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Writing A Winning Scholarship Essay

By Call Federal Staff; February 12, 2021 · Teen Real Talk -->

Teen Real Talk

Back to Financial Insights

When it comes to choosing the right college, the cost of higher education is something we all have to consider. While student loans are the most common option for paying education costs, it makes sense to seek scholarships to offset the cost of your tuition.

With many scholarship programs now open and accepting applications, here are our 4 best tips for writing a winning scholarship essay.

1.  Understanding the application

With any scholarship application, it’s important to read over the instructions carefully, paying attention to all of the details. Knowing what documentation is required for consideration, application deadlines, as well as the parameters of your written essay is important. When applying for scholarships, it’s vital to understand the application instructions to ensure that your hard work is considered, and not potentially disqualified for not meeting application deadlines or requirements. Before you begin writing, be sure you know of any limitations or minimums on essay length and understand your essay topic.

2.  Give yourself plenty of time to write

Once you have found the scholarships you want to apply for and familiarized yourself with all of the deadlines and topics, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to write. Procrastinating is something we are all guilty of. Giving yourself the extra time to draft your essay can make a big difference in the final product that you submit. Allowing extra time also gives you an opportunity to share your writing with your support team (such as family, teachers, or a mentor) to review what you have written and provide feedback. Having the time to make any revisions from this feedback will ensure you are submitting your best work while meeting the deadline.

3.  Be your authentic self

Many scholarship applications require essays that allow the reader/reviewer to go beyond your accomplishments and get to know who you are and what you’re passionate about. While writing, be sure you are being your true and authentic self. Your reader will get to know the student behind the essay and make a connection with you and your passions.

4.  Quality over quantity

We’ve all heard the phrase, less is more. As you are writing your essay, don’t feel the need to write the longest piece if it means sacrificing the quality of your writing. While keeping any length requirements in mind and being sure to capture the essay topic, a shorter, more concise essay that demonstrates your best work can be more beneficial than a longer, artificially drawn-out submission.

Those are our four best tips when it comes to filling out scholarship applications. Winning a scholarship, no matter how large or small can really help when it comes to the costs of continuing your education. Looking to put these tips to practice? Call Federal’s Alice S. Pearce Scholarship program is now open for 2023. Click here to learn more on how to apply. 

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Annual percentage rate – the rate that reflects the actual annual cost of a loan and includes the loan interest rate, private mortgage insurance, points and some fees, including origination fees.

Initial interest rate on a fixed rate loan – it is the rate for the entire life of the loan. On an adjustable rate loan it is the interest rate that is fixed for some specified number of months at the beginning of the loan term.

A point is equal to one percent of the principal amount of your mortgage. For example, if you get a mortgage for $100,000, one point means you pay $1000 to the lender. These points are usually collected at closing and may be paid by the borrower or the home seller, or may be split between them. You can pay points at closing to receive a lower interest rate, or you can choose to have points paid to you (also known as a lender credit) and use them to cover some of your closing costs. (negative points means a higher interest rate).

See below for the assumption made for this payment example.

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How to Start a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

As an admissions officer, I reviewed thousands of essays for students seeking admission and scholarships. The essay is one of the most important parts of the scholarship application process–a strong essay can go a long way. However, with so much competition, it is important for your scholarship essay to stand out. That’s why it’s important for you to start a scholarship essay off right!

There are some very simple things that you can do to ensure that your essay is engaging from the very first sentence. In fact, beginning your essay with an exciting opening is one of the most important things you can do, because it will immediately distinguish your essay from the others. 

Keep on reading to learn more about how you can nail the very first sentence and start your essay off right!

Engage the reader with the first sentence

No matter what type of essay you are writing, you will want to ensure that the very first line grabs the attention of the reader. One of the biggest mistakes that students make when starting their essay is simply restating the prompt. This is bland and boring. 

Now, you might be wondering, “how do I engage the reader with the very first line of my essay?”. The good news is that there are several ways that you can do this that are very simple to do. 

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Begin with dialogue

First, you could begin your essay with conversation. This can be an interesting and unexpected way to start your scholarship essay. Maybe someone asked you an unexpected question? Perhaps you were having an interesting conversation with a friend or family member? Either way, dialogue can be a powerful tool to start your essay.

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Put the reader in your shoes.

Alternatively, you can choose to start your essay by placing the reader right in your shoes and show them something from your life. Appeal to the senses and show the reader what you see, hear, smell, or taste. These specific details will help your essay come to life and make it even more memorable. 

