Tessa Veksler was born in the San Francisco Bay Area to a family that immigrated from the former Soviet Union. She grew up in a Russian-speaking, secular home but one that maintained a connection to Jewish tradition and identity.
At 17, Tessa visited Israel for the first time on an NCSY program called TJJ, and she says that during that experience, she felt her connection to Israel and her Jewish identity deepen significantly. Perhaps for that reason, when she began exploring options for her gap year after high school, she decided to come to Israel with Masa.
She initially planned to stay for just one semester at Bar-Ilan University, but that quickly turned into a full year as she also completed her UCSB coursework the second half of the year.
“It was in 2020-2021 during COVID and the May 2021 war against Hamas called Operation Guardian of the Walls ,” she recalls, “but it was still the most meaningful year I’ve ever had. I realized my responsibility as a Jew in the Diaspora to stand up for Israel. That year helped me return to college as a proud Jewish voice for Israel.”
After that year, Tessa returned to the U.S. and continued her studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where she soon became a prominent figure on campus. She was active in both Jewish and pro-Israel organizations, as well as in general student life. By May 2023, she was elected President of the Associated Students, UCSB’s student government
However, everything changed after the October 7 Hamas attack.
“Because I supported Israel openly — on social media and everywhere else — I started experiencing daily harassment. It was a painful and infuriating year,” she says.
One of her posts went viral after she took a photo next to a sign reading “Zionists Not Allowed.” Others targeted her personally, with graffiti and online messages such as “You can run, but you can’t hide, Tessa Veksler.”
In April 2024, a vote was held by the Senate in the student government to remove her from office — after a petition reached nearly 1000 signatures from her peers, solely because of her open support for Israel.
“I walked into a room full of people who wanted me out. Many of the things said to me that day were cruel and rooted in antisemitism.”
Ultimately, the motion to remove her failed by a narrow margin, and she remained in her position — but the experience left a lasting mark.
Instead of retreating, Tessa chose to turn that painful experience into a platform. She began sharing what was happening on campuses across social media and soon became a leading voice against antisemitism on campus under the hashtag #We’reNotGoingAnywhere.
“I didn’t want to just survive this — I wanted to thrive,” she says. “I never planned to end up where I am today. It’s just what I was meant to do.”
Tessa’s public advocacy grew quickly. She was invited to serve as one of the featured speakers in the documentary film October 8, a powerful exposé about rising antisemitism in the U.S., particularly on college campuses.
“Debra Messing discovered me in January 2024 after a video I made went viral,” she shares. “She told the director, the amazing Wendy Sachs, about me, and she ended up reaching out and inviting me to be interviewed in the film. I was honored to share my story.”
Today, Tessa lives in New York, working in public relations while continuing her mission as a vocal advocate for Israel. She has been invited to the United Nations and the White House, along with speaking globally about her experiences
“It’s turned into a meaningful and urgent career choice,” she says. “I’ll keep speaking out. Antisemitism on campus won’t disappear, even if the war ends. I can’t say what will happen next — but I have a lot of hope. My advice to Jewish students is to be brave and to fight for what’s right. My hope is that the silent majority will finally wake up — because we’re a minority, and we can’t do this alone.”