Sarah Markowitz '18 | Educational Advocate

Sarah Markowitz received the Lumer Fellowship for her academic paper titled, “Holocaust Zionism: An Israeli Identity Built on Tragedy and Hope.” This paper, submitted as her final for Dr. Michael Davidson’s course “The Zionist Idea,” focused on how the roles of Zionism, Holocaust education, and Holocaust memory play a role in the state of Israel. Working on the paper served to expand her own knowledge base, and she found it related to Jewish Studies as a whole, instead of just being another final for another course. Markowitz already had a global mindset as she majored in political science and minored in international relations, and she sought to relate most of her academic work, in some way, to Israel. While she valued all of her academic work, receiving the fellowship made writing this paper feel particularly poignant.

Markowitz became a research assistant for Dr. Holli Levitsky during her freshman year after taking Dr. Levitsky’s course “Literature of Exile and Terror,” after which, she knew she wanted to be actively involved in Jewish Studies. Markowitz traveled to Israel for the program’s study abroad course, served as a program resource for other students, held two internships with Jewish education centers, and was also a founding member of the Students Supporting Israel club.

Markowitz knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the Jewish space. After interning with the American Jewish Committee and the Museum of Tolerance and being inspired by leaders there, she decided to pursue a master’s degree that would support her specialization in Holocaust education and history. In 2020, Sarah graduated from Chapman University with a master’s degree in war and society and remarks that she was able to combine her interests of political science, Jewish Studies, and history. Her thesis explored shifts in relationships during the beginning of the Holocaust, especially changes between neighbors and interpersonal relationships, as well as the lasting impact of what it is like to be a persecuted minority. Having been well-prepared by her LMU Jewish Studies courses, she was able to look for positions where she could apply all her learning in a practical way.

Sarah currently serves as the education and program associate for the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of the American Jewish Committee in Kansas City, which is a hybrid partnership of the local Jewish community relations board and the regional office of AJC. She addresses antisemitism in schools proactively by building and maintaining relationships with schools and school districts in the area and providing resources about antisemitism, what it is, what it looks like, and how to accommodate and support Jewish students. Markowitz cites that antisemitism has increased over the past five years, noting that 75 percent of students witness some form of antisemitism daily. She also works with older Jewish students through high school and college-level leadership programs, empowering them to advocate for themselves through workshops and programming. Additionally, Markowitz serves as a resource for the Jewish community at large for issues of antisemitism and actively participates in coalition building, working with Black and Muslim partners while advocating for the Jewish community. In relation to her work on her thesis, Markowitz builds upon the importance of primary sources and storytelling as a way of communicating how we can shape our world and outlook today in real-world situations.

“Jewish Studies at LMU is the reason why I am where I am today. It gave me the courses to develop my intellectual interests and expand my horizons. Learning about Zionism, different faiths, the archaeology of the Levant, and ancient Israel completely expanded my knowledge base and what I thought I knew about Judaism and Jewish history. Professionally, I had so many opportunities with the program. I had great mentors, met Jewish scholars and guest speakers, and made strong community connections that showed me so many professional avenues where I could use my interest, knowledge, and talents. Everything built upon each other was incredibly transformative.”

Markowitz advises that taking any Jewish Studies course can help all students discover the importance of Judaism in the world. In her work today, she is constantly referring back to the classes she took at LMU. She also recommends taking advantage of everything Jewish Studies has to offer. “Make connections and have conversations with professors and guest speakers to take it beyond your education.”