A Thank You Letter to My Past
By Jacqueline Blyudoy
On November 19, I brought a resolution citing the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism to CCNY’s USG Senate floor and it passed. By passing IHRA, CCNY ensured written protection of identity for all Jewish students on campus. At first, I reveled in the countless “Congratulations!” messages, phone calls, and social media posts. Shortly after, I began to reflect on the experiences and people that brought me to where I am and made this possible.
My parents emigrated from the former Soviet Union with Jewish refugee status. Both faced their shares of antisemitism during their childhood. Each consecutive year, the teacher made sure to mark them down as “Jew”…