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The first time I asked a room full of Jewish teens if they were facing antisemitism, not a single hand went up.
It was just weeks after Oct. 7, a time when Jewish students across America were being harassed, shouted down, and targeted simply for who they were. I had been asked to “take the temperature” of antisemitism in both public and private schools across Atlanta. As someone who meets with more Jewish teens than anyone else in the region, over 4,142 students just last year through our Jewish Student Union (JSU) programs, I expected to hear stories of fear, anger, and isolation.
“No,” they said. “We don’t really face antisemitism.”
At first, I was relieved. Maybe Atlanta was different. Maybe somehow our teens were shielded from the wave of hatred sweeping the country. But then I asked a different question.
ANTISEMITISM: FACE IT. FIGHT IT. FINISH IT
“How many of you have ever heard someone make a Jewish joke at your expense?”
Every hand went up.
“How many of you have heard someone mention Jews and money, or say Jews control the media?”
Every hand went up again.
“How many of you have had someone say something negative about Israel or about Jews because of Israel?”
Every single hand.
That’s when I realized something far more alarming than open hate: our teens no longer recognize antisemitism when they experience it.
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The New Normal of Hate
What does it mean when a generation of Jewish young people believes that being mocked, criticized, or targeted for their Jewish identity is simply part of life? It means antisemitism has become so pervasive, so embedded in the social fabric of our schools and online spaces, that it no longer registers as abnormal.
It means the next generation is being conditioned not to feel outrage but resignation.
Today’s Jewish teens are growing up in an environment where ancient stereotypes are recycled as humor, where anti-Israel chants are broadcast across TikTok, and where classmates repeat hateful slogans without understanding their origins. This steady drumbeat of bias has numbed our youth to what’s happening around them.
When antisemitism stops shocking us, it starts defining us.
The Quiet Erosion of Identity
In conversations with teens, I’ve heard things that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Some have asked me, “Can we take the word Jewish out of our club’s name? It offends people who hate Israel.” Others have wondered, “Can we talk about something other than Jewish topics in our meetings? It makes people uncomfortable.”
These requests don’t come from apathy; they come from exhaustion. From a generation so accustomed to hostility that their survival strategy is to hide in plain sight.
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But the true offense is not the name “Jewish Student Union.” The true offense is the idea that a Jewish teenager should ever feel the need to erase their identity to make others more comfortable.
The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher
If Jewish teens accept antisemitism as “normal,” then we as a community have failed to teach them what is not normal. The normalization of hate is how it spreads unchecked. It erodes self-worth, weakens solidarity, and invites escalation.
The crisis isn’t just the antisemitism itself; it’s the desensitization to it.
That’s why our work at JSU is more critical than ever. We meet teens where they are, in their schools, cafeterias, and friend groups and help them rediscover pride in who they are. We teach them not just to recognize antisemitism, but to respond with dignity and knowledge. We remind them that being Jewish is something to embrace, not conceal.
Our teens need to feel proud of who they are as Jews and confident in recognizing when that identity is under attack. Because if we don’t help our teens define what antisemitism is, the world will define it for them, or worse, convince them it doesn’t exist.
A Call to Awareness
Parents, educators, and community leaders must act. We cannot assume our kids “know” what antisemitism looks like, nor can we rely on schools to address it adequately. We must have the hard conversations, teach our history and create spaces where Jewish teens feel proud and supported, not silenced or alone.
After Oct. 7, we saw how quickly centuries-old hatreds resurfaced. But we also saw how powerful Jewish resilience can be. That same strength must be passed to our teens, not through fear, but through pride.
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The future of Jewish identity in America will be shaped not by those who hate us, but by whether our children have the courage and confidence to stand up as Jews, unashamed and unafraid.
Because the only thing more dangerous than antisemitism itself is a generation that no longer recognizes it.
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