NCSY & JSU are allied agencies working
Speaks Out
together to inspire thousands of Jewish students who attend more than 200 public high
“The goal of our programming schools across North America. in public high schools,” says Rabbi Miller, “is to inspire Jewish teens by showing them that Judaism has something to say about everything in their lives. We tackle the difficult topics that teens want addressed, as well as many topics that are off of the radar screen for many students.” Topics addressed in the Jewish high school clubs have included human rights, relationships, keeping kosher, Israel, Jewish leadership, Jewish holidays, the Jewish perspective on nonJewish holidays, Jews in different professional fields, the Holocaust, and dealing with fanaticism.
ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS since his last NCSY appearance, NCSY's New
England Region will host Professor Alan Dershowitz at an elegant dessert reception on Sunday, December 9 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA. Titled, “Dessert with Dershowitz” this event will take place on the sixth night of Chanukah and will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of NCSY’s New England Region. Tickets may be purchased by calling 617.332.6279. Professor Dershowitz’s most recent prior engagement with New England NCSY on June 5, 2007, was a time more devoted to reflection than celebration. That occasion found Professor Dershowitz speaking for NCSY and the Jewish Student Union (JSU) at the Newton South High School in Boston, MA, in response to a talk given in the same school nearly two months earlier by Noam Chomsky, a virulent critic of both Israel and the United States.
New England NCSY has partnered with JSU and a variety of other Jewish organizations and has presented guest speakers as diverse as Andre Tippett, a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, who converted to Judaism; and Raanan Gissin, a media advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
According to Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Regional Director of New England NCSY, the clamor aroused by the Chomsky invitation led the school to make an about-face, shifting the venue of Chomsky’s talk from the school’s large auditorium with all classes invited, to a closed-off event open to only a select group of students and faculty. After Chomsky spoke, Principal Brian Salzer reported receiving “over 800 emails and dozens of phone calls.” “Professor Dershowitz is a good friend of New England NCSY,” said Rabbi Miller, “but his appearance should also be seen in the larger context of NCSY working in partnership with another national organization, the Jewish Student Union, to spread the message of Jewish pride, enthusiasm, and commitment to Jewish students attending public high school across North America.
“We are very proud that under the leadership of former NCSY/JSU student president Dan Rozenson, our student club made it possible for Professor Dershowitz to provide a completely different point of view from Chomsky’s,” declared Rabbi Miller. Noting the growing discontent concerning America's presence in Iraq, Rabbi Miller added, “After hearing [from Chomsky] that the United States and Israel are at the root of all evil, students needed to be reminded that the United States and Israel are fighting a war against terror that affects every American, as well as every Israeli. Nobody makes the case better than Professor Dershowitz.”
Chinese Auction New York NCSY is pulling out all the stops for an evening of elegance and fun at the “Growth NCSY Chinese Auction” on December 15, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. Hosted by Congregation Shaare Tova at 82-33 Lefferts Boulevard in Kew Gardens, NY, and featuring a sumptuous buffet and