College students hold dueling demonstrations amid Israel’s war with Hamas in April 2024. Photo: Vincent Ricci via Reuters Connect

Walk into any Chabad on campus, scroll through Instagram, or attend a panel on “Jewish identity in 2025,” and you’ll feel it: exhaustion.

The faces are younger, but the weight they carry is old — heavier than it should be for college students trying to find meaning, connection, and joy in their heritage. Antisemitism is surging, yes. The headlines are overwhelming. The betrayal of supposed allies stings. But here’s the deeper crisis we need to talk about: we’re burning out the very generation we’re trying to awaken. And we’re doing it with good intentions.

We’ve built an identity around crisis. Every gathering starts with the stats: “This amount of hate crimes.” “These many campus protests.” “These politicians failed us.” The algorithm serves us fear on a loop. The message? Being Jewish today means being a victim. Being Jewish means you’re losing. Why, then, are we surprised that some young Jews are opting out?

They aren’t indifferent. They’re uninspired. They’re not apathetic. They’re allergic to despair.

Victimhood Is Not an Identity

Jewish history is filled with trauma, but it is also filled with triumph. For millennia, our people have turned pain into purpose, exile into renewal, and scarcity into genius. We are not here because we were victims. We are here because we are survivors, builders, dreamers, and creators.

But in the last few years, we’ve allowed antisemitism to dominate the narrative. Every Jewish conference has a keynote on Jew-hatred. Our newsletters lead with the latest outrage. Our talking points are soaked in fear. The result? We’ve made Judaism feel like a burden, a fight, a cause to defend — rather than a light to share.

We’ve turned off the very people we need to turn on.

They Don’t Want a Protest Movement. They Want a Purpose.

Young Jews don’t want to be told their identity is something to protect. They want to be told it’s something to celebrate. And they want to celebrate it in their own way — not just through Holocaust remembrances and antisemitism awareness panels.

They want to build startups with a Jewish soul. Create art that reflects our ancient values. Reimagine what it means to be a Jewish leader in politics, tech, fashion, or sports. They want to innovate, not litigate their existence.

And we should let them.

If we only hand them a Judaism defined by its enemies, we shouldn’t be surprised if they reject it. If all we offer is a defense mechanism, why would they embrace it with pride?

Being the Light Isn’t Just a Slogan

The world doesn’t need more Jewish martyrs. It needs more Jewish mentors.

We must tell stories of Jewish greatness — not to brag, but to build. To show that our strength is not theoretical, but proven — and that being Jewish is not about surviving the storm; it’s about being the lighthouse.

We’ve produced scientists who changed medicine. Filmmakers who shaped global culture. Economists, engineers, scholars, and soldiers. The IDF doesn’t just defend Israel — it’s a school of leadership, innovation, and moral clarity. The same values pulse through the veins of Jewish entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and changemakers everywhere.

This is the Judaism that inspires. Not one built on fear, but one built on fire.

Let’s Not Scare Them Into Silence

There’s another danger to our obsession with antisemitism. We’re not just exhausting our youth; we’re intimidating them.

If every interaction with Jewish life feels like a moral war zone, many will choose to remain on the sidelines. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re overwhelmed. We’ve created an emotional toll booth at the entrance to Jewish identity. Pay in trauma, or move along.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Do you know what’s actually countercultural? Joy. Confidence. Pride.

Instead of telling young Jews how bad it is to be hated, let’s tell them how good it is to be chosen. Not “chosen” in the arrogant, exclusivist sense that critics distort — but chosen to bring light, to pursue justice, to elevate the mundane.

Being Jewish isn’t about what others think of us. It’s about what we think of ourselves.

You want to energize a generation? Tell them the truth: Judaism is not the losing team. It’s the longest-running success story in human history. We are a tiny people with a massive legacy. We don’t need pity. We need purpose.

From Complaint to Campaign

Let’s be clear: fighting antisemitism is essential. But it cannot be our identity. It must be a chapter, not the cover.

The future of Judaism won’t be written in the language of grievance. It will be written by those who build, create, and lead with confidence –who wear their Jewish identity not as armor, but as a beacon.

The next generation doesn’t want to join a protest. They want to join a movement. Not just against something. But for something. For beauty. For wisdom. For joy. For life.

Let’s give them that movement. Let’s give them that story. Let’s give them back their pride.

Steve Rosenberg is the Principal of the Team GSD, the Regional Director for NAVI in Philadelphia and the author of the book: Make Bold Things Happen: Inspirational Stories from Sports, Business And Life.