During these tense times when decisions are being made that will impact the future of Israel and the US, the Frisch student body has been active in effecting change in two important ways. First, on March 26th, the Frisch School’s Class of 2015 traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for a robust U.S.-Israel relationship. Divided into groups of about ten seniors, the students met with various congressmen, senators and their respective staff to discuss several issues and pieces of legislation set to appear before Congress. In total, the students attended meetings in 25 different offices on Capitol Hill. The seniors’ agenda encompassed foreign aid appropriations to Israel for the 2016 fiscal year, the Roskam-Vargas Bill, which takes measures against BDS, and, most importantly, Congress’ role in the high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran. Rabbi David Sher, the Director of Israel Education and Advocacy, had been preparing the seniors for three weeks prior to the trip.
One of the major takeaways from the day was how empowered the students felt that they could make a difference. As one Frisch senior, Elisheva Fridman, recounted, “Walking through the halls of Congress, it was incredible to see people of such stature take the time to hear out a group of high school students. The experience proved that Israel occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of many Americans.” Another student, Jacob Bach, felt “honored to be taken seriously by [the] officials,” and their staff. For the class of 2015, this rewarding trip marks only the beginning of lifelong service to the American-Jewish community.
Frisch’s involvement is not limited to the seniors. The entire student body has been actively involved in the campaign to urge NJ Senator Corey Booker to support the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act of 2015 (Corker-Menendez). Frisch’s Israel club met with Caroline Klatt, the CEO of the OhSayNation app, to discuss the importance of reaching out to Congress about issues that matter to them. The OhSayNation app is designed to easily facilitate emailing senators and congressman from the sender’s specific district and state. The Israel Club, using the OhSayNation app, drafted a letter to members of Congress urging them to support legislation, such as Corker-Menendez, that would approve congressional oversight to any deal signed with Iran. Senator Booker has since voiced his support of the U.S. reaching a viable and safe deal with Iran, though he has yet to cosponsor the legislation. Even though students had already sent letters in March, Frisch’s Israel club renewed its efforts this week as the bill had recently been introduced to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a critical step towards the bill being passed. Frisch students urge the community to sign and spread the Frisch Israel club’s letter, which can be found at ohsaynation.com.
