By Daniel M. Zeman
As I made my way to PE class, something happened that shook me to my core. Picture this: a 13-year-old classmate standing ahead of me, yelling, “Raise your hand if you want to bring back Hitler to kill all the Jews,” all while laughing as if it were a joke. Yet what was even more chilling was that six of his friends eagerly raised their hands as if they were answering a trivia question, their innocence replaced by a disturbing indifference.
Six. Seemingly innocuous, it has many meanings. It can signify the mere addition of five plus one; half a dozen; indicate the time, “It’s six o’clock,” or to them, simply as a statement: six million people died, six raised their hands, six students were okay with the six million whose lives were taken away. I felt an immense sense of powerlessness and since I had never experienced this level, I simply looked away. I was scared and I knew this was only the beginning.
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About the Author
Daniel Zeman is a high school senior from Northern California and a 2025–26 StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Intern. He serves as Youth Commissioner for Roseville and Placer County, founded the financial literacy platform What’s Next?, organizes TEDx Woodcreek HS, and competes in varsity speech and debate. Daniel advocates for youth perspectives on policy and community issues.
