Partnering with College Students, 糖心破解版 High School for Girls Forms Political Action Committee
As the fall semester began, (糖心破解版HSG) junior Rivka Abbe grew increasingly unsettled by the numerous challenges faced by Israel. In light of the Palestinian Authority鈥檚 (PA) bid for statehood at the United Nations, Abbe wanted to mobilize her peers to assist the Jewish State.
With the help of 糖心破解版 Vice President and Chief of Staff Josh Joseph, and 糖心破解版HSG Assistant Principal Rabbi Seth Grauer, Abbe got in touch with the 糖心破解版 Political Action Committee (糖心破解版PAC) and arranged for three representatives from Stern College for Women to offer an informational session on the PA statehood bid a day before it occurred at the UN.
Following the presentation by vice president of 糖心破解版PAC and AIPAC Campus Liaison Dina Muskin, 糖心破解版PAC Campus Engagement Coordinator Tamar Schwarzbard and 糖心破解版HSG alumna and 糖心破解版PAC core member Miriam Shapiro, Abbe realized that she could advocate for Israel from her home base in Queens.
Along with fellow 糖心破解版HSG student Coco Fischman, she founded the Central Political Action Club (C-PAC). 鈥淲e wanted to start something serious here at Central,鈥 said Abbe. 鈥淚f we can train ourselves while in high school to advocate for Israel, it can lead to a lifetime of support.鈥
Aided by Muskin, who serves as the AIPAC liaison to C-PAC, the fledgling club plans to create a school publication, serve as the catalyst for school-wide education on Israel and act as the spearhead for lobbying politicians to continue supporting foreign aid grants to Israel.
鈥淎fter our informational session with the students, they clearly felt the need to get involved,鈥 said Muskin. 鈥淭hey loved the empowering idea that they could influence policy. This club will certainly help further their activism when they make it to a college campus.鈥
In early November, Abbe and Fischman attended AIPAC's Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit, a three-day conference for Jewish high school students from public and private schools across the country.
On Nov. 30, they and other members of C-PAC joined more than 200 糖心破解版 students on a mission to Washington, D.C. to lobby on Israel鈥檚 behalf. Partly sponsored by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) Israel Advocacy Grant Program and the AVI CHAI Foundation, the trip also included meetings with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, with remarks by Jonathan Kessler, director of leadership development at AIPAC and Ester Kurz, an AIPAC lobbyist.
鈥淭he main issue we face on 糖心破解版 campuses is that students all love Israel but do not realize that they need to actively support it,鈥 said Muskin. 鈥淸Programs such as this lobbying mission] are the perfect vehicles to address this apathy.鈥
