My First ADL Educational Experience--Especially Before College

The other night I attended an Anti-Defamation League event, mostly focused on anti-semitism on college campuses. Essentially, this was an event just for kids my age who are off to college next year, so as to prepare them for how to face certain realities. All of the kids at the event happened to be people I went to middle school with at Anshe Emet, my current peers at Parker, or other Chicago students that I know from Synagogue, etc-- this was relevant for me in the sense that I felt comfortable at this event, confident to actively participate, and honored to be around people that I have fondly grown up with. Anyway, the ADL is an organization that "imagines a world without hate;" the things they focus on are anti-semitism, civil rights, education/outreach, and combating hate in general. This made me think of the feminism strand because women have historically been oppressed, stripped of basic civil rights, and so I related this event to the hate that women have faced. I appreciated this public event because it made me reflect on my identity as a Jew, as well as my identity as a woman. I learned that there is a difference between ignorance toward issues like anti-semitism as opposed to outright, intentional, aggressive, hatred. To mend the hate or ignorance, the two situations must be tackled differently. At this event, one of the things we did was read aloud various scenarios of what might occur on college campus, and learned tools/phrases that we could use in those situations in order to have our voice heard, stick up for a certain belief, and hopefully educate others. I felt this was important because being prepared for what might be an uncomfortable situation, makes the outcome of whatever happens hopefully that much more effective for the person standing up for themselves, and for the recipient. Being of the minority in the Jewish community, on top of being a woman, I might face double stereotyping or outward comments, but now I know how to better handle that reality. Just because I am a girl or because on the surface I seem quiet, I am always entitled to voice how I feel. Another aspect of this event that I appreciated was the history that was integrated. In order to make a stronger point and to form a more concrete opinion, I believe we must know the history of what has previously happened whether that be about how jews have historically been treated (the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, the Palestinian conflicts, etc) or how women have been treated (didn't have the right to vote, domestic labour, sexual assault victims, etc). Understanding the basis of women's oppression and the basis of anti-semitism and the basis of many other issues that exist today is valuable to me, in order to be the best citizen/person that I can.