Teen Coordinator Brett Krasner's HRGS Experience

Posted on 06/06/2012 @ 08:00 PM

What a summit it has been! From the minute that I first saw the BBYO HRGS 2012 poster in the hotel’s lobby up until exiting the hotel’s garage onto Georgia Avenue for the final time two days later, I had an amazing time at the summit, meeting new teens, lobbying my Senator’s staff, encountering new and sometimes horrifying subjects, and even learning the solutions to those topics. On the first day of the summit, Hannah Procell, Sara Strei, and myself asked the participants: “How will you break the cycle of inaction in our country?” I received answers to that single question in the form of blank stares and confused looks from the audience. Two days later, I was filled with pride to see so many teens (that previously had no clue what I was talking about) raise their hands with excitement and confidence in order to express how each participant was going to come back to their communities and carry back with them the ideals that they learned from this summit. Whether it be getting Froyo, Starbucks, Chipotle, Chinese food late at night, or lunch in DC together, getting cement sprayed on our clothes because we crossed a closed sidewalk, developing intense inside jokes, creating room rivalries, “Snapchatting” each other’s iPhones, or even just trying to stand upright on the Metro, we certainly bonded as a group of proactive Jewish teens. Even when we were learning about the worst catastrophes in history and how no one helped those that were oppressed, we still learned together and shared our thoughtful opinions together like we would with our own families and closest comrades. Each speaker, speaking on domestic and international issues, changed how we looked at the world and its events, and opened our eyes to things that we had never even known about prior to the summit. Coordinating this summit with Mikah, Hannah, Sara, and everyone else was a blast, and I could have not wished for anything more on my birthday on Tuesday than spending it with such an amazing group of teens and staff that I instantly bonded with. Remember to follow up with the ideas that you were so intent on following through with, whether it be following up with your Senator’s office, bringing what you’ve learned back to your communities, or even by raising awareness about human rights in your school. Thanks for such an amazing summit everyone and I hope to see you all at another summit! -Brett Krasner, CRE, age 17.

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Reflections from the Second Annual Human Rights and Genocide Summit

Posted on 06/05/2012 @ 08:00 PM

Tikkun olam. Fixing the world because it is broken up. Genocide and the loss of human rights may be one piece of fixing the world, but it’s a key piece.

This is one of the ideas the HRGS participants chatted about during opening ceremonies and that stuck with me the entire time while we were there and it will continue to stick with me.

With every program, every speaker, and every thing we did while at this Summit, I knew we were changing the world for the better.

It takes a specific and special kind of people to be faced with a daunting task; trying to fix the world but I think we did just that. After hearing from each speaker, I felt so inspired to help be the change that stop some of these atrocities and I think other teens felt this way too. Not only were teens involved and asking questions during these speaking sessions, but teens genuinely cared about these issues.

After deciding on issues they felt were relevant and important, teens had the chance to lobby to their congressperson to spark change in the nation’s capital.

Each lobbying session was successful and hopefully we will see legislation soon to reflect that. Teens were also advised to follow up with their congressperson afterwards because lobbying does not stop after the meeting!

Coordinating the Human Rights and Genocide Summit inspired me to be a better person, to care about the world around me, and to promote tikkun olam.

-Sara Strei, age 15

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March 2012 Panim el Panim, Night One

Posted on 03/26/2012 @ 01:56 PM

Read more about Panim el Panim through the eyes of a teen participants, Hallie Kenyon from Buffalo, NY and Tyler Kass from Pensacola, FL.

Today, the first day of the Panim el Panim, we met many people from all over America including: Denver, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, California, and NY! It was really exciting to meet all these different people. We shared the same religion, yet we were so different in many ways, it was very eye-opining to see and hear from everyone's perspectives on issues and events. I thought the most eye opening experience so far was Donald, who came to speak to us from National Coalition for the Homeless. His presentation was very inspirational and widened my knowledge on the homelessness issue. I personally learned what the government was doing to help the homeless and that people need to get more involved for changes to occur. His speech was especially moving when he started to remove his old and dirty clothing and revealed that he was wearing a suit -- to hear how his homelessness experience transformed into success was inspiring. It was amazing to see and hear how his life dramatically changed, and for the better.

Hallie

Today, I gained some confidence somehow. Usually I'm a shy person, but I actually managed to talk to people and make new friends! We also heard from a homeless shelter foundation. He told the story of his life and how he made it from poverty to homelessness, to success on many levels. It was a very nice and touching story, and it really made you think about the homeless. After that, we went to the White House, which was very neat to see in real life. I'm excited to experience the rest of the trip, and hope to bring back plenty of memories to share.

Tyler

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An Eye Opening Experience - Panim el Panim 2/2012

Posted on 02/22/2012 @ 12:56 PM

Read more about the Panim el Panim experience through the eyes of the teen participants.

Today the Education Track had a visit from two female guest speakers who shared their opinions on the current government education policies and helped us form our own views on the issues we face as high school students. My eyes were opened to the problems in my high school and high schools around the country and it got me thinking about ways to reform the attitudes in classroom atmospheres, the introduction of information and the teacher-student relationship, and the No Child Left Behind program which has changed the modern classroom into an advanced-test-score producing machine.

Next we took a tour of a famous D.C. location of our choice. The Philadelphia delegation toured the American History Museum and learned a lot about the impact of entertainment on our country's history.

And finally, the most rewarding part of the day was venturing out to the Occupy D.C. park to perform what we call "Street Torah" which essentially ended in many conversations with the homeless who stay there whether by choice or by need. We provided them with simple necessities such as socks, gloves, deodorant, and tooth paste. Most of the people there at the time were still from the Occupy movement and were very eager to share their views with us.

Jessica Shapiro

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Learning from New Teachers - Panim el Panim 2/2012

Posted on 02/21/2012 @ 12:56 PM

Read more about the Panim el Panim experience through the eyes of the teen participants.

Today I was introduced to two former homeless people, who have shared stories from their past. The stories that they told were about the most difficult times that they experienced. One of the informers, Candy, explained how she started out being quite wealthy to almost having nothing. I have never heard of a story from a homeless person that started out where they had an abundant amount of money to go from shelter to shelter. The other individual had a very emotional story as well but Candy shared something new to me and that is what made her stand out out so much for me.

Steven Melamud

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