August 2018

StandWithUs San Diego

5

By Sara Miller

StandWithUs San Diego (SWU) is thrilled to continue its mission of educating students and the community about Israel and welcomes our new Southwest Campus and High School professionals, the 2018-19 Emerson Fellows and High School Interns. Additionally, Yael Steinberg has joined the organization as the new Associate Director. She just completed a Master’s in non-profit organizational management from Hebrew University.

The San Diego community is invited to join the 7th Annual “Leaders of Tomorrow” Gala on October 14 at the Marriott Marquis in downtown. Husband and wife dynamic duo, Jaime and Dan Feder, are the dinner co-chairs. Keynote speaker Hussein Aboubakr will share his harrowing story of survival — imprisoned and tortured in Egypt for attempting to learn about Israel — until he escaped to the U.S.

At the gala, guests will also get to meet Rachael, whose family moved from Poland to escape anti-Semitism only to find it at her public school in San Diego. Find out how she is confronting it and how much a ten-year-old (yes, she’s that young) is able to accomplish. Rachael is the youngest table captain, busy filling 2 tables for the gala!

You’ll hear from former StandWithUs high school Interns, Trevor Lyons and Justin Feldman, whose courageous actions are setting a precedent for how confident and well-equipped young Israel educators can make a difference at their schools.

Craig Dershowitz, founder of Artists4Israel will demonstrate how his graffiti team is sharing the beauty and diversity of Israel on campuses through art. Special artwork will be created during the reception to be auctioned off during the program.

“We are lucky to have had Emerson Fellows and high school Interns in our own community for so many years,” said Sara Miller, Director of StandWithUs San Diego. “Together with our Board and other lay leaders, we are seeing a strategic mobilization and cohesiveness in fighting anti-Semitism and in spreading a contagious passion for Israel.”

 

Meet SWU Southwest High School and Campus Coordinators
Kate Chavez was raised in Los Angeles and just completed a BA from Sonoma State University in Political Science. She is the new Southwest High School Coordinator, replacing the incredible Liz Brough, who was promoted to the national Associate Director of High School Affairs

Last year, Kate taught English to children in Bat Yam. She recalled, “I fell in love with Israel — the people, culture, religion — and am very excited to return to the Southwest to share and promote Israel education.”

Liz Brough explained that the main goal for our high school department in San Diego, “is to offer public school students an opportunity to build relationships with both students and teachers, to provide their peers and local teachers with inspiring, accurate information.”

Started in 2012, the year-long StandWithUs High School Internship prepares students for the challenges they may face regarding Israel in college and in their communities.

Liz described it as an, “individualized opportunity for students who want to enhance their Israel knowledge, while also developing their leadership and professional skills, all with the goal of being empowered to educate their peers about Israel and face possible challenges ahead.”

2018-19 SWU High School Interns are: Dekel Galor, Canyon Crest Academy; Nathan Pupko Ginsberg, Torrey Pines High School; and Raphael Shpitalnik, Southern California Yeshiva. SWU’s new Southwest Campus Coordinator is Charline Delkhah, former president of “Aggies for Israel” at UC Davis.

“It’s important for people to know the facts — to know what is really happening — so they can sort through all the conflicting information and make their own decisions. SWU’s educational materials and programs helped me change the narrative at UC Davis about Israel,” she said.

One requirement of the Emerson and High School programs is to attend two conferences — one in August to prepare students for the year and SWU’s International Conference in March, where they will continue to hone their skills, share best practices and hear from speakers such as Hussein Aboubakr.

 

Meet The 2018-19 Emerson Fellows

Founded in 2007 by philanthropists Rita and Steve Emerson, the one-year program selects and trains 100 student leaders from 100 campuses across North America to present Israel on their campuses through dynamic, inspiring programming, as well as to combat anti-Israel, anti-Semitic campaigns and rhetoric.

 

Adam Taryle, UC San Diego

Entering his Sophomore year, Adam Taryle, will be Vice President of Israeli Culture for Tritons for Israel (TFI). Adam said he is “excited to take part in shaping how Israel is represented at UCSD, in order to instill truth, and create new bridges between our TFI and other university groups. I know I am working with amazing people in TFl and StandWithUs, and that we can use our resourcefulness to achieve this goal. Together we can inch closer to understanding the necessary ingredients of peace.”

 

Dana Elazar, San Diego State University

Dana is a Junior who will be the Emerson Fellow and Vice President of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) as well as President of Mishelanu at SDSU next fall. She became an Emerson because she said “Since leaving Israel at age 8, I felt a void — a piece of me was missing. Israel education has helped me fill that void by surrounding me with people of all backgrounds who still come together to support Israel. I am so excited to team up with StandWithUs to bring the beauty of Israel that I know to be true, to my campus!

 

LINK – Discovering Your Israel Connection

For the second year, the San Diego Jewish Academy featured LINK during their Israel Week program.

The school joins the more than 100 schools nationwide that are utilizing this 6-lesson, digitally-interactive, experiential, online middle school program to inspire students to make their own personal connection to Israel. A major Foundation is subsidizing the entire cost of the program to 20 new Jewish day and supplementary schools in California. Apply at: www.IsraelLink.org/KORET.

 

For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/StandWithUsSanDiego/. To register for the October 14 Gala, visit standwithus.com/sdleaders18. To learn more about getting involved with SWU San Diego, contact Sara Miller, saram@standwithus.com or Yael Steinberg, yaels@standwithus.com.

L'Chaim

Out of Recent Ashes

Previous article

Rabbi Menachem Bombach, Viral Video Star

Next article

You may also like

5 Comments

  1. This is an incredible article. I think if you would share it with the “Los Angeles Jewish Journal”, people will be learning about opportunities, and have some respect to Fellow of San Diego whom actually live in Los Angeles.
    Thank you for your Consideration.
    Dafna

  2. Kol Hakavod to our teenagers who take their passion to their hands.
    So proud to be a jew.

  3. Our students are doing real well.
    Take care of Israel in these hard times in the world. Kol hakavod.

  4. What a great start for the New Year, Shanah Tovah. This is great and I wish all the Fellows a great year.
    We need more peope like you.

  5. I love this. Thank you for young man and woman who take and introduce Israel in a sunny light.
    Thank you again.

Leave a Reply to Ayala Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More in August 2018

August 2018

‘Wings of Eagles’

By Donald Harrison, San Diego Jewish World To fellow aviators, perhaps, Elgen M. Long is best known as the man who in 1971 ...
August 2018

WHAT IS CAMPUS OF LIFE?

Campus of Life (COL) is a brand new concept of residential living — integrating community, wellness and learning experiences that compliment individuals’ goals. ...