Every Thursday, frustration and disappointment are commonplace for me after I log off from the weekly Jewish Student Union meeting. As co-president, leading a club has never been more challenging.

Each week, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) board and I make half-hearted attempts to reach out to people to join our meetings to discuss Jewish values, current events in the Jewish community and ways the club can have a positive impact on our school. Unfortunately, as Zoom burnout is prevalent, we often only have five or six students at our meetings. This is a steep drop from the 15 to 20 students who attended pre-distance learning. 

While I understand the reasoning behind the low attendance, as I am also tired of Zoom meetings, I am still disappointed by the lack of success our club has had this year. We were planning on working towards expanding Holocaust education in school, however these attempts have been hindered by the constant low attendance. 

Furthermore, JSU board members have other commitments and without gathering in person, it is difficult to plan and execute activities that would attract a larger attendance. For example, we planned a meeting to discuss ways we can advocate for better Holocaust education at Park, however only one non-board member showed up, so we ultimately postponed the meeting.

Distance learning has forced us to adapt and overcome the struggles that come with it, and unfortunately some activities bear the brunt of the sacrifices we make to keep our heads above the water. For many students, this means giving up clubs and other extracurriculars.

However, I still have hope that when we do go back to being together in person, JSU will return to its old form and will become a vibrant environment once more. As for right now, we will still be providing a space for Jewish students to come to socialize and learn. For those who are interested in joining the club, contact @slphs_jsu on Instagram or email me.