taking action

by Rachel Margolin

Relationships Matter

Students learn U.S.-Israel advocacy skills at AIPAC seminars.

for Israel, we must teach others the
importance of Israel. This involves
educating current and future policy-
makers. Lobbying congressman or
senators, making and signing peti-
tions, getting involved in campaigns,
and building relationships with con-
gressional leaders are all ways to do
this.
At the second AIPAC conference,
four other FJA students and I were
surrounded by 350 student leaders
from a variety of college campus-
es. At one of the sessions, Marilyn
Rosenthal, AIPAC's deputy political
Frankel Jewish Academy students Zoe Pinter, Hannah Cohen, Rachel Margolin,
director, spoke about the five habits
Brandon Belgier and Jacob Allen
of effective pro-Israel activists. These
he American Israel Public Affairs Com- habits can help you find ways to help sustain the
mittee (AIPAC), America's top pro-Israel ever-important U.S.-Israel relationship:
1. Personal relationships matter. Building a
lobby, advocates for a strong and beneficial
relationship between America and Israel. I am for- relationship with your congressman, senator or any
tunate enough to have attended two AIPAC train- congressional staffer is a great opportunity to make
ing seminars in Washington, D.C., within the last yourself known and also gives you the chance to
speak your mind about the current issues in Israel.
two months.
As a student at Frankel Jewish Academy (FJA) You could invite a member of Congress to your
in West Bloomfield, I thought I already understood school to speak or make a presentation for your
the importance of America's support for Israel. congressman about an important bill in Congress
AIPAC honed this idea and taught me about the that deals with Israel.
2. Support current friends of Israel. Call the
mutual benefits of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,
office of your congressman and senators for their
and how to advocate for it.
voting
records. It is important to help support the
An important lesson I learned is that to advocate

T

candidate or current congressman who has a strong
pro-Israel voting record. If you are too young to
vote, share this information with your parents, fam-
ily, teachers or neighbors.
3. Both sides of the aisle support Israel. Dem-
ocratic or Republican, a friend of Israel is a friend
of Israel, no matter their other political beliefs.
4. Know your facts. It is hard to make a strong
case for Israel without being knowledgeable about
how Israel greatly benefits the U.S. and how the
U.S. greatly benefits Israel. Being credible makes
your voice stronger.
5. Have meaning and intent behind what-
ever method of activism you choose. Having a
strong voice and opinion is powerful. Keep work-
ing for what you believe in and you can make your
voice heard.
These are just a few examples of advocacy. The
12 FJA students and other Detroit teens at AIPAC's
High School Summit, and the four other students at
the Saban Leadership Seminar with me, have been
inspired. Along with them, I hope to make a differ-
ence in the U.S.-Israel relationship. I hope you've
been inspired to take action. Just reading this article
is a start!
For more about AIPAC, check
out www.aipac.org .

Rachel Margolin, 17, is a senior at

Frankel Jewish Academy in

West Bloomfield.

community spirit

by Marisa Horn and Josh Lowenthal

BBYO leaders

Josh Lowenthal

BBYO: more than just socializing

and Marisa Horn

Organization provides Jewish connections, leadership opportunities.

B

BYO often is thought of as a way for Jewish
teens to socialize with each other. Have you
wondered what else there is to BBYO?
Fact: Nearly 1,200 Jewish teens are involved in
Michigan Region BBYO and nearly 28,000 inter-
nationally.
Fact: Teens from any Jewish background, from
secular to halachically observant, are welcome in
BBYO. For many teens, BBYO is their ONLY Jew-
ish connection.
Fact: BBYO teens complete thousands of hours
of community service through their chapters each
year at local agencies such as JARC, Yad Ezra, the
Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Friendship
Circle and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit.
Fact: BBYO took 100 Jewish teens to the Detroit
Princess Riverboat where we learned about the ship
"Exodus" and the hardships faced by Jewish Holo-
caust refugees trying to enter Mandatory Palestine.

TT2 teen2teen January 21 • 2010

MI

Fact: BBYO held an impactful MBA
(Mind, Body, Attitude) program for Jew-
ish girls. Themed Gossip Girl, BBYO
teens used the popular show as a plat-
form to develop personal mottos, discuss
the power of inner beauty and help teen-
age girls feel more comfortable being themselves.
Fact: Locally, more than 300 Jewish teens at-
tend leadership seminars and retreats, and nearly
100 Jewish teens spend their summers in BBYO's
renowned leadership and travel programs.
Fact: Fifteen BBYO teens attended AIPAC's
High School Summit in Washington, D.C., to learn
to become effective Israel advocates.
Fact: In the past six months alone, BBYOers in
Michigan have raised more than $4,000 for Will
Work For Food, a nonprofit that provides aid to
malnourished children in Africa as part of BBYO's
Stand UP! Campaign.
If you are interested in leadership, BBYO is for

you. If you want
to find yourself
Jewishly, BBYO
is for you. If you
are interested
in tikkun olam
(healing the world), BBYO is for you.
During the past four years, we have had the plea-
sure and honor to be part of this teen movement. It
shaped us into leaders, connected us to our Juda-
ism, built our self-confidence and forever changed
our lives.
BBYO: We are far more than just a social net-
work. We are a way to inspire Jewish leaders, help
our community and heal the world. We are the
movers and shakers of today and tomorrow. We are
our community's future.

Marisa Horn, 17, Is Michigan Region BBG N'siah (girls'
president); Josh Lowenthal, 18, is Michigan Region AZA

Aleph Godol (boys' president).

visit JNt2t.com