Also recommended: What’s the best scholarship essay format?

Scholarship essay introduction example

Next,  we’ll look at a specific example of how you can open up your essay. Let’s say you are applying for the Questbridge scholarship program . One of the essays that you will be asked is:

We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most influenced you. How are they shaping your future aspirations?

You might be tempted to rephrase the question and start your essay with something like:

“I have grown up in a rural context and this has formed my aspirations and allowed me to accomplish academic success…”

This is generic and will not engage your reader at all. 

Instead, what if you started off your essay with something like this:

“I look outside my bedroom window and see Henry, my favorite chicken, pecking at something in the dirt.” 

Makes a big difference, right? As a reader, you are probably wondering: why does this person have chickens outside their bedroom window? Why did they name this particular chicken Henry?

See also: Here are our top writing & essay scholarships for students!

Keep the ending of your essay in mind as you write the opening

While crafting your opening, be open to ideas about how to close your essay. There is no need to stress about the ending now, but being mindful of effective ways to end an essay is always a good idea. Say you are opening your scholarship essay with Henry the chicken. Is there a way for Henry to make an impactful appearance at the end of the essay to close things out in a way that perfectly wraps everything up? The key is for the essay ending to be meaningful and memorable for the reader. 

Don’t miss: Our free scholarship search tool

If you can’t think of a “wow” scholarship essay beginning, keep writing!

Sometimes, we know what we want to say, point by point, but we are not ready to be creative when it comes to opening an essay. In that case, keep writing! There is always the option of going back and crafting an engaging opening after your essay is written. Simply write your main idea where the first paragraph would be to guide you as you write. After, go back when your creative juices are flowing, and craft the amazing opening (and closing) that your scholarship essay deserves!

Final thoughts

As shown, there are many questions that we as readers will have after reading an engaging essay opening such as the one just shared; We want to learn more about the student who is writing this essay. After all, as a writer trying to stand out in a pile of essays, that is our main goal. 

We hope that you have a better understanding of how to start a scholarship essay so you can maximize your chances of winning scholarships!

Additional resources

Scholarships360 is the go-to for all things college admissions and scholarships! Wondering how to write a 250 word essay and how to write a 500 word essay ? Curious how to write an essay about yourself ? Wow, do we have the resources to help! Additionally, check out our free scholarship search tool to help you finance your college education. Best of luck to you and your future endeavors! 

Key Takeaways

• The first sentence of the essay is what makes the reader want to continue reading 
• Engage the reader by appealing to the senses
• Create a sense of wonder in your essay, making the reader want to learn more about you
• Keep the ending of the essay in mind as you craft the beginning

Frequently asked questions about how to start a scholarship essay

What is an essay hook, how long should my scholarship essay be.

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Are you headed off to college or trade school in 2023?  ACT 1 st Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce our college scholarship to make it easier for you to meet tuition costs. The $12,000 Credit Union College Scholarship Program for 2023 is now accepting applications!  College-bound members are eligible to apply for one of ten $1,000 essay-based scholarships – one $1,000 video-based scholarship; and one $1,000 photo-based scholarship.  And, yes, you may apply in all three categories!

Deadline for applications is April 15, 2023.  Scholarship winners will be announced in June 2023.

This year’s essay topic: “ More than two-thirds of people in America are not financially healthy. How would you define financial health? Describe how your credit union has helped you understand how to manage your money. ”

This year’s video topic : “ To be financially literate, or financially healthy, is to know how to manage your money. Show one lesson you’ve learned from your credit union about managing your money.”

This year’s photo theme is: “Cooperation”

Any member of ACT 1 st Federal Credit Union entering their freshmen through senior year of college or trade school may apply.

“We’re pleased to offer this opportunity for our young members,” said ACT 1 st Credit Union CEO, President, and Treasurer, Christie Clark.  “The awardees receive needed financial assistance to help them meet their tuition expenses and the application topics stimulate innovative and useful responses to help us better serve our college-aged members.”

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The Howard Roush Memorial Scholarship symbolizes our learning-driven culture and emphasis on growth, development and financial education. Abound Credit Union supports students everywhere we have branches.

High school seniors who are Abound Members can apply for scholarships

It's a major achievement to get good grades. It's a big challenge to cover college costs. Our goal at Abound Credit Union is to award academic achievement and ease the financial burden on students and their families. We offer 10 scholarships of $2,500 each to college-bound high school seniors in Abound's service area**.

