Stephanie Plotkin passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. Stephanie was a staunch advocate for the rights of Jewish and pro-Israel students. In 2015, Stephanie, who was an English-Secondary Education major at Grand Valley State University, was required to take a certain English course for her degree. In this class, she frequently encountered anti-Israel indoctrination, which she chronicled for the Truth Revolt. Stephanie told how she was required, for her English course, to attend a lecture by Nora Barrows-Friedman entitled, “In Our Power: U.S. Students Organize for Justice in Palestine.” Ms. Barrows-Friedman writes for the notorious Electronic Intifada website, which is known for publishing viciously anti-Israel and anti-Semitic articles and promoting BDS campaigns. Upset about this requirement, Stephanie approached the Professor after class to speak with him about the event: “Professor, I feel uncomfortable about having to attend this lecture.” “How knowledgeable do you feel you are on the subject?” he asked. “Pretty knowledgeable, I think. I watch the news, and I know Palestinians want Israelis gone. Is that what this is about? Because I believe Israel has every right to be there.” Her inquiry yielded no flexibility however, as Stephanie was still required that she attend the lecture. Still feeling conflicted about the event, Stephanie resolved that she would attend but also document the speech. As Stephanie wrote, Ms. Barrows-Friedman’s lecture immediately set off alarm. After telling the class of her pregnancy, Barrows-Friedman then announced that “anyone who decided to ‘be a bully’ would be immediately removed from the lecture.” This announcement did not sit right with Stephanie. I focused on that for awhile. Does that mean there can’t be dissenting opinions? Are we not allowed to ask questions that countered her beliefs? I was appalled. What did being pregnant have to do with people asking questions about the content of her lecture? What if she was wrong? We weren’t allowed to speak up during the Q and A? What WAS this?? As Stephanie described it, the lecture went quickly because Barrows-Friedman provided little background information and focused on only one topic: BDS. This involved boycotting products that “funded Israeli soldiers,” “making sure companies would not support anything made by Israel,” “sanctioning Israel,” and “needing to help the people who were displaced from ‘Occupied Palestine.’” (The discriminatory BDS movement, which seeks to harm and delegitimize Israel, has been afflicting college campuses all over the country. While some colleges have passed BDS resolutions, the fight against this prejudiced campaign is being actively being waged. Schools like the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have recently defeated BDS measures, while others, such as Texas A&M, have adopted resolutions which oppose anti-Israel boycotts and all forms of anti-Semitism.) Stephanie related how she was infuriated by the one-sided story telling that had occurred. She went home to write her paper, striving to remain neutral as the prompt required. However, this did not go according to planned. Stephanie would read some of the work of her peers, and felt inspired to address the anti-Israel indoctrination they were just exposed to. After reading what other students had to say, I felt my paper needed to hold a little more truth than our lecture had. I started neutrally, explaining what Nora Barrows-Friedman discussed. Then I explained my knowledge on the subject. Finally, I shared my own opinion. After this incident, Stephanie wrote how she re-examined much of the literature that would be required reading for the course and reveals the course’s subject matter. We will be studying a whole unit on the Israel-Palestinian crisis, and read works from Palestinian authors, denouncing the colonization of their homeland. I have already skimmed over many of these poems and texts. Colonialism is a major theme in our class. I should mention the name of the class I am taking. Most would think it was a Political Science class. Would you believe this class is an English class? Would it make sense to you that this class is required for me as a future English-Secondary Education major? I am going to be a future teacher of high school students. I will be molding young minds, along with many others in my class. Do you find this as troubling as I do? Yes, Stephanie. We find it as troubling as you did. The bravery of Stephanie Plotkin should not be understated. Confronting anti-Israel indoctrination, Stephanie had the courage to speak up when few others would do so. We mourn the loss of Stephanie today. While she may no longer be with us, her heroism will not be soon forgotten.