B’nai B’rith International is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 None Shall Be Afraid Essay Contest.

This year, college students were invited to examine the current climate of anti-Semitism in the United States, particularly on college campuses or within their own communities, and how this new reality shapes their sense of responsibilities as students.

As anti-Semitism in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, universities have become flashpoints where Jewish students face increasing hate, hostility and exclusion. Students from across the country submitted powerful essays reflecting on their experiences, the challenges they have faced and the ways they have responded to rising anti-Semitism as students.

This year’s winners are Aviel Rabbani, Kayla Chamoy and Sydney Bailis.

First place: Aviel Rabbani, University of Maryland, Class of 2030

In his first-place essay, Rabbani reflects on how openly expressing his Jewish identity—through symbols such as his Star of David necklace and tzitzit—has shifted from something natural to something that now requires greater awareness amid rising anti-Semitism on college campuses and beyond. He intends to approach college life with pride and active Jewish engagement, drawing on his experiences including the annual Israel Day Parade in New York and a Holocaust education trip to Poland.

Second place: Kayla Chamoy, Stonybrook University, Class of 2029

Chamoy describes how experiencing anti-Semitism in high school and college led her to found her school’s Students Against Antisemitism chapter and deepen her involvement in Jewish campus life through Hillel and Chabad. Despite facing hostility, including the vandalism of her campus Hillel, she remained committed to education, advocacy and journalism as tools to combat anti-Semitism. She writes that a Birthright trip strengthened her confidence as a Jewish adult and reinforced her commitment to speaking out against hate.

Third place: Sydney Bailis, Towson University, Class of 2029

Bailis describes how rising anti-Semitism after Oct. 7, 2023, has made Jewish students, including herself, feel unsafe and self-conscious about expressing their identity on campus, including displaying a mezuzah on her dorm room doorframe. She argues that allowing love, kindness and moral integrity to guide her through violence and uncertainty is the strongest response to fear and hatred.

A panel of judges from B’nai B’rith evaluated essays from students across the country. The top three winners were awarded scholarships of $2,500, $1,000 and $500. The first-place essay will also be featured in the 2026 edition of B’nai B’rith Magazine.

B’nai B’rith created the essay contest to keep a focus on the widespread issues of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in our society today.

None Shall Be Afraid was inspired by the 1790 letter from George Washington to the congregants of Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island, where he quoted Micah 4:4, “Everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

Read about the initiative behind the contest here: https://www.bnaibrith.org/none-shall-be-afraid/