On Sunday, Oct. 22 CESJDS and the Center for Excellence and Engagement in Jewish History (CEEJH), partnered with the American Jewish Committee to host a teen summit at the JDS upper school, focusing on “Israel, Gaza, and our Jewish World Today.”
At this summit, any Jewish teen in the area was given an opportunity to learn about the Israel-Hamas War and attend a vigil held in solidarity with Israel.
This event was split into three segments. During the first segment, three different seminars were offered; one seminar reviewed America’s response to the war, one explained the history of Arab-Israeli conflicts and one offered a lesson on current events in Israel.
These seminars were taught by experts on the subject. One such speaker was Jewish History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Rosenthal.
“It really was an opportunity for teens to learn, ask questions and come together in a show of support for Israel, but also for Jewish students in the area who don’t necessarily know where to turn,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “So it was really aiming to provide a resource and a place for solidarity and learning.”
In addition to these seminars, the summit held a vigil in honor of the fallen soldiers and civilians in Israel. This included student speakers who inspired fellow teens to continue to learn about Israel and spread awareness on the ongoing conflicts.
The vigil also featured a speech from Minister-Counsel for Middle East Affairs Noa Ginosar. She spoke of teens and their potential for involvement as a sign of hope, highlighting the importance of talking to teens directly on the war.
“I think that teens are going through a very uniquely difficult time because on the one hand, there’s a lot of information to take in,” Ginosar said. “On the other hand, you guys are at the forefront of seeing the onslaught of distortion of reality on social media, and that puts you in a really tough spot.“
In her speech, Ginosar offered some insightful advice on how teens can stay actively involved in the ongoing crisis in Israel. Ginsoar advised teens to be proud of the Israeli and Jewish identity and people. She also advised to tell the stories and honor the people who have been killed and taken hostage in Israel, as well as to join groups in the area to try to help the Israeli people.
“Ultimately, everything happening now will continue to affect us all for the rest of our lives,” Ginosar said. “This is your reality that you’re holding, so you have to take part in it.”
“There haven’t been a lot of resources for teens,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “JDS students are lucky because they have a lot of resources and we’ve been trying to have info sessions and opportunities to ask questions, which has been a great resource for them. It made sense to provide that resource more broadly.”
