By Ashley Hefner, Staff Writer
The thought of traveling around Europe seemed so glamorous until the tragedies of October 7 transpired. A year ago, I began planning a trip for this summer to Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Although the experience was fulfilling and unforgettable, the anti-Israel culture in these foreign countries left me highly uncomfortable and upset.
The anti-Israel culture that I experienced in Greece, my first stop on my trip, was so prominent that when I saw Hebrew writing on the walls of one town, I was immediately shocked. It is unfortunate that this is the case, yet the anti-Israel culture in Europe is so encapsulating that I never expected to encounter these letters that are so familiar to me.. Yet, in a city called Heraklion on an island in Crete, I noticed Hebrew writing graffitied on a wall and immediately rushed to text my friend who speaks Hebrew and asked him to translate the message. Sadly, his response ruined my day. The Hebrew writing translated to, “You are killers and not welcomed here.” From that moment on, I felt scared to embrace my Jewish identity and felt the need to hide it. I was terrified that someone would see my Star of David necklace and aggressively approach me with rude remarks, or worse.
Many of the people in the hostel I stayed at in Heraklion instinctively referred to the land of Israel as “Palestine.” I was too scared to say anything or start a healthy dialogue, so every time this happened, l ignored it even though it upset me. I felt conflicted because I love Israel with all my heart and wanted to share my perspective with them. At the same time, I didn’t want to put myself in a potentially unsafe situation. I was not sure how the strangers in the hostel would react if I asked them, “Why do you refer to this land as Palestine and not Israel?”
Then, in Santorini, I was shocked to see Jewish people openly expressing their Judaism with conviction. As I was walking down the street, I noticed a group of young men and women wearing necklaces of the Star of David. At that moment, I was no longer frightened to outwardly express my Jewish identity. By simply walking alongside my fellow Jewish brothers and sisters, in that instant, I felt prouder than ever to be a part of the Jewish nation. I was eager to approach them to tell them I am Jewish too. But then, my excitement was crushed. The friend who I was traveling with (also Jewish) did not feel comfortable approaching this group of young Jews after our devastating experiences in Heraklion.
From then on, the anti-Israel culture was constant; it was all around me. In Sicily, an island off the coast of Italy, there were pro-Palestine posters advertising demonstrations and fundraisers everywhere. At the same time, I had become accustomed to seeing worse anti-Israel remarks in Greece that I didn’t bat an eye at the ones in Sicily. It is frightening, but I was becoming accustomed to this anti-Israel culture.
Then there is the problem of the media. In Europe, there are many outdoor restaurants with televisions on the street broadcasting the news. Yet, as you can imagine, anytime the news shared information about the war, the headlines were always framed negatively against Israel, insinuating the false claim that Israel launched an unwarranted attack that they now must cease, but won’t. This saddened me immensely, not just because I knew that the news was purposefully portraying my homeland in a negative light. Rather, I felt even more broken as I looked on watching these people watch the news and not feeling brave enough to stand up to defend my country. To defend what I believe in.
Although all the anti-Israel culture I had experienced up until this point deeply upset me, the first time I actually felt threatened was seeing a swastika drawn on the dock of the beach in a Reggio. That upset me like nothing else had before because a swastika is not just anti-Israel, it’s flat-out antisemitic. Before my trip to Europe, I felt concrete in my solid, Jewish identity. Yet, after witnessing that, not only was I horrified, I felt the need more than ever to hide the fact I am Jewish.
Walking down the streets of Europe, I took off my Star of David necklace. I would not dare ask the locals about kosher restaurants in the area.
Then I went to Rome, a city with a dark history reflective of the antisemitism and anti-Israel culture I faced on my journey so far. Although there were the classic Palestinian flags all around the city, I saw one sticker that really shocked me. On the back of a stop sign next to a Palestinian flag were the words “with Hamas” scribbled in marker. I couldn’t believe that people publicly supported Hamas like this. These words made it as clear as ever that such rhetoric of the anti-Israel movement is deeply rooted in support of all the horrors carried out by Hamas terrorists, including the murder of hundreds of Israeli civilians and holding innocent people hostage.