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UECU Launches Scholarship Contest in Celebration of 90th Anniversary

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In honor of its 90th anniversary, Utilities Employees Credit Union (UECU) is celebrating the power of community with an inspirational scholarship contest. The PA-based credit union is asking scholarship applicants to answer one important question: How would you make a positive impact in your community with $1,000? Students can submit a written essay, a video, or a presentation with their answers. After the contest deadline of May 27, 2024, two winners will be selected, and each will be awarded a $3,000 academic scholarship and a $500 prize. The prize money is theirs to use towards putting their ideas into action in their communities.

The scholarship contest is open to UECU members and Pennsylvania residents. Through a partnership with the Pennsylvania American Consumer Council (PACC), students who live or attend school in Pennsylvania can join the credit union and apply for the scholarship. Students who will be attending college or a technical/trade school in the fall of 2024 can join the credit union online at  uecu.org/join  and submit a scholarship application at  uecu.org/scholarship .

In addition to the scholarship program, UECU also offers families affordable borrowing options for private student loans and trade school loans through the Credit Union Student Choice loan program. Families benefit from affordable rates, flexible repayment terms, educational resources, and one-on-one application assistance and counseling.

For 90 years, UECU has been helping members save on loans, grow their savings, and conveniently manage their finances. Students and young adults getting ready to launch their careers benefit from the Credit Union’s special financing options for first-time borrowers, nationwide convenience with the UECU debit card, free mobile services, and cashback rewards. Credit Union membership is a lifetime benefit, so no matter where students move to, their membership stays with them.

UECU, a not-for-profit financial cooperative, has been helping members and their families reach their life-long financial goals for 90 years. Located in Wyomissing, PA, the Credit Union serves its 50,000 members nationwide with convenient online and mobile banking services. Without shareholders or branches to maintain, UECU pays members back with no to low fees, cashback rewards, savings rates consistently higher than the national average, unique checking benefits, and affordable rates on loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Lifetime membership benefits include financial education, access to financial and retirement planning services, insurance services, and more. Credit union membership is open to Utility and Energy employees and families nationwide, as well as Pennsylvania residents.

UECU is among the 4% of US credit unions to receive the  Best of Bauer Status  for having earned  BauerFinancial’s 5-Star Rating  for financial strength for over 30 years! UECU was also ranked as one of the 100 Best-performing credit unions in 2023 by S&P Global Market Intelligence. To learn more about UECU, visit  www.uecu.org  or call 800.288.6423.

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

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In Speech, Biden Describes Surge of Antisemitism in U.S.

President Biden’s speech at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony came during weeks of protests on U.S. college campuses against Israel’s war in Gaza. He emphasized Americans’ responsibility to combat hatred of Jews, tying the vitriol to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

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Erica L. Green and Michael D. Shear

Erica L. Green reported from Capitol Hill, and Michael D. Shear from Washington.

The president is set to deliver the keynote address at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony.

President Biden on Tuesday condemned a “ ferocious surge of antisemitism” in the United States following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel and said people were already forgetting the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

Speaking at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance, Mr. Biden tied the anti-Jewish sentiment that led to the Nazi effort to exterminate Jews directly to Oct. 7.

“This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust,” he said. “It didn’t end with the Holocaust, either.”

For Mr. Biden, a self-described Zionist, the speech was a clear assertion of his support for Jewish Americans as he struggles to balance his support for Israel with increasingly forceful calls for the protection of civilians in Gaza.

Mr. Biden’s address also comes as protests against Israel’s war in Gaza roil college campuses, with students demanding that the Biden administration stop sending weapons to Israel. In some cases, the demonstrations have included antisemitic rhetoric and harassment targeting Jewish students.

“I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world,” the president said. But, he added, “there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind.”

Mr. Biden also denounced attempts to minimize the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel and sparked a war that has killed an estimated 34,000 people in Gaza.

“Now here we are, not 75 years later, but just seven and half months later, and people are already forgetting,” Mr. Biden said. “They are already forgetting. That Hamas unleashed this terror. It was Hamas that brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages.

“I have not forgotten, nor have you,” he told the crowd of more than 100, including Holocaust survivors. “And we will not forget.”

Since the outset of the war, Mr. Biden has faced criticism from Arab Americans and Palestinians who have said they don’t hear Mr. Biden talk about the plight of their people with the same empathy and emotion that he uses to describe Israel and the Jewish people.

