社区的力量

凯特 DeSantis ’22 has been interested in politics since she was a young girl. 在 advice of her dad, Victor DeSantis ’86, and her sister, Rebecca DeSantis ’16, 凯特 chose to study political science at 九州娱乐官网. 但一到这里，她就找到了她 own path—a double major in political science and philosophy combined with the prelaw program, and peppered with leadership roles and a series of internships and research projects that demonstrate her commitment to public service and political thought.

 

A Maryland General Assembly internship, a Cater Fellows grant to study how political gridlock affected policy relating to COVID-19, and an internship with 山的 coronavirus report team were just the beginning for 凯特, who began her term of Student Government Association president in March 2021.

“The biggest thing on my mind as a student leader is building community,” 凯特 says. “In addition to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the College leadership is in transition. It’s hard for students to know the administration. 我真的很期待 a president who is engaged and invested in 九州娱乐官网, and who wants to include 我们[学生]在大的对话.”

凯特’s scholarship looks beyond the college campus into the Jewish American experience. Supported by a 罗伊安斯研究奖学金 on the Study of Jewish Life and Thought, 凯特发表了一篇论文，发表在 《九州娱乐官网评论》, about rise of antisemitism and threats of violence against the Jewish community. 她的论文, Mitigating Risk While Maintaining 社区: An Examination of the Effect of the Rise of Antisemitism on the American Reform Jewish 社区, draws on three case studies to evaluate how security measures have changed the way 犹太人聚集在一起庆祝他们的信仰. 她在 华盛顿特区的米迦神庙.C., temple B’Nai Israel in Easton, Maryland, and her home synagogue in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Congregation Shaarai Shomayim.

“Much of Jewish ritual and modern practice has been shaped by typical societal evolution,” 凯特 writes, “but certain aspects of the American Jewish experience have been shaped by pressure and fear related to Antisemitism. 最近，犹太人不得不重新思考 their traditional religious and cultural practice, in many cases having to wonder whether there are risks associated with these actions and how to mitigate these risks.  What are the potential dangers at this gathering, celebration, holiday, or activity 日常生活? What are the implications of my risk assessment and my ability to fully 体现了我的犹太价值观?”

Increased surveillance equipment, cybersecurity measures, evacuation plans, and armed security personnel are now more common as synagogues prepare for the unimaginable.

“There are different responses from members of the Jewish community: some react with pride and solidarity, while others prefer to keep their practice private and stay 在雷达下，”凯特写道.” Some have responded by reconnecting with their local synagogues or attending rallies or community gatherings. 这些不同的反应 to the surge in Antisemitism has impacted Jewish identity in dramatic ways.…[和] although Jewish attitudes might shift with the response to growing Antisemitism, there is a resounding sense of pride that remains in Jewish communities.”