Pictured: Sophie Homberger (right), at the Washington D.C. March for Israel rally in front of the capital on November 14, 2023 calling to free the hostages, support Israel and combat antisemitism.

By Sophie Homberger 
JCRC Summer Intern

August 14, 2025

As a high school student in Minnesota with a passion for politics and policy, I was thrilled when I was accepted to The George Washington University. I couldn’t wait to become politically active in the DC scene. But little did I know that my peers who also dreamed of activism would organize against me and my community. 

Like many college students, I was up on the evening of October 6 (the morning of October 7 in Israel), scrolling through social media. When I saw videos of the attack, I was concerned for the safety of my family in Israel, and I grew more and more devastated as I read reports of the murders, rapes, and kidnappings. I assumed my fellow GW students would be shocked and outraged as well. Some were. But, to my astonishment in less than a week, instead of seeing Israelis– and Jews in general – as the victims of a gruesome terror attack, to them, we were the villains. 

Imagine my shock when I went to the library to study on Oct. 24, 2023, and saw the phrase “Glory to our Martyrs” and “Divest from Zionist Genocide” projected onto the building by members of the Students for Justice in Palestine club. Martyrs? The people who raped and killed and kidnapped were martyrs? 

Imagine my disillusionment when the feminist group GW Rage that I had joined refused to believe the Israeli women who were raped and instead pointed fingers at Israel accusing it for “genocide.” Imagine my fear when a man with a poster displaying swastikas and the phrases “the only solution is the final solution” chased me down the street at night.  

Imagine my frustration and anxiety when I had to study for finals yet was afraid to go to class because hundreds of students and non-students had taken over the university property chanting “Intifada Revolution!”

It was a lot to handle. Like so many Jewish college students I was forced to confront the complexity of a multi-front war that began on October 7 alongside an eruption of antisemitism on my campus. My Jewish peers’ responses varied. Some students were publicly vocal while others tried their best to avoid it. 

For me, experiencing antisemitism on campus motivated me to be an openly proud Jewish woman willing to take heat and stand up for what I believe in. I attended the Nov 14, 2023 March for Israel in Washington where I heard inspirational speakers and stood proudly in my Jewish identity. I spoke at GW’s October 7th commemoration last year, started a Jewish on Campus chapter, and I am actively working with administration to improve Jewish life on campus. 

This summer I have had the privilege of interning for the JCRC to further my knowledge and commitment to the Jewish community. I shared my experience as a Jewish college student on a campus outside of Minnesota at a JCRC Board of Directors meeting. I provided support at JCRC’s Annual Event where I saw hundreds in our community gather to celebrate our Judaism. In my internship, I have appreciated the ability to attend meetings with different stakeholders to understand community concerns, work on educational outreach and programming, and learn about security within the Jewish community. I am grateful for my experience with the JCRC, and it has only furthered my passion for Jewish work. 

Since studying Criminal Justice at college, I have been interested in pursuing a career within the intelligence and security field. During my internship I had the opportunity to attend the JCRC Security Town Hall where I heard from a variety of intelligence specialists who provided insights on security measures to take in our everyday lives. Furthermore, I have learned from the JCRC security team about their daily efforts to strengthen Jewish security. These  experiences – combined with my time on a college campus– have strengthened my interest in focusing on Jewish Community Security and intelligence. I am grateful for all the support from the JCRC team, without them this experience could not have been possible.

This blog post was the featured staff column for the August 2025 Gesher (‘Bridge’ in Hebrew) – JCRC’s monthly email newsletter.
Subscribe