The leader of the World Food Program has said that parts of Gaza are experiencing a “ full-blown famine ,” in part because of Israel blocking humanitarian aid.

Jewish groups have been pressuring the administration to take firmer policy steps to combat antisemitism on college campuses, in particular. On Tuesday, the Biden administration fulfilled some of those requests.

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights released new guidance to every school and college outlining examples of antisemitic discrimination, as well as other forms of hate, that could lead to investigations for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

The law prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, and the department has interpreted it as extending to Jewish students. Since the Oct. 7 attack, the department has opened more than 100 investigations into complaints about antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. The administration also announced that the Department of Homeland Security would also offer new resources, including an online campus safety resource guide.

Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, one of the groups that has been lobbying the administration for more measures for weeks, said that the Jewish community “need them implemented rapidly and aggressively.”

“President Biden’s speech today was an important statement of moral clarity at a time when too many people seem to be morally confused,” Mr. Diament said. “Just as important as the president’s words today is the announcement that his administration is taking more steps to counter the surge of antisemitism in the U.S.”

The president promised that his commitment to the security of Israel “and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree,” a reference to the arguments his administration has had with Israel’s right-wing government about the toll the war is taking in Gaza. The speech came against the backdrop of Israel’s plans to move forward with a ground operation in Rafah, which Mr. Biden opposes. More than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah.

Mr. Biden made a tacit acknowledgment during his speech that the pro-Palestinian cause has resonated with other minority groups with histories of violence and oppression.

“We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone — anyone,” Mr. Biden said in his speech, adding that Jewish people helped lead civil rights causes throughout history.

“From that experience,” he added, “we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.”

But Mr. Biden largely focused on the issue at hand. After his address, he stayed to watch three Holocaust survivors, who carried photos and mementos as they recounted their memories of loved ones. They invited the audience to stand and raise black-and-white photos of Holocaust victims that were placed on audience chairs in the air.

Mr. Biden held a photo of four children to his chest.

The New York Times

Here’s what Biden said in his remarks at the Holocaust remembrance ceremony.

President Biden delivered these remarks on Tuesday at the Capitol for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance.

Thank you, Stu, for that introduction, for your leadership of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. You’re a true scholar and statesman and a dear friend. Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, members of Congress and especially the survivors of the Holocaust. If my mother were here, she’d look at you and say, “God love you all. God love you all.”

Abe Foxman and all of the survivors who embody absolute courage and dignity and grace are here as well. During these sacred days of remembrance, we grieve. We give voice to the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. We honor the memory of victims, the pain of survivors, the bravery of heroes who stood up to Hitler’s unspeakable evil. And we recommit to heading and heeding the lessons of one of the darkest chapters in human history, to revitalize and realize the responsibility of never again.

Never again, simply translated for me, means never forget. Never forget. Never forgetting means we must keep telling the story, must keep teaching the truth, must keep teaching our children and our grandchildren. The truth is, we are at risk of people not knowing the truth. That’s why growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings about the horrors of the Shoah at our family dinner table. That’s why I visited Yad Vashem with my family as a senator, as vice president, as president. And that’s why I took my grandchildren to Dachau, so they could see and bear witness to the perils of indifference, the complicity of silence, in the face of evil they knew was happening.

Germany 1933, Hitler and his Nazi Party’s rise to power by rekindling one of the oldest forms of prejudice and hate: antisemitism. His role didn’t begin with mass murder; it started slowly across economic, political, social and cultural life. Propaganda demonizing Jews. Boycotts of Jewish businesses. Synagogues defaced with swastikas. Harassment of Jews in the street and the schools, antisemitic demonstrations, pogroms, organized riots. With the indifference of the world, Hitler knew he could expand his reign of terror by eliminating Jews from Germany, to annihilate Jews across Europe through genocide, the Nazis called the final solution. Concentration camps, gas chambers, mass shootings. By the time the war ended, six million Jews — one of every three Jews in the entire world — were murdered.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust. It didn’t end with the Holocaust either. Or after — even after our victory in World War II. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world and requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness. That hatred was brought to life on October 7th of 2023. On the sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Driven by ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people, babies, parents, grandparents, slaughtered in a kibbutz, massacred at a music festival, brutally raped, mutilated and sexually assaulted.

Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets and shrapnel from a memory of that terrible day they endured. Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah. Now here we are, not 75 years later, but just seven and half months later and people are already forgetting. They are already forgetting. That Hamas unleashed this terror. It was Hamas that brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten nor have you. And we will not forget.

