Teens head to college prepared to support Israel

Graduates of a Jewish Federation of Greater Houston program that teaches college-bound students Israel advocacy skills took part in efforts to persuade Texas lawmakers to pass anti-BDS legislation, while other students in the program educated their peers about Israeli culture.

The Israel Teen Ambassadors program graduated its sixth class of high school seniors on May 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Houston Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen were among the elected officials who offered personal statements of congratulations to the graduates for their leadership in the pro-Israel movement.

Over the past two years, the teens undertook an intensive course of study that covered Israeli history, current events, geopolitics, U.S.-Israeli relations, communication and debate skills, media bias and propaganda campaigns, digital diplomacy, coalition-building and Israeli cultural arts.

Taught by a team of local and international experts, these lessons were designed to prepare students to be effective supporters of Israel as they head off to college and careers, according to Federation leaders.

�The Jewish Federation�s Israel Ambassadors program has provided me with the ability to advocate for my country and homeland, not on a battlefield like the brave Israeli soldiers, but on college campuses and my workplace,� said Sigal Melnik, one of 17 graduates in the program�s Class of 2017.

�Because of this program, I have the capacity to expand the tiny country�s limits and the ability to defend it, not with a tank or a gun, but with my words, my knowledge, my understanding and my experience,� she said.

The Federation launched its Teen Israel Ambassador�s program in response to growing challenges faced by students on college campuses.

�Both Jewish and non-Jewish students are bombarded with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric, which can be shocking to young adults who have not had prior experience dealing with such hate speech and images,� said Robin Stein, incoming chair of the Federation�s Jewish Education department. �To combat this hate speech, the Federation created the Teen Israel Ambassadors Program in 2010 to educate some of our brightest teens and train them to become more effective advocates for Israel.�

The program�s Class of 2017 is comprised of students from seven Houston-area high schools, three private and four public. The teens belong to 10 different synagogues, spanning the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements, and are members of six various Jewish youth group organizations.

As a capstone to the program, the teens were challenged to create Israel advocacy projects of their choosing.

Deborah Brown and Goldie Serwatien organized a letter-writing initiative at their school, Robert M. Beren Academy, to urge elected officials in Austin to vote in favor of bipartisan legislation, aimed at thwarting the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. The state�s anti-BDS bill was unanimously passed by the Texas House of Representatives last month and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbot on May 2.

Besides collecting dozens of student-authored letters to lawmakers, Brown and Serwatien also traveled to Austin to meet with their representatives.

�We spoke to our members of the State House and State Senate and we talked to them about why Israel is important to us and why it�s important that Texas should support its ally, unconditionally, and not allow BDS to come into our state,� said Brown.

�We got the tools to be able to do this and help ensure that this bill passed because of the Teen Israel Ambassadors,� she said.

Serwatien and other graduates said that the program created opportunities for them to participate in AIPAC�s High School Summit, as well as its annual Policy Conference, in Washington.

�It was really eye-opening to be able to see that my voice made a difference,� Serwatien said. �That helped me come back to Houston and realize that I can make a difference even from home � I don�t have to be in D.C.�

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a letter to the teen ambassadors, thanking them for their leadership and activism. Each graduate received a copy of the letter, which was read at the graduation ceremony by Devorah Cohen, who ran this year�s program with Lori Actor, director of the Federation�s Israel Engagement Center.

�By studying both the history of the State of Israel and the challenges we face, you will be better prepared to refute the lies and slander that [are] unfortunately so prevalent on so many college campuses,� Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote to the teens. �You are now equipped with the most effective tool to do so: the truth.�

Members of Knesset joined Houston�s mayor pro tem, Ellen Cohen, in congratulating the graduates in a tribute video also played at the ceremony.

Class of 2017 graduate Marissa Papell said she benefited from the program�s half-day seminar, featuring a panel of college students, who shared their experiences of advocating for Israel on the campuses of Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston.

For her capstone project, Papell, who is attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York next year, hosted an Israeli-style lunch for a special-interest group.

�The things I love more than anything are cooking and food, so I knew that this is what I wanted the main focus of my project to be,� she said. �I combined this passion with my recent trip to Israel and presented to the Friendship Force, which is a non-profit cultural organization that promotes understanding, cultural education and diplomacy.�

Papell added, �I spoke to them about my experience in Israel on my BBYO trip and cooked a 12-dish Israeli-style lunch from scratch. At the end of the event, they asked me questions and they gained a better understanding about Israeli life and culture through my eyes.�

Denis Braham, board chair of the Houston Federation, praised the teen Israel ambassadors for being �role models.�

�Our Federation is very committed to improving the lives of those who need our care in Houston and in Israel and around the world,� he said. �We can only fulfill and sustain that mission if we first ensure that our shared Jewish values endure.

�What you do is help ensure those Jewish values,� Braham told the program�s graduates. �Not only must you feel a strong connection to our community, you must be prepared to represent and defend who we are as Jews as you go off to college and become those future leaders.

�You�ve shown already � that you�re well up to the task,� he said.

Papell said, �Our work does not stop when this program ends. We will all continue to advocate for Israel, because of the tools and lessons we have been given.