What Jewish American teens have to say about marching for Israel in DC

Counted among the nearly 300,000 supporters who gathered on the National Mall, nine teenagers share their experiences and thoughts from the rally

By AMI GELMAN and DANIELA GRIBETZ16 November 2023, 4:46 pm

Young participants hold signs reading 'America Stands with Israel' as they take part in the March for Israel on the National Mall, November 14, 2023, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

JTA — They went to Washington to support Israel and left the rally with a deepened sense of the Jewish community in the United States.

So said teenagers who were among the estimated 290,000 Israel supporters who gathered on the National Mall on Tuesday — one of the largest gatherings of Jews in US history.

The teens, representing a significant part of the crowd, came to march for Israel and fight against antisemitism following Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which Palestinian terrorists slaughtered some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took at least 240 hostages.

JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellows were at the March for Israel to report on their peers’ experiences throughout the day; many heard from teens that they would be returning home inspired by the number of people, the range of Judaism represented, the support of non-Jewish allies and the overall feeling of hope.

Here’s what nine young people who were proud to be a part of the historic gathering said during their day in DC. https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-jewish-american-teens-have-to-say-about-marching-for-israel-in-dc/