Jackalin Shvidky, Period 1, 5/25/2022

Goal Setting & Growth

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

 

For as long as I can recall, I remember my family sitting at the dinner table reminiscing about the life they left behind. Their memories are bitter-sweet. It was not easy to be a Jew in a country with a deep history of antisemitism. Hiding was not an option in the former Soviet Union, where nationality was listed on passports and birth certificates. The United States was seen as a safe haven and land of opportunity.

          My parents hoped for me to never experience the hate and discrimination that they lived through, and I have been fortunate enough not to see it on a large scale until recently. Over the last few years, antisemitism has peaked, as social media pages became flooded with microaggressions and outright racism. Hate stems from misinformation and fear, with advancements in technology making the spread easier and faster than ever before.

I wish I could erase all the hate and fix the world, but that is not possible. Yesterday I was clever… I thought I alone could pick the world up and turn it upside down. Soon I realized I can’t magically change every persons’ opinion and put humanity back at ease. Change takes time, persistence, and lots of work. I had to start with myself.

I cannot change the world, but I can start by learning more about the issue and educating those around me.

One particular instance that opened my eyes to the lack of knowledge and education about antisemitism was a simple discussion in my sophomore year World History course. We were studying World War II and my teacher turned down the lights to play a video about the Holocaust; by the end of the class period, many of my classmates seemed shocked at what they just watched. I was confused. My own grandfather is a Holocaust survivor, and, quite frankly, I had assumed everyone knew of the horrors that had occurred. Apparently not. After class, my best friend, who attended a Catholic middle school, confided in me that this was the first time she had seen this side of events. I was honestly taken aback and appalled. This event is what made me eager to spread the severely lacking knowledge and awareness about Jewish identity, starting with those around me.

I had been a member of the Jewish Club since my freshman year, but after this incident, I started taking a much more active role. I wanted to do everything in my power to draw more attention to the issues, which I faced firsthand. My first steps were to learn more myself so that I could provide accurate information to those around me. I started educating myself by attending seminars and listening to influential speakers who would in turn show me how to effectively influence others. I eventually became the secretary of the Jewish Club, as my passion for awareness only grew.

By starting to change me, I began molding those around me. I alone can not change the world, but if enough people better themselves, the world will change. There are issues we know nothing about because they do not affect us personally, which is why awareness and self-growth are so important in promoting positive change.