ISRAEL 101 and Beyond – Preparing high school students

Left to right : Stephanie Margolis, Maxine Markowitz, and Arielle Sabot.

On Nov. 1, students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts met at Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence to participate in the first of a two-part series focused on preparing students for the contemporary college campus regarding Israel and their Jewish identity. The event was sponsored by Stand With Us.

Paul Friedman, from the SWU-New York office started the evening with a historical overview of the Jewish relationship to Israel and to Arabs. He provided maps, timelines and filled in the details that groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) tend to leave out. SWU is committed to the promise of “Never Again” through proactively providing fair and accurate Educational opportunities about Israel.

Hanna Girard, president of the Rhode Island chapter of National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) and a student at Classical High School was attracted to this event as a result of her Summer 2015 experience in Israel on the TJJ Ambassadors (The Jerusalem Journey) Program. “Although this past summer was filled with ‘real time’ and in the moment perspective, now back on American soil, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of negative and skewed information that is packaged to inflame. Seeing it back here really puts a different spin on it to see my peers and their families interested in gaining more insight, and how to process this information,” she said.

“When Josh Warhit, also of the SWU-NY office, spoke about his experiences in the IDF, he offered very personal insight about an Israeli military that works from an ethical platform focused on humanitarian rights. Josh put a face to it by showing photos of his unit. This took it to another level for me by making it real and not just an arbitrary news article,” she said. “Combined with pizza, ice cream, SWAG and a raffle for tickets to Matisyahu’s upcoming Providence performance, this was educational and fun.

“After looking through the supplies that SWU provided, I was impressed with the fact that not only did they do a presentation, but they also gave us resources, which we can refer to on a daily basis. It wasn’t just a one-time thing where a whole bunch of information is given and that’s it. They invested in the teenagers and are giving us the responsibility to carry on the truth. I am looking forward to the second session on Dec. 13 regarding the reality of being a Jewish college student in the 21st century.”

The second session of this the series takes place Dec. 13 from 1-3 p.m. at at Congregation Beth Sholom, 275 Camp St., Providence. High School students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts and their parents are welcome to attend. Participants will learn how to differentiate between legitimate criticism of Israel as a country and anti-Semitism in the form of anti-Israel activity. They will also learn how to defend themselves and Israel, along with a professor’s perspective regarding anti-Zionism on campus.