New York is back in full swing, with a palpable buzz in the air. It’s the anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and the new year it brings, coupled with that familiar, jittery back-to-school feeling that we’ll never outgrow — whatever “grade” we’ve reached in life.

As the academic year begins, we all wish our community’s children could focus solely on the basics: buying school supplies and choosing electives or majors, rather than being asked to grapple with a world that feels increasingly uncertain and unwelcome. A world where our young people are being forced to carry the weight of ignorance and hate on still-narrow shoulders.

But the first lesson we all learned in Jewish Community 101? None of us are alone — least of all our children.

And that promise is made real both in Jewish spaces and in the wider spaces we share, from summer camps to day schools and public schools to college campuses. Places where every young person deserves to feel safe, seen, and welcome.

So as we enter this season of new beginnings against a fraught backdrop, here are words of encouragement for our students:

For those who went to one of our Jewish sleepaway camps this summer for a week, a month, or even two: You likely came home at least a foot taller and fully versed in the latest Hebrew slang from Israeli counselors who shared a piece of their lives with you. Who made a faraway war into real people and places. I hope Shabbatot under the stars were magical and you made the kind of friends who will lift you up in chairs at your weddings.

Those of you who attended day camp at UJA’s Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds got a breather from the city and a chance to swim, swing on ropes courses, and connect to your Jewish selves. Hold on to both the joy and the courage you found there, like the feeling you had when you slid down that jumbo slide into the pool. And if this was your first exposure to Jewish community? No need to wait for next summer. There’s so much we offer year-round. Bring your parents; we welcome you with wide-open arms.

If you went on one of our Birthright trips, you had an opportunity to see the land and build relationships with Israelis, learning about their lives and sharing your own. You saw the Nova site and Hostage Square, now, unfathomably, marking day 700, with 48 hostages still not home. You volunteered, rolling up your sleeves, packaging goods for low-income families, teaching English, building sustainable nurseries and gardens in the Sderot area, and assisting families returning to kibbutzim. You returned home with Israel embedded in your heart and a deeper understanding of the complexities of the moment.

For those starting off or continuing at yeshivot or Jewish day schools, get ready for Torah before lunch and AP Bio in the afternoon. A word of advice: Don’t get too comfortable. Ask hard questions; push your teachers, push yourselves. Be open to different perspectives. This is where you gain the knowledge and confidence that will serve you well when you graduate into a world that needs informed, engaged Jews. (We’re also working on an exciting new initiative to make Jewish day school more affordable for qualified families. More on that next week!)

If you’re in public or independent school, we hope you’ll carry your Jewish identity with strength and pride, even in environments that can sometimes feel isolating. We’ve been working with your teachers, administrators, and the Department of Education to teach them about Jewish life and heritage, beyond Holocaust education, so we can be seen as fully dimensional people. It’s much harder for someone to spew hate when they are educated to understand who we are. We don’t want you to ever feel pressure to “represent” what it means to be Jewish, but we do want you to feel free to express your full Jewish selves.

Outside your schools, seek out Jewish connections at JCCs, synagogues, or even an upcoming UJA-funded record-breaking Shabbat celebration. There are so many beautiful ways to stay connected.

For those who are starting college, the images of protests and encampments may linger. Maybe you pause before sharing your Jewish identity with a new friend. Maybe you hesitate before putting up a mezuzah on your dorm room’s doorway, or you tuck in your Magen David necklace so it’s out of sight. Remember: Our partners at Hillel and Chabad can be warm homes for you on campus — places for bagels and kosher food, friendship, and belonging without judgment.

If you’re at a CUNY school, living at home, struggling to make ends meet while keeping up with your studies, know that Hillel is also here for you with food pantries, career counseling, even mental health support.

We want all of you to shine — academically, socially, spiritually — and if you need help, from legal support to security, we’re making these critical resources available across New York campuses.

Wherever this year takes you, whatever new worlds are opened to you in the classroom and beyond, remember that you carry within you the wisdom and Jewish traditions passed down from your parents, grandparents, and generations before them. You hold the hopes of a community that will always stand beside you. And you embody the strength of a people who, even in the hardest times, have prioritized education and knowledge. Who have never stopped questioning. Who seek answers still.

May you learn with clear eyes and go from strength to strength this academic year.

Shabbat shalom