40 Photos I Shot In Celebration of Today's Zionist Activist Students

I flew to D.C. and reported at the Israel on Campus Coalition's Leadership Summit, which brought together 500 students from colleges across the country

On Sunday I arose around 3:30 a.m. to reach the Palm Springs International Airport by 4:45 for my 5:45 flight. As I did last year, I was leaving for the Israel on Campus Coalition’s Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., which ran from August 4-6.

ICC’s travel agent could not schedule me on a red-eye flight, so by the time I arrived in our nation’s capital (a very rare East Coast trip for me), the conference had already started. But I was able to get off the plane quick, snag a taxi, and arrive just at the tail end of the first session. The next one soon began, featuring former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett:

The students during the conference’s opening sessions on Sunday:

I didn’t take any photos during the day on Monday because I was running around, headless chicken-style, interviewing 13 students (I would talk to two more on Tuesday) and ICC CEO Jacob Baime. I also drafted and submitted my first story about the event, which you can read here:

In wake of protests, Israel on Campus Coalition draws 500 students from 153 campuses to DC

Contrary to last year, I barely attended any of the sessions. My editor had assigned me to focus on talking to students; there weren’t any speakers I needed to be sure and report on or interview—which was just fine with me!

There was one item on the schedule, though, that I absolutely could not miss…

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The dance floor set up for Monday night’s Matisyahu concert:

The students enjoying dinner before the show:

There were buffets offering tacos, sushi, and Chinese:

The students gather on the dance floor before the concert begins:

Matisyahu’s son Laivy Miller opened for his father and he was fantastic, really pumping up the students:

After a full day of interviewing students about feeling unsafe on their campuses during the last two semesters’ pro-Hamas protests and antisemitic encampments, seeing them all celebrate together and rock out was cathartic:

The lights were fantastic:

And then the man himself, Matisyahu, emerged to perform with his son:

When Matisyahu began performing solo, the energy of the crowd intensified as the students sang along, with him leading them at one point in chanting “Am Yisrael Chai.”

I’d reported on this “Curb Your Antisemitism” shirt before, so it was a delight to see one of the students wearing it:

At this point in the night, I decided to grab some chocolate truffles and share on social media how much I was enjoying myself. I carried that yellow legal pad around all 3 days, scribbling down notes of everything I could:

The brother of this IDF soldier who had died during the war to destroy Hamas spoke before the concert, and these bumper stickers were scattered around the tables:

One of the students brought an Israeli flag to the concert and it became part of the celebration. I felt tremendously moved watching Matisyahu and the students hold it up together:

Seriously, this was just amazing to watch, akin to the Jewish state crowdsurfing, held aloft by her most dedicated defenders:

AM YISRAEL CHAI!

Just to make the juxtaposition of the conference clear, at breakfast the next morning, the students saw a recorded message just for them from Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the member of Congress doing more than anyone else to fight against the Jew-hate at their schools and holding weak administrators accountable for their failures:

One of the final events of the conference featured Dorothy Tananbaum, ICC’s Board Chair, interviewing Marvel Joseph, Director of National Field Operations and Engagement for the National Black Empowerment Council, on nurturing Black-Jewish friendships and political alliances:

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My second and final story on the conference—which I completed and submitted yesterday—should appear next week. It took some time to go through all 15 interviews and figure out the article, but ultimately it seemed to come together well.

Since returning home to our desert hideaway on Tuesday night, the jet-lag has brutally beaten the crap out of me—the tiredness exacerbating my PTSD more than anything else all year.

But that’s OK. Meeting these amazing students, hearing their stories, and then seeing them explode with joy together, was totally worth it. Appreciations to the ICC team for bringing me out again - I’m looking forward to next year!

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