On November 14, 2023, I embarked on an extremely meaningful journey alongside 3 Northstar Council board members: Sage Hartman, Josh Bagley, and Ruby Comito. We traveled to DC and represented our council at the March for Israel, which was an enormous responsibility and an incredible opportunity.

Around 200 people from Minnesota met at the airport the morning of, where we filled up an entire chartered plane. It was a unique experience for me, as the plane ride was filled with excited chatter and Jewish geography while people got to know one another. We sang Odaveinu Chai and other songs on the plane, and a local rabbi announced the significance of the event. It was a bonding for all of us and helped me appreciate my city in a new way.

Upon arrival at the march, I was immediately touched by the amount of people at the event. Over 290,000 people were in attendance - making it the largest American Jewish gathering in history and creating an environment of overwhelming support. Knowing how many people felt the same way as me was an appreciated comfort, and it cemented the idea that I wasn’t alone. Especially as someone who comes from a school with virtually no Jews, being surrounded by hundreds of thousands was both deeply heartwarming and validating. As I walked through the march, I ran into people from every step of my Jewish journey: my teachers from my Jewish pre-school, my old babysitter, long-distance friends from camp, and new connections from my BBYO Passport trip this past summer. Seeing all these people come together was an amazing feeling; for me, it emphasized the beauty of the Jewish community.

Other than the contagious energy and support of the event, my favorite part was listening to speeches. For a few hours at the march, we heard from many speakers - each with their unique background and role in the movement. These people ranged from government workers to college students, to prior IDF soldiers, to those with kidnapped family members. Their stories taught me about others’ grief and suffering in both the US and Israel during this time and the glimmer of hope and optimism that are so crucial to search for. The variety of perspectives allowed me to view the conflict through many lenses and understand how it affected a multitude of different people. However, one commonality was the same among all these people: the determination to fight for Israel. Their ways of achieving this goal varied but included educating others, emphasizing the true necessity of peace, and urging action to find the missing hostages. These speeches gave me new insight into Israel’s situation and the role I can play in helping. Coming out of this event, I am more able to tackle conflict with others about this issue and also gained more confidence and love for my Jewish identity.

Ultimately, my biggest takeaway from the event was the everlasting persistence of the Jewish community. Despite facing hatred and exile for decades, we have always been able to come together in strength and power. Even though this heartbreaking tragedy, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt said it perfectly: “We [the Jewish community] will win. We always have.”