three Jewish educators in London and in California. Yet the conversations also alerted about the ethical dilemmas the war in Gaza presented and about the danger that rallying against hate and a sense of victimhood would become the only definers of modern secular Jewish identity.

Yehuda Fink, from North London, is the Director of Education at StandWithUs UK, the British branch of the international, nonpartisan education organization that promotes instructional and informative programs on Israel and on fighting antisemitism for teachers, schoolchildren, and university students.

A former high school teacher, Fink, married and in his thirties, taught junior high school and high school Hebrew and history, with a focus on Jewish history. As the Director of Education at StandWithUs UK his primary duty is overseeing the contents offered to schoolchildren and university students, but he often delivers classes himself.

According to Fink, October 7 was a transformational moment for some young Jewish Brits. “The first reaction from pupils was asking what they could do to help. We did not hesitate to show them what had happened, and their response was a realization that they needed to take ownership.

“In the past, it has been difficult to educate and engage Jewish children with Israel. However, post-October 7, there has been a hunger from the vast majority of Jewish kids to understand why Israel is relevant to them. The engagement among Jews has increased. There seems to be a greater level of interest and more of a desire to be present in a safe Jewish space.”[1]

The interest in the events in the Middle East also involved doubts about the way Israel has conducted the war. “Some children have asked me why so many people are being killed on both sides and how any killing can be justified. For some, this is their first real experience of war. What we once saw from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was really quite limited. We didn’t have social media and so we didn’t see graphic videos of people being killed.

“There is a lot of anger among various communities. We tell children that we must not allow this war to become a new normal and that we must not get used to hostages being held in Gaza. We focus on trying to be brave enough to raise awareness. Most importantly, Jewish educators are more heavily highlighting that we must all act in a dignified manner.”[2]

Rabbi Motte Fradkin is a 43-year-old youth community rabbi and Judaic teacher at Chabad’s San Diego-based Hebrew Academy, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school and high school with 350 pupils. A father of four children, he was born and bred in California before moving to New York City for yeshiva and to France and Australia for rabbinical training. His brother, Rabbi Josef Fradkin, is the Chabad Hebrew Academy Head of School; his father was the founder; his wife is the Judaic Principal.

Fradkin says the war impacted all of his students. “Unlike the previous years of peace between communities here in California, since October 7, all of my students have either witnessed antisemitism or have fallen victim to it. Never in all of these years have I had to ask my students if they feel genuinely safe. In the past, students have been almost completely unaware of the concept of antisemitism; year after year, we have had discussions about Jew-hatred, but the students have always told me how unrelatable it felt.

“One young male high school student, a ‘cool kid’ with a lot of friends, told me about his non-Jewish friends posting hateful antisemitic content. He approached me looking upset but later told me that his confidence was reassured after he spoke to one of his friends and changed his mind. I had taught this boy for two years, but that conversation on having to tackle antisemitism will remain the one I remember.”[3]

A challenge for Fradkin was how to educate his students not to allow the rage over October 7 to overcome their humanity. “It is important to remember that the Jewish people are not about hate. I always reflect with my classes on the words of Golda Meir. She taught us that we, as Jews, do not want fighting. The first lesson I teach to new classes is that if our enemies put down their arms, there would be peace in a second.

“To ensure my students respect others and avoid confrontation, I make it fundamentally clear that we, as Jews, have nothing against any other communities. To hate is not who we are. The lesson I teach to my students is that people are people, and humans are humans. I have these conversations over and over again with students of all ages. I have not experienced any Jewish student inflicting hate.

“The bigger problem here is that some people are ignorant. We work towards making sure that our youth are not. We put steps in place to add to our existing classes [on the conflict] and use the study of portions of the Torah to teach peace-induced values.”[4]

“Life will never be the same for our youth, but I am seeing a trend where school children are prouder than ever to be Jewish. There are a few kids who are neutral in their stance towards this war, but it is impossible to stay neutral forever.”

Thirty-six-year-old Rabbi Zevi New, the father of three, founded, in 2012, together with his wife Musy, the Youth Action Movement (YAM), an organization dedicated to empowering and energizing Jewish teenagers from San Diego to develop their understanding of what it means to live with a sense of purpose and commitment to Jewish values. The organization advocates mainly in-person and through lectures and seminars in high schools. Each week, YAM hosts Teen Community Shabbats, where educators have the opportunity to reach out to teenagers and impart advice, knowledge, and coping strategies for the current political and social climate. The Judaism he advances emphasizes religious practices in a way some Jewish families will not identify with.

He believes October 7 was a game changer. “The perception of what Israel means to students is the biggest change I have seen since October 2023. Israel is no longer just a place on the map but a place deep in students’ hearts. This tiny little country has really unearthed a component of Jewish life that is so important. I watch as students defend a place that they don’t know.

“San Diego represents the prime location for secular Judaism. In my teaching, I want to change the game and place a new cover on an old book. When Jewish students take their Stars of David outside from underneath their shirts, I consider them taking a giant leap. They become more passionate and find their identity.

“Already prior to October 7, I was so pleased to hear about a group of Jewish students challenging a high school newspaper publication that featured anti-Israel rhetoric. The students organized a march in protest and met with the school principal. Post-October 7, I’ve seen that style of thinking completely skyrocket. Every single student has become more in tune with their Jewish identity.

“The teens have taken to heart the defacing of posters of the hostages. That is easily the issue that I am most commonly encountered with by them. A casual joke about the Holocaust is very regular for the Jewish students, but the defacing have caused outrage.

“A former student of mine was studying at Stanford University and was in the class where the professor wanted to segregate Jewish students. The student told me that she would now always visibly wear her Star of David so that others on her campus feel represented.”[5]

I attended a Shabbat dinner organized by Rabbi New and learned how present the conflict in the Middle East has been in the lives of some Jewish high school students. A 16-year-old girl who studies in a non-Jewish school told me about her inability to control her emotions post-October 7. “If I see anyone supporting Palestine, I scream at them,” she said. “I was in school and shouted at another girl wearing a pro-Palestine sticker. I was so angry.”[6]

A 15-year-old boy born in Israel, also studying in a non-Jewish school, said he had approached a girl who spoke against Israel and asked her if she “supported Hamas.” That question was enough to result in his brief suspension, but he does not regret what he did.[7]

Another 15-year-old boy recounted that he reported a classmate for painting a swastika in the school bathroom. “The school principal personally thanked me,” he said.[8]

– Noah Abrahams

[1] Interview by the author with Yehuda Fink, August 20, 2024.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Interview by the author with Rabbi Motte Fradkin, August 12, 2024.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Interview by the author with Rabbi Zevi New, September 12, 2024.

[6] Interview by the author, September 27, 2024.

[7] Interview by the author, September 27, 2024.

[8] Interview by the author, September 27, 2024.