WARSAW — As a non-Jewish college student, I felt both excitement and trepidation when I got the call that I had been accepted into a newsmaking tour of Israel.

Was I really ready to go to Israel to witness, report and write from a country reeling from war — given that the mere mention of Israel can be deeply polarizing on campuses, including my own?

The program, organized for aspiring Hispanic journalists through Fuente Latina, offered a chance to report on a story dominating global headlines. But when I shared the news with friends and family, the reactions were mixed.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” some friends asked. “Are you really going to risk your future career opportunities to report on Israel, right when this crisis is happening?”

They had reason for concern. On many campuses, indicating concern about Israel and antisemitism draw immediate backlash.

After thinking it through, I decided to turn that hesitation into motivation. I wanted to prove that reporting on Israel and on antisemitism, past and present, should not be seen as a career risk.

If anything, it is both a journalistic responsibility and part of the job to report on a country firsthand and hear directly from people living through history. This is especially true now, as Jews on campus and in cities around the world face isolation, boycotts and attacks at levels not seen in decades. Too often, opinions are shaped on social media........

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