by Noa Baum

Yes, this is going to sound schmaltzy, but last night I felt proud to be an American citizen for the first time. I’ve only been a citizen since 2002, and for many years I have been an Israeli living in America.

When I was studying at NYU from 1984 - 86, I worked in places that looked like a bombarded Berlin after World War II. I saw kindergarten children shuffle into the class, too depressed to even lift up their feet. There were classrooms with bars like a prison and locks and I was the only white person for miles around. Read the full story