Jewish students have many opportunities to learn about the Holocaust from their family members, films, books, or lessons in Jewish day schools. Stories of antisemitism are shared in the news, but more often are told as an aspect of our family’s experiences throughout history. This effectively infuses a Jewish child’s life with feelings of fear and the need to be cautious. Despite this theme of persecution, the Jewish community remains strong, striving to bring light and love to every generation.
Struggle:
Ancestry
Hatred runs deep
Even before my
Great Grandfather’s time.
Pride does sweep
All throughout
Our ancestor’s line.
Deviously, they worked us
Always, wanting more-
Even before the mines.
Joy, when they trust
Their stories will be told
For the future of our mankind.
Parents
Skeptical of their success,
Lies were spread.
They still, appear on signs.
Love, expressed
As they kept calm;
Two evils cannot align.
The need to protect
A portion of land-
A multi-claimed line.
For survival, they’ve kept erect
Our flag to mean peace;
This, our generations climb.
Hope is taught
To children, all around:
“Next year in Jerusalem” every time.
Us
Fearfully, some hide the star,
Some boldly wear tzitzit.
“Stay safe”, we try.
Courageously, we travel far
And spread our message:
We won’t hide our pride.
Ignorance across the nation,
Artists spread their views-
Making future horrors, defined.
Love, through education
Is how we, respond…
So history won’t be so blind.
To disrupt, rocks for rockets
Are thrown at dorms.
But now, not counted a crime.
To repair, files in pockets:
We’ve got laws to amend!
We shouldn’t waste time.
Tired, as we struggle,
But we won’t give up-
Tomorrow is today’s time.
Love, as we chuckle
At the irony of it all;
Human at our prime.
Ilana Zlotchenko is currently a Junior at the University of Maryland, College Park studying Neurobiology and Physiology. She enjoys writing poetry in her spare time and has been publishing her poetry since 2022 on her account [i_iz_writing] on Instagram. While she began writing romantic pieces, Ilana now focuses on her experiences of being a Jewish student in university.
