Nu York, New York: The Sweatshirt Dilemma

By ELLEN LEVITT
Fall is here and the weather in New York City is turning cooler. Our wardrobe selections are changing.
My teenage daughters, Jess and Mich, both attend Murrow High School, a large and well-regarded public high school near our home. I often give them a lift to school in the morning (and sometimes after that, I go to our synagogue to attend the morning minyan) and thus, I get to observe the student body entering the school. I take note of what the kids wear (school logo clothing, trendy clothes, etc); their hair (long, short, dyed, shaved sides, etc); their modes of transport (most are on foot but some approach the entrance on bicycles or skateboards); and what they carry (knapsacks, satchels, quirky messenger bags, totes, as well as cups of coffee from various chain stores).
This morning for the third or fourth time, Jess went to school wearing an IDF sweatshirt she purchased this past summer in Israel. She spent a month in Israel on the Young Judaea Machon program. She had a great time, and one of her souvenirs was this hooded sweatshirt.
I am glad that she is "repping Israel," proudly wearing this hoodie. But I wondered if she elicited any commentary, especially any negative commentary, when she wore this. The evening after she wore it the first time, I asked her if she got any comments from students or teachers. She said no. The second time she wore it, I asked again. This time she told me that Mr. C, the music director for the school musical productions (and one of her mentor-teachers, because she is a guitarist in the Pyt Orchestra) asked if she was thinking of enlisting in the Army. I can just imagine him asking her that in his bemused, humorous style.
She wore the sweatshirt again today, and apparently faced no trouble. I was wondering if she would, because I have read a number of articles in recent years about the heightened level of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment on certain college campuses. And Jess is a 12th grader, filling out applications for college (oy, my baby is growing up!). But I guess in multi-cultural Brooklyn, in a large public high school with so many different kinds of kids wearing so many different kinds of clothes, her olive green hoodie does not stand out. Perhaps some kids are intrigued, but Jess has not heard anything. I am curious as to what would happen if she were to wear this in college. We shall see!