As Jews around the world still cope with the atrocity and the trauma of that day and its aftermath, we have seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world. Vicious propaganda on social media. Jews forced to keep their — hide their kippahs under baseball hats, tuck their Jewish stars into their shirts. On college campuses, Jewish students blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class. Antisemitism, antisemitic posters, slogans, calling for the annihilation of Israel, the world’s only Jewish state.

Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7th, including Hamas’s appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews. It’s absolutely despicable, and it must stop. Silence and denial can hide much, but it can erase nothing. Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be married — buried — no matter how hard people try.

In my view, a major lesson of the Holocaust is, as mentioned earlier, it is not — was not — inevitable. We know hate never goes away; it only hides. Given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks. We also know what stops hate. One thing: All of us. The late Rabbi Jonathan Sachs described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time. Together, we cannot continue to let that happen. We have to remember our basic principle as a nation.

We have an obligation, an obligation to learn the lessons of history so we don’t surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone. Anyone. From the very founding, our very founding, Jewish Americans represented only about 2 percent of the U.S. population and helped lead the cause of freedom for everyone in our nation. From that experience, we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.

It’s in moments like this we have to put these principles that we’re talking about into action. I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world. In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech. To debate, disagree, to protest peacefully, make our voices heard. I understand, that’s America. But there is no place on any campus in America — any place in America — for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind. Whether against Jews or anyone else. Violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It’s against the law. And we are not a lawless country. We’re a civil society. We uphold the rule of law, and no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves.

The Jewish community, I want you to know: I see your fear, your hurt, your pain. Let me reassure you, as your president, you’re not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will. And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad even when we disagree.

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages. Just so we have freed hostages already. And we will not rest until we bring them all home. My administration, with our second gentleman’s leadership, has launched our nation’s first national strategy to counter antisemitism that’s mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish community, but we know it’s not the work of government alone or Jews alone.

That’s why I’m calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms. My dear friend, he became a friend, the late Elie Wiesel said, quote: “One person of integrity can make a difference.” We have to remember that now more than ever. Here in the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol, among the towering statues of history, is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg. Born in Sweden, as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War II, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City penniless but determined to turn his pain into purpose, along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor. He became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very Capitol on the staff of a first-term senator.

That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos, and that senator was me. Tom and his wife, Annette, and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, where he became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world. Tom never met Raoul, who was taken prisoner by the Soviets, never to be heard from again. But through Tom’s efforts, Raoul’s bust is here in the Capitol. He was also given honorary U.S. citizenship, only the second person ever after Winston Churchill.

The Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located on a roll — road — in Raoul’s name. The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate and its ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution, to find hope, purpose and meaning in life we try to live and share with one another. That story endures.

Let me close with this. I know these days of remembrance fall on difficult times. We all do well to remember these days also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage. A heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life today. Great American — great Jewish American — Tom Lantos used the phrase the veneer of civilization is paper-thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.

My fellow Americans, we must, we must be those guardians. We must never rest. We must rise against hate, meet across the divide, see our common humanity. And God bless the victims and survivors of the Shoah. May the resilient hearts, courageous spirit and eternal flame of faith of the Jewish people shine their light on America and all around the world. Praise God. Thank you all.

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Annie Karni

Reporting from Washington

Speaker Mike Johnson says U.S. universities are ‘hostile’ to Jews.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday compared the protests unfolding on American university campuses to what happened at institutions of higher learning in Germany before World War II.

It was the “same elite centers of learning” from which “Jewish faculty and students were suddenly expelled” in Germany, Mr. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said in pointed remarks at a Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony at the Capitol. Today, he said, American universities have become “hostile places for Jewish students and faculty.”

“The very campuses which were once the envy of the international academy have succumbed to an antisemitic virus,” he added. “Students who were known for producing academic papers are now known for stabbing their Jewish peers in the eyes with Palestinian flags.”

By the turn of the 20th century, Germany was a thriving democracy. They were on the cutting edge of technology. They had a strong economy. They were highly educated. But that did not stop evil and darkness from overtaking that country. German universities, like those at Strasbourg, were at the heart of renaissance and intellectual life. But it was at those same elite centers of learning where Jewish faculty and students were suddenly expelled, where anti-Jewish courses were introduced and where professors performed horrific pseudoscience experiments on Jewish people brought from nearby concentration camps. We remember what happened then. And now today, we are witnessing American universities quickly becoming hostile places for Jewish students and faculty. The very campuses which were once the envy of the international academy have succumbed to an antisemitic virus.

