The morning after October 7th, I watched the same footage the world watched. Families are murdered inside their homes. Children killed beside their parents. Women were dragged through the streets while their attackers filmed themselves celebrating. Entire communities were destroyed within hours.

Anyone who looked honestly at those images understood what had happened. Civilians were hunted because they were Jews living in Israel.

I expected grief. I expected recognition of what had taken place. I expected the basic human instinct that appears when innocent people are slaughtered.

Instead, I discovered something that forced me to look more carefully at my own surroundings.

Some people wanted me to stay quiet.

For years, I have worked with students who came to train because they had experienced violence or intimidation. Many were targeted because of who they are. Some had been attacked in public. Others had endured harassment or abuse that left deep scars. The training we did together was never limited to physical techniques. The deeper work involved reclaiming agency and dignity. Every person deserves the ability to stand up for themselves. Every person deserves the right to speak clearly about the harm that was done to them.

Students who carried those experiences often discovered their voice during training. They learned to set boundaries. They learned to recognize aggression early. They........

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