How The IST Trip Effected My College Application Process

OPINION- As a senior, applying to college is constantly on my mind. Every conversation seems to revolve around which schools I’m applying to, what I want to study, and where I hope to attend. While I appreciate the attention, there’s a topic the Jewish community often avoids discussing: antisemitism on campus. 

Beyond the standard questions about my applications, I wrestle with deeper concerns. Am I prepared to face harassment on the way to class? To see hateful symbols outside my dorm? To have my identity as a Jew weaponized against me?

However, if DJDS has taught me anything, it’s that Jews aren’t victims; we’re survivors. My education at this school has revolved around the triumphs of the Jewish people, whether that be from the Hanukkah play in elementary school or sitting in Israeli Seminar learning about the events that led to the founding of Israel. These brutal parts of our history are often used to commemorate our success, rather than dwell in our sorrow.

But after October 7th, we were no longer allowed to live in a reflective, celebratory mindset. We were forced to confront the antisemitism in our world. In our cities. In our future colleges, where, in March, a new war began.

I watched in horror as Jewish students were told to leave campuses, that Hitler was right, and that organizations like Hillel and Chabad were promoting genocide. 

As the story of the Jewish people goes, there are always those who sit idly by - Jews and gentiles alike. And suddenly, in April, the overwhelming rush that I was letting this happen broke the dam of my own inaction; I told my parents I wanted to spend my summer in Israel. 

Even though the idea of sending their teenage daughter to an active war zone may have terrified them, my parents made sure I got there.

In June, I joined 40 teens on the Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour, led by Jewish Colorado. Our journey began in Poland, where I saw the haunting remnants of Jewish life before the Holocaust. Abandoned synagogues and concentration camps brought the history I learned at DJDS horrifically to life. 

Landing in Israel, the contrast was striking. The country felt alive in a way I’d never experienced—its colors sharper, its people filled with joy and resilience. 

Back in the U.S., while college campuses grew hostile toward Jews, my connection to Israel deepened. My Zionism was reignited. I began sharing facts, stories, and personal reflections about the war on social media. It became clear to me: any school that rejects me for my Zionism isn’t one I’d want to attend. 

My time in Israel this summer cemented my love for the country, and I’m excited to bring this newfound passion to college next year. I am now planning to major in Biology and Human Health at Emory University.