Eliana Birman, a sophomore majoring in cognitive science at Barnard College in New York City, is putting her studies to good use trying to make sense of the surging Jew-hatred and pro-Hamas rallies seen worldwide since Oct. 7.
The native of Teaneck, N.J., thinks she is part of a generation that is bringing a “uniquely Gen Z perspective” to the table, having grown up “in an age of social media.”
“We know what it’s like to have so much bias surround you,” she told JNS. “We know what it’s like to have to fight with both facts and emotion.”
For Birman, a takeaway from Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is that having the facts on your side—as the Jewish state does in its pursuit of terrorists—isn’t enough.
“We have to appeal to people’s emotions and to people’s humanity,” she said.
