We were proud to send 12 ICJA student delegates to the annual AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. this week. Ms. Sennett led the cohort, and Rabbi Matanky was there as well, along with some Academy families and students and, of course, many ICJA alumni.
Attendees heard from politicians and leaders, including: Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ruby Grant says, “From these role models we learned that in order to lead we must use our voices effectively to create peaceful dialogue. Nikki Haley emphasized that though she will always be respectful, she will never be quiet, representing the strength and persistence that a leader must have. Benjamin Netanyahu described the good, the bad, and the beautiful parts of Israel and the American-Israel Alliance. What was unique about the conference is that 18,000 people from all different walks of life, with all different political views, and of all different ethnicities and religions were able to come together for a common goal: supporting and representing The State of Israel. The Policy Conference has given the 12 of us a wonderful foundation for understanding the complexity of Israel’s surroundings and journey, and we are all now better prepared to lead our Ida Crown community respectfully, using our voices to our advantage.”
ICJA students annually attend the AIPAC Policy Conference, and last year we were proud to be selected as AIPAC’s high school of the year, chosen out of all high schools across the U.S. This year’s cohort was one of our largest groups yet, thanks to the generosity of the Gorenstein family, who support our Israel advocacy efforts in memory of their father and grandfather, Sam Gorenstein, ע”ה. Teaching our students to be a passionate and educated Israel advocates is fundamental to our mission.