Mr. Johnson was speaking at the ceremony ahead of President Biden, who also condemned some of the hateful rhetoric and property damage that have occurred as pro-Palestinian protests have swept U.S. college campuses in recent weeks. “To the Jewish community, let me say, I see your hurt and your fear and your pain,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Johnson has made the pro-Palestinian protests a main focus since passing a bill to send $60 billion of aid to Ukraine, a move that enraged his right flank. The unrest at universities has offered him a new issue to spotlight, as he seeks a political edge on an issue that divides Democrats.

He visited Columbia University last month, where he called on Mr. Biden to take action to quell the protests , including potentially sending in the National Guard. He announced more congressional hearings with top university administrators. And he brought to the floor the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would crackdown on antisemitism on campuses — a bill that ended up prompting bizarre backlash from some on the far right.

On Tuesday, Mr. Johnson described in graphic detail the horror of Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack against defenseless Israeli citizens, comparing them to lasting images from the Holocaust.

“We have to do all that we can to ensure that evil does not prevail,” he said. “This is a time for all to come together.”

Erica L. Green

President Biden received a standing ovation as he ended his roughly 16-minute speech. He shook hands with audience members before taking a seat next to Speaker Mike Johnson and is watching the next segment of the program, which is hearing from Holocaust survivors and their families.

Reid J. Epstein

That speech was as forceful as Biden has been about the Oct. 7 and antisemitism since the immediate aftermath of the attack. He did not mention the plight of Palestinians killed in Gaza since Israel began the war in response to the Hamas attack.

Biden is finished after 16 minutes.

Michael Crowley

Many Arab-Americans and Palestinians say with anger and frustration that they don’t hear Biden talk about the plight of their people with the same authenticity and emotion that he uses to describe Israel and the Jewish people.

Republicans have tried to use the protests to depict Biden as weak and unable to control chaos in the country. Biden is clearly pushing back on that characterization in this speech and putting some distance between himself and the behavior of some of the protesters.

Katie Glueck

President Biden, who describes himself as a Zionist, is denouncing attempts to minimize the actions of Hamas on Oct. 7, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

Biden has been a staunch defender of Israel for nearly half a century . That support is clearly on display in this speech.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Biden just noted that the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, is leading his administration’s antisemitism strategy. Emhoff held calls with Jewish students and Hillel leaders yesterday to discuss their experiences with antisemitism on college campues.

Biden is obviously in a comfortable and familiar place here, asserting moral high ground on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, as he has been for many decades. He has been less comfortable grappling with the widespread anger over Israel’s war in Gaza and its policies toward the Palestinians.

President Biden speaks directly to the Jewish community, at a time when a number of Democratic Jewish lawmakers have said it feels “lonely” to be a Jew in America today.

Destroying property as has happened on college campuses, Biden said, “is against the law.”

“To the Jewish community, let me say, I see your hurt and your fear and your pain,” Biden says.

This is a much stronger condemnation of some of the hateful rhetoric and destruction that’s been present on college campuses than Biden has given to date. “We are not a lawless country,” he says. “No one should have to hide just to be themselves.”

Biden’s defense of Israel is rooted in a long career in the Senate, as well as his upbringing in Delaware. In his book, “Promises to Keep,” he described hearing his father decry the Holocaust and question how the world did not intervene faster.

Biden precedes his remarks on protests by saying, “We know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority.”

Biden appears angry while delivering this speech. It is a strong condemnation not only of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but also of the rhetoric that has swept across college campuses during the protests in recent weeks.

Biden also makes clear that Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7 , claims that some pro-Palestinian protests have disputed.

Biden started his speech by diving into the history of antisemitism but within a couple minutes has brought us to the current moment. “Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing the horrors of the Holocaust,” Biden says, adding people are also forgetting the atrocities on Oct. 7. “It’s absolutely despicable and it must stop.”

Many U.S. officials have been stepping up their emphasis of Hamas’s responsibility in recent weeks, reflecting concern that Israel is bearing disproportionate blame for the events of the past seven months.

This is a very strong condemnation of the kinds of harassment and hatred many Jews have been described since Oct. 7.

“People are already forgetting,” Biden said, “that Hamas took and continues to hold hostages.”

