In a week, I leave. As I sit here writing this on January 30, 2025, in one week, I leave the country I grew up in, the country I have known as the safest place in the world, to actualize my values, develop who I am, and learn about my culture, ethnicity, and religion while being on the ground in one of the most complicated geopolitical areas in the world.

But as I have sat and watched synagogues set alight and cars and buildings defaced with antisemitic graffiti, I can't help but feel a slight sense of guilt, a guilt for leaving at a time when my community needs strength the most, a guilt for embarking on a trip that will prepare me to be a better person and leader in our community.

This is no longer about the conflict. This has nothing to do with complicated geopolitics halfway across the world. This is about my community and my right to be Jewish in a country that prides itself on being multicultural.

So I beg for this to stop, for history to stop repeating itself, and for Australia to return to the diverse nation it once was. The Jewish people are strong, and we are here to stay. The past few weeks have probably been some of the hardest in the history of Australian Jewry, but we will not be silenced, and we will continue to fight for a better future for all Australians.