To me, tikkun olam goes back to Rabbi Heschel’s concept of praying with your feet. I believe that every moment that I march, every moment I speak up for what I believe in, that is how I engage with my Judaism. The mission of State of the Students Tennessee is to empower young people with the tools to turn their passions into practical civically engaged actions. With our work, we’ve engaged thousands of students across Tennessee on issues ranging from gun violence prevention, to education access, to advocacy for immigrants and teachers and nonpartisan voter registration.
One of my favorite parts of organizing is the one-on-one work and seeing the moment where the switch kind of flips and people realize, yes, I have a place here, my voice matters, and I have the power to make a change. In addition to my organizing, I’ve also advocated for what I believe in through speaking at national conferences and writing dozens of op-eds on youth in civics. In my home state of Tennessee, there are so many things worth fighting for, and young people are passionate, leading the way.