As I prepare to begin my sophomore year at The Ohio State University in Columbus, I am reflecting on how my experience in Israel during the summer of 2023 prepared me for what I face as a Jewish student on campus amid rising antisemitism.
I am often asked how to deal with the recent challenges on college campuses. For me, a big part of the answer has been drawing upon my time in Israel. That’s why it is more important than ever for high school students to experience Israel for themselves and connect with their heritage, especially in these challenging times.
When news of the attacks broke on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, I was in a state of shock. Just two months earlier, I had returned from my first trip to Israel, and all I could think about were my Israeli friends. I started reaching out to each of them to make sure they were safe. While making these check-ins, someone from our trip group chat reminded us that we had spent time at Kfar Aza, one of the Kibbutz communities hit hardest by Hamas, with dozens killed and 19 people taken hostage. The pictures of destruction surfacing online had no resemblance to the images of peaceful homes and palm trees on my camera roll. I couldn’t believe I had been there just a few months earlier.
Each year, my summer camp in Pennsylvania, Camp Havaya, led a trip to Israel for campers going into 11th grade. I signed up, excited for the chance to hang out with my camp friends and grateful for the opportunity to receive a RootOne voucher that covered some of the cost. I remember getting more excited for the trip as I completed RootOne’s pre-trip learning, feeling like I was about to embark on an experience that would be foundational to my identity. Although I went to Hebrew school through fifth grade and had a Bat Mitzvah during the height of the pandemic, it was this summer in Israel, surrounded by my camp friends and Israeli teens, that cemented my connection to Israel and Judaism.
Israel was a magical place to be during the summer of 2023. We traveled around the country for a month, joined by Israeli teens, each of whom welcomed us with genuine warmth and friendship and enriched our jam-packed days with local knowledge and culture. I loved all of it. From white-water rafting to dancing at the RootOne Big Tent concert to all of the moments in between, I made memories that will last a lifetime.
By the time I returned home, my heart had formed an unshakable connection to Israel and the Israeli people. This connection – formed through firsthand experiences – has and continues to enable me to see Israel clearly, despite the vitriol and hatred spread across social media and beyond in the wake of Oct. 7. With a community of Israeli friends and shared experiences, I was equipped to express my support of Israel and my people, no matter what antisemitism my peers were spewing on social media and elsewhere.
While I was in high school, I assumed my next chapter would be at a small liberal arts college in New England, but the summer of 2023 and October 7th changed my priorities. As I started looking at colleges, I realized I wanted a large Jewish community and a university community that would respect my Jewish and pro-Israel identity. Instead of the small New England school I once imagined, I decided to go to one of the largest universities in the Midwest: The Ohio State University.
Seeing our homeland firsthand and gaining a more thorough understanding has informed my on-campus involvement in Hillel and Students Supporting Israel, where I help organize events bringing Israelis to campus to share their experiences and build community with fellow Buckeyes. When I see antisemitism – through protests against the events I’ve helped organize, or anonymously on apps like Yik Yak – I fall back on my community. I know that they are there for me, and that connection has made me resilient no matter what I face. All Jewish students deserve the same opportunity to gain solid footing in their Jewish identity, and prepare for the realities they face at home.
My experience in Israel shaped the student and person I am today. As I and thousands of other Jewish students head back to school, I’m grateful I’m prepared for what may come, and I hope more in my community will have the chance to feel the same.
Sarabeth Gottlieb is a rising sophomore at The Ohio State University. She spent the summer of 2026 interning at RootOne via NYU’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Life’s CLIP program for aspiring Jewish nonprofit professionals.