I don’t like to get personal on this platform, but I would like to share my personal experience regarding anti-semitism. 

I lived in Iran until the age of ten. I have very dark memories of that time, and one of those memories is being indoctrinated at by the Islamic Republic to hate Jews & Israel. 

Every morning we were made to line up before class in the schoolyard & shout slogans against America & Israel. The regime’s portrayal of Israel was particularly nasty. 

I already knew about America since we had family there, so I was skeptical about the regime’s lies. But I didn’t know anything about Israel. 

And there was no source of information to explore. So I would think to myself: what is this place Israel? Only when my family moved to the US was I able to learn about Israel. 

And I read everything I could about Judaism, Israeli history, the Holocaust, you name it. It was immensely eye opening for me. 

But I didn’t have the opportunity to go to Israel until a few years ago for a conference. And you know what? I was nervous. I knew how much damage the regime had done to Israel & felt that Israelis may resent #Iranians. 

And there it was on my American passport: Born in Iran. I’d heard that #Iranian born people got a lot of extra attention by Israeli security upon arriving at Tel Aviv airport. 

But the conference organizer had issued me a special invite & I sailed through the airport’s security check. I was treated like royalty lol. 

It was perhaps my best airport experience ever. And I found Israel to be an immensely fascinating country full of culture, history, and welcoming people (and great food). Israelis were soooo curious about #Iran. And so thoughtful. 

It was such a great experience for me. And I thought that my trip was a small personal blow against the evil regime ruling #Iran. I’d defeated the regime’s indoctrination of me. 

It’s been very hard to process October 7. I’m still in shock & full of grief. I hate seeing my Jewish friends being targeted in America and Europe. I hate seeing synagogues with armed guards everywhere I go. 

But my own personal experience gives me some hope in these terrible times. The key is to read and learn and think and know everything to know possible about Israel & Judaism. 

If a little lost kid in Tehran could withstand the brainwashing and hate of the evil regime, then there is hope for everyone.