On October 25th, my school, Edina High School, participated in a Pro-Palestine walkout. It had been in the planning process for around a week - a process that included the creation of an Instagram account, lots of social media action, and many flyers put up in the hallways. The walkout was even reposted on my school's "truth" account: an account that, prior to this, had created a safe space for those who fell victim to hateful comments due to race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This account was crucial for my school due to its primarily white, Christian student body, and it meant a lot to those in minorities. I had personally sent in a post on that account once, and to see it shift its beliefs entirely towards Palestine and anti-Semitism was extremely hurtful for me and many others.

On the morning of October 25th, as I was walking through the halls, I saw lockers filled with Palestinian flags, megaphones, and posters. I heard many students talking about the walkout, believing it to be a positive and exciting event. I even heard a few people saying they were going to participate for no other reason than getting out of class. It was hurtful and invalidating and weighed heavily on me. I progressed through the day with difficulty and desperately wanted to leave, but as most high schoolers know, missing school is more trouble than it's worth.

When the time came for the walkout, people were missing from my class, and loud voices could be heard from outside. One chant was repeated continuously: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." That chant has a deep-rooted history of anti-Semitism. It has been used in violent anti-Israel protests and even by Hamas supporters. It advocates for the complete eradication of Israel and declares that the Jewish people aren't deserving of a homeland. It completely eliminates the "peacefulness" that the protestors said they were aiming for and completely dismissed one side of a decades-long argument. This chant hurt me deeply, even more so knowing that my classmates were participating in this hatred. I went home that day feeling distraught and disappointed in my school's community.

However, the next day, my school's JSU invited a rabbi and a representative from JCRC to come speak to us. They provided us with a comfortable environment where we could voice our opinions and support one another. They informed us on the meaning of this walkout, as well as how to talk to those with differing beliefs from our own. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of educating others on the Israel conflict in order to prevent our fellow students and our community as a whole from making ignorant claims and decisions. Yet, despite all this, the most important part of this JSU meeting for me was that it reminded me of my love for the Jewish community and its power. Regardless of all the hate and strife going on, like this walkout, I will always remain a proud Jew.