StandWithUs, an international non-partisan organization that educates about Israel and combats antisemitism, has announced the 2021-22 Kenneth Leventhal High School Interns and Emerson Fellows from Massachusetts. One-hundred fifty students were selected in each program from 150 schools throughout North America.

The Leventhal Interns are: Aidan New, Marblehead High School; Amit Arbill, Newton North High School; Avery Burke, Academy at Penguin Hill; Charlotte Roiter, Algonquin Regional High School; Hannah Kimball, Gann Academy; Jacob Bley, Weston High School; Joseph Nickerson, Medfield High School; Kayla Schecter, Sharon High School; Naomi Sellam, Brookline High School; Tamir Hanono-Michli, Needham High School; and Yuval Nadler, Newton South High School.

Created in 2012, the StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship selects and trains juniors and seniors who identify their school’s educational needs when it comes to Israel and antisemitism, whether rooted in disinformation or hatred, and receive the tools to effectively meet those needs through practical and inspiring educational programming.

The StandWithUs Emerson Fellows are: Skyler Goldberg, Tufts University; Sarah Bolnick, Harvard Univeristy; Ansel Marcovici, University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Ben Topol, Brandeis University.

Founded in 2007, the StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship is a prestigious one-year program that trains, educates and empowers pro-Israel student leaders on campuses who inspire their peers and collaborate with other student communities to run effective educational events about Israel and combat antisemitic campaigns and rhetoric.

Students in both programs attend two conferences, one in August that prepares them for the coming year, and the annual StandWithUs “International Conference: Israel in Focus,” held in the spring semester in Los Angeles. At the conference, students learn how to identify and combat anti-Israel campaigns, including utilizing the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department and Center for Combating Antisemitism. Students explore the history of Israel and review the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while learning how to respond to the toughest questions about Israel. They gain leadership skills and have regional breakouts with their coordinators.

Stephanie Margolis continues as StandWithUs New England High School coordinator, and Karen Shalev, former Emerson Fellow from Worcester State University, is the campus coordinator.

Avi Posnick, regional director of StandWithUs Northeast & New England, stated: “We are excited to be able to reach more and more students in high school and on campus through our interns and fellows. Historically, Jewish teens joined the programs because of their desire to learn more about Israel, but the additional motivation for the 2021-2022 class is the rise of antisemitism in local communities and across North America. Unfortunately, the Greater Boston area has experienced too many anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents, especially this year. We look forward to seeing the impact our students will have during the school year as they educate their peers and community about Israel and the Jewish people.”

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