Standing with the Jewish community: Locals among 300,000 to attend March for Israel in DC
An educator at Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, Andrea Olkin wants her youngest students to take pride in their identity as Jews and not have to live in fear or face the rising levels of antisemitism seen around the world since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.
“As a Jewish-American, I feel like we really need to have a voice, yet a lot of places it’s not safe to show love for Israel,” Olkin said. “We don’t expect to have kids on college campuses not feel safe because they’re Jewish.”
Olkin, a Springfield resident, was among those joining the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts on Tuesday’s bus trip to Washington D.C. for the March for Israel.