With anti-Semitism on the rise, it is our responsibility as Jews to stand up to anti-Semites and debunk anti-Semitic propaganda. One way to confront anti-Semitism is to spread awareness based on facts. A few Ramaz students took on this significant responsibility this summer by taking part in a virtual Anti-Semitism Research Internship. Anna Braun ’22 was one of those students. 

“The goal of the internship was to create a pamphlet for college students about different aspects of Jewish history, Israel or Zionism, and other Jewish related topics. The focus of the project was to illustrate the true facts of situations, so that people can deduce an unbiased and truthful opinion,” she said. “The pamphlets are supposed to cater to Jewish and non-Jewish students alike.” In other words, the writers participating in the internship program wrote pro-Israel and pro-Jewish identity-related articles to be published in pamphlets, which will be accessible by college students across the country. 

Why is this project so important? “There are a lot of misconceptions about Zionism and Israel, and very often people will say things because they just heard them ‘somewhere.’ This project is about delving into facts so that people can see Israel and Zionism for what it is, not for what certain people make it out to be,” said Braun. 

“Both Israel and the Jewish nation are small. We need all the defense we can get,” Braun replied when asked about defending anti-Semitism. 

Anti-Semitism is indeed rising around the world. The Anti-Defamation League reported a record number of anti-Semitic crimes in 2019, for a total of 2,107 anti-Semitic incidents. Similarly, anti-Semitic attacks are increasing regularly in Europe. 

Projects such as this internship send a message to the world, loud and clear: the Jewish community will not be silent.