The hatred of Jews “continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world,” says Biden, before citing the murders on Oct. 7 as a prime example of such ongoing antisemitism.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust. It didn’t end with the Holocaust either. Or after — even after our victory in World War II. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world. And requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness. That hatred was brought to life in Oct. 7 in 2023. On a sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, driven by ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the earth. Over 1,200 innocent people — babies, parents, grandparents slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a music festival.

Biden warns that the country and the world are at risk of forgetting the lessons of the Holocaust and is running through a brief history of how the Nazis moved toward the slaughter of Jews in concentration camps.

The cable networks have broken away from covering Donald Trump’s criminal trial to carry President Biden’s speech.

President Biden has entered Emancipation Hall to a standing ovation.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, gets claps in the audience when he went on to include racism, sexism, Islamophobia and other forms of hate in his call to eradicate antisemitism. That is notable given the tension between Jewish and other minority communities over the Israel-Hamas war. Some in the audience also stood at the end of his remarks.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and minority leader, noted that Oct. 7 marked the largest loss of Jewish life on a single day since the Holocaust. “We are witnessing a deeply disturbing rise in antisemitism on campuses,” he says. Jeffries last week voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would crack down on antisemitic speech on college campuses. The legislation divided Democrats — 70 voted against it, expressing concerns that its purpose would legally make criticism of Israeli policy antisemitism.

A bill could withhold funding for schools that fail to restrict antisemitism on campus.

A bipartisan push in Congress to enact a law cracking down on antisemitic speech on college campuses has prompted a backlash from far-right lawmakers and activists, who argue it could outlaw Christian biblical teachings.

The House passed the legislation, called the Antisemitism Awareness Act, overwhelmingly last week, and Senate leaders in both parties were working behind the scenes on Thursday to determine whether it would have enough backing to come to a vote in that chamber.

House Republicans rolled the bill out as part of their efforts to condemn the pro-Palestinian protests that have surged at university campuses across the country, and to put a political squeeze on Democrats, who they have accused of tolerating antisemitism to please their liberal base.

But in trying to use the issue as a political cudgel against the left, Republicans also called attention to a rift on the right. Some G.O.P. members said they firmly believe that Jews killed Jesus Christ, and argued that the bill — which includes such claims in its definition of antisemitism — would outlaw parts of the Bible.

The bill would for the first time enshrine a definition of antisemitism into federal law, and instruct the Education Department to consider it when investigating allegations of discrimination against Jews on college campuses. That could lead to federal funds being withheld from colleges or universities that fail to restrict a broad range of statements covered by the definition, which includes “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” and claiming that Israel’s existence is a “racist endeavor.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, said she opposed the bill because it “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”

Johnson pledges “unequivocal support to the nation of Israel.” He has also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to address a joint session of Congress. A date has not yet been set.

Johnson is giving graphic descriptions of what happened to individuals on Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack against defenseless Israeli citizens. “We have to do all that we can to ensure that evil does not prevail,” he says. “This is a time for all to come together.” He said that he was proud that Congress passed a security package to send billions of dollars in assistance to Israel. “We told the world, Israel and the Jewish people are not alone,” he said. It's notable that Johnson makes no mention of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That aid package included more than $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and Ukraine — something Democrats insisted be included in the package.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is comparing the protests unfolding on university campuses to what happened in Germany during World War II. He said it was the “same elite centers of learning” from which “Jewish faculty and students were suddenly expelled” in Germany. Today, he said, American universities have become “hostile places for Jewish students and faculty.”

President Biden has been criticized for his muted response to protests on college campuses against the Israel-Hamas war. Those protests have included instances of antisemitic episodes, and his administration says we can expect that Biden will use the protests to strongly condemn antisemitism. He is also expected to draw parallels between the response to the Holocaust and Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Republicans are trying to present themselves as the true friends of Jews, Israel and the leaders fighting antisemitism on college campuses. It’s worth remembering that those leading the fight are accolytes of former President Donald J. Trump, who in 2017 issued a statement International Holocaust Remembrance Day that omitted any mention of Jews or antisemitism . The statement referenced the “victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust.” It made no mention of the fact that 6 million Jews were murdered because they were Jews, as past presidents had done.

Dana Goldstein and Sarah Mervosh

A House committee will examine reports of antisemitism in K-12 schools.

School district officials have faced off with students, parents, school board members and teachers about issues related to the Israel-Hamas war — but until now, not members of Congress.

On Wednesday, leaders from three public school districts — New York City; Berkeley, Calif.; and Montgomery County in Maryland — are scheduled to be questioned by members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which has grilled four college presidents on accusations of campus antisemitism, helping to topple two of them .

The three school districts, all diverse, have robust American Jewish communities. They are also in staunchly liberal areas, making them ripe targets for the Republicans who run the committee. And they have had their share of controversies.

In New York City, an elementary school posted a map of the “Arab world” that did not label Israel, identifying the country as “Palestine.” In Montgomery County, outside Washington, swastikas have been drawn on school desks. And in Berkeley, several teachers presented lessons that referred to Israeli “apartheid” against Palestinians.

The district leaders — David C. Banks, chancellor of New York City schools; Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of Berkeley schools; and Karla Silvestre, the school board president in Montgomery County — must walk a tightrope at the hearing. They are likely to face complex questions about free speech and the point at which protest of Israel veers into antisemitism. Those are matters of contentious debate, both nationally and in their own communities.

In addition to the House hearing, the Education Department is investigating the districts for their handling of antisemitism accusations, after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Muslim and pro-Palestinian organizations have also said that many public schools are hostile to their views, whether by omitting Palestinian history from the curriculum or by limiting pro-Palestinian speech.

While the specific incidents may differ from those discussed at the college antisemitism hearings, “the underlying issue is the same,” said Representative Kevin Kiley, Republican of California, who is a committee member. “We’re trying to ensure that campuses, whether secondary school or college campus, are safe for students and complying with civil rights laws.”

Troy Closson contributed reporting.

As the Holocaust remembrance ceremony begins, Holocaust survivors and members of Congress have filed into Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill to a somber violin solo. President Biden is scheduled to deliver his keynote address at 11:30.

Reporters at the White House are gathering to cover President Biden’s departure to Capitol Hill. When it comes to protests on college campuses, Biden will likely follow up on his comments from last week and draw a distance between the White House and the protests by condemning any antisemitism and vandalism taking place. It is less clear how much time he will spend talking about Israel’s war against Hamas. As Biden speaks, Israeli tanks are in Rafah — the Biden administration has said it opposes an incursion into the southernmost city in Gaza without a detailed plan for evacuating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians there.

Ahead of Biden’s speech, Representative Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, said he planned to release on Tuesday afternoon his resolution to formally rebuke Representative Ilhan Omar , Democrat of Minnesota, for recent comments in which she suggested that some Jewish students at Columbia University were “pro-genocide.” Bacon, who represents a district Biden won in 2020, has a hard-right challenger in his primary.

Omar made the statement while visiting the Morningside Heights campus in New York to stand in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian protesters, including her daughter, who is a student activist there.

“I think it is really unfortunate that people don’t care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe,” she said when asked about antisemitism on campus. “We should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”

As the protests have spread on colleges across the country, Biden has been at his most forceful when it comes to denouncing antisemitism on campus. It’s the area that he’s seemed to feel most comfortable wading into, while taking more cautious steps on the issue of free speech on campuses.

Mitch Smith ,  Jamie Kelter Davis and Yan Zhuang

On college campuses, pro-Palestinian protesters urge supporters to rally nationwide.

Galvanized by an Israeli military incursion into Gaza’s southern end, pro-Palestinian demonstrators escalated campus protests and urged supporters to rally on Tuesday across the United States, thwarting university officials’ hopes of minimizing disruptions ahead of commencement events.

Protests are scheduled on Tuesday at campuses including the University of California, Berkeley; California State University, Los Angeles; and the University of Washington.

Early on Tuesday, police officers removed the pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the University of Chicago, a move that was sure to be closely watched across higher education because the university has long considered itself a model for free expression on campus .

Arrests on Monday have raised the total number of people detained on campuses to more than 2,500 at 50 schools since April 18, according to a New York Times tally .

The protests have affected spring graduations. Columbia University officials announced the cancellation of its main graduation ceremony , citing security as a main reason. Other schools across the country have adjusted their ceremonies or increased security.

The speech is an opportunity for Biden to stake a claim on the political middle — putting daylight between himself and protesters who represent a far-left wing of American politics. He ran a similar political playbook nearly four years ago, when protestors across the country pushed for police departments to be defunded. Biden resisted, calling for more resources to be sent to local law enforcement.

President Biden’s speech on antisemitism today will be his first major speech on the protests that have roiled college campuses for weeks, and follows a brief unscheduled address last week. Biden has at times shown empathy toward those publicly pushing for a ceasefire in Israel’s war in Gaza, but as protests have grown larger and student demands have grown, he has been mostly silent.