The following essay is by our 2023-24 regional intern, Nathaniel Fisher, who has worked both remotely from his home in New Mexico, and in person for much of the spring while attending classes online. Keep reading to learn what ADL means to Nathaniel, and what’s next for him. The entire regional team is grateful to Nathaniel for his tremendous work this year!
Being Jewish is at the forefront of my identity. It is a source of pride and inspiration that despite the thousands of years of persecution, lies, hatred, and delegitimization, I can stand proud as a Jew. However, this is not always easy.
As is the case for many young Jews, I was subjected to antisemitism all the way from elementary school to college. Antisemitism unites two extremes. Whether it be the extreme right rampaging in Charlottesville, or the extreme left disrupting college campuses and attacking Jewish students, it all comes from the same hatred. Even before, and especially following October 7 and the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, antisemitism has found a home on many college campuses and as we have seen, has been expressed with the building of encampments, barring of Jewish students, genocidal slogans and more. This is something that I, along with every other Jewish student on campus, has encountered. Propelled by uneducated social media posts, lies and propaganda, the flames of antisemitism have risen. This is a new and scary reality for Jewish students.
I heard antisemitic and anti-Zionist remarks in my first semester of college, both before and after October 7th, in a classroom, at a dining hall, on a field, and in my dorm hall. I knew that the best way to deal with this scourge was to find community. I joined Hillel at the University of New Mexico, helped gather pro-Israel students on campus, and started my school-year long internship with ADL Mountain States Region.
ADL has been and continues to lead the charge in fighting antisemitism and discrimination. This was the perfect internship to put my efforts towards. When I applied, I did not know just how much this internship would mean to me. Like many others following October 7th, I felt shock, sadness, anger, and emotions that cannot be put into words. ADL provided a place for me to channel my emotions and redouble my efforts in helping ADL to fight antisemitism. With the help of my colleagues at ADL Mountain States, especially my supervisor, Senior Associate Regional Director Sue Parker Gerson, I worked on projects such as the annual Governor’s Holocaust Remembrance Program, antisemitism education in schools through Words to Action, Incident Response and more, learning skills in research, planning and speaking along the way. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to New York City for ADL’s flagship Never Is Now conference on antisemitism, meeting many like-minded people my own age.
Although my internship is coming to an end, I will never forget its impact on me. I will use the skills I learned to continue to fight antisemitism and make college a safe place for Jewish students. I will continue my education at the University of New Mexico, studying Exercise Science, and hope to find a way to combine my twin passions of exercise and advocacy. I want to thank ADL and all the staff at ADL Mountain States for this experience.