PORTLAND Israel advocates are, from left, Shayna Darling, Max Spector, Sam Margoles, Rachel Heidling, Blake Morell, Hadas Horenstein, Minna O’Brien and Kory Darling.

Portland teens lobby for Israel

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2008-12-01T00:00:00

Eight Portland teenagers know they don’t have to wait until they are old enough to vote to have their voice heard by the nation’s lawmakers.

The Portland-area high school students were among more than 330 students from 18 states who spent Nov. 9-11 in Washington, D.C., for Israel advocacy and political activism training at the fourth annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit. Portlanders Max Spector, Minna O’Brien, Kory Darling, Shayna Darling, Rachel Heidling,

Blake Morell, Hadas Horenstein and Sam Margoles attended with advisors Meira Spivak and Steve Bloom, a member of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, who last year ran a series for students about Israel.

“The highlight of the summit was lobbying in Congress, because it really enforced what was said all along—that you can always help out and make your voice heard,” said Shayna Darling, a student at Wilson High School. “The experience really made me realize that everyone has the potential to help a worthwhile cause and there aren’t any limits on what you can do.”

“The highlight of the meeting was going to Capitol Hill and being able to talk to (Oregon Democratic Congressman David) Wu’s staff member,” said Heidling, a student at Tualatin High School. “I really felt like I was making a difference and that he took us seriously.”

Director of local Jewish Student Unions at eight area high schools and co-director of Portland’s NCSY chapter, Spivak said she first heard about the high school conference at last spring’s AIPAC meeting in Portland. She contacted AIPAC’s early engagement director Adam Harris, who then came to Portland Sept. 18. At that week’s NCSY Latte and Learn, Harris told the teens about Israel advocacy and the summit designed for students considering academic, internship, and career tracks in the arenas of politics, public policy, media and Israel advocacy.

Spivak said that after that meeting, Hadas Horenstein, the president of Wilson High’s JSU, not only signed up to go, she also recruited some friends from high schools without JSUs.

“I wanted to go to the high school summit to further my knowledge about Israel, but specifically to understand the strategic advantages to the US- Israel relationship,” said Horenstein.

Shayna Darling had a similar motivation: “I wanted to go to the AIPAC summit because Israel has always been so important to me, but I wanted to learn more about how specifically it benefits our country, as I mostly have grown up supporting Israel because of Judaism.”

Spivak said the summit included workshops on lobbying and political action as well as updates on the U.S.-Israel relationship and current events in the Middle East such as the peace process and Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

On the second day of the conference, students went to the Capitol to lobby representatives of the congressional delegation from their own state.

“I want to be able to effectively lobby our government for the issue which I am most passionate about,” said Horenstein. “The highlight of the meeting was definitely speaking with Congressman Wu’s legislative assistant. I felt so proud and accomplished that I could speak up for my beliefs and convey my opinion in a clear, concise manner.”

Kory Darling agreed that lobbying was the highlight of the conference: “We were actually able to give our point of view and reasoning to somebody who represents our government.”

She added that she wanted to go to the summit to learn how to become more involved in the relationship between America and Israel.

The third day focused on just that. Spivak said the final day of the conference focused on how the teens could get involved in their own community.

One participant saw long-term benefits.

“When I go to college, I’ll be able to defend Israel much easier than I would have, if I hadn’t attended the summit,” said Heidling.

Spivak said each delegation also has the opportunity to nominated two high schoolers to participate in AIPAC’s college level program over winter break.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and Sharon Ungerleider provided financial support enabling the teens to attend the conference.