Then, in two small bakeries, one in Florence and one in Venice, everything changed. After many weeks of feeling the need to hide the fact that I’m Jewish, visiting these kosher shops with the most welcoming people ever was the exact relief that I needed. It was there where I finally felt like I could embrace my Jewish identity. I sat in those chairs for hours making friendly conversation with a religious Jewish couple visiting the shop. Their warm and kind personalities were extremely comforting amidst the turmoil I had been facing for so long. Being in this bakery felt like I was back at YU; the wife gave me her number and offered to host me for Shabbat, the women were dressed in tzniut clothing, the men wearing kippahs, and people were wearing Star of Davids around their necks.
Experiencing this gave me the confidence to wear my Star of David necklace again too.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to speak to anyone in the community in Venice, but I did get to witness the bustling Jewish life in the town, which brought me immense joy. I happened to be in Venice on a Saturday and saw many people walking into a synagogue, confident in their Jewish identities, which made my heart full again.
When I got to France, I was heartened to see pro-Israel posters. One billboard had pictures of Ariel and Kfir Bibias with the words “Bring them home” displayed in French, along with the pictures of two other hostages from France. Finally, for the first time during my travels, I saw a city calling for the hostages to return to their homes, which I yearn for every day. Still, it is extremely unfortunate that it took so long in my journey to reach a town that advocates for a cause so rooted in humanity and morality.
Although I felt comforted finally seeing posters in support of Israel, the anti-Israel culture of Europe was still extremely prominent. Visiting Marseille, there were multiple times when I saw the words “Isra-hell” spray painted on buildings alongside Palestinian flags. In Barcelona, “Palestine liberation” was written on trees and scribbled on a mailbox were words that stated Israel is killing children and commiting a genocide. In Ibiza, Madrid and Seville, there were Palestinian flags hanging out of windows everywhere. In Lisbon, the words “free Palestine,” and “free Gaza” were spray-painted on buildings. There were even swastikas spray-painted on the building that I stayed in. That most of all made me feel very unsafe and weary of showcasing my Jewish Identity. After the progress I had made in being proud of my Judaims, there was still that faint feeling of loneliness that made me feel reluctant to proudly display my Star of David.
In life, people will inevitably have different opinions. That is not what upset me about everything that I witnessed during my travels. I think having diverse beliefs is one of the most beautiful things about humanity. What did hurt me was seeing the lack of support for bringing home the hostages, something any human with basic morality should desire, and the lack of support for Israel compared to the immense support for Palestine, which made me feel extremely isolated.
Moreover, seeing swastikas all over these countries is horrific, as they represent obviously antisemitic and hate towards Jewish people, towards my nation. With my experiences it became clear that this conflict extends beyond a simple difference in opinion or civil disagreement. The lack of nuance that I witnessed and the absence of a Jewish-Israeli presence in these countries made me realize that in some cases, there is a lack of understanding and regard for basic moral values that must extend onto all sides of these conversations.
Yet, what disappointed me the most was my own hesitancy and lack of bravery to embrace that I am a Jewish and a Zionist. I love Judaism and Israel with all my heart, but seeing anti-Israel posters, flags and writing made me feel so small and afraid to show these parts of myself. By recognizing that I felt uncomfortable representing Judaism throughout my trip, I have come to learn that this endeavor requires hard work and courage, which I will strive to attain even if it lasts a lifetime.
As I continue to travel in the future I want to represent myself as a proud Jewish woman regardless of my surroundings. I have come to recognize that if I had done this while on my trip this past summer, I might have had the opportunity to have respectful conversations with the people I encountered who have different views than my own. I also could have met other Jewish people who felt the same loneliness and fear that I did and we could have comforted one another. I am regretful that I was not brave enough to show my Judaism proudly, meet other Jews and show people that I am proud to be Jewish, especially during a time when too many people have misconceptions about the Jewish people. I came to realize that this is precisely why we must learn to be proud of our Jewish identities now more than ever.
The anti-Israel culture everywhere else in the world is extremely similar to that which I experienced in Europe. Specifically, in Europe, I felt that everyone there opposed my views. The difference between traveling through Europe and living in New York is that, in New York, there is much more Jewish life and therefore more people that share the same opinions as me, especially at Yeshiva University. Although there is anti-Israel propaganda everywhere in the world, I feel much safer in New York because of the supportive community that Yeshiva University provides.
I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to travel to many different places this summer, and I wouldn’t change my experiences for anything in the world. However, my trip also showed me the importance of living in a Jewish community, where I can surround myself with people who share my values and embrace my Jewish identity with confidence.
Photo Caption: Posters promoting the pro-Palestinian movement in Sicily, Italy.
Photo Credit: Ashley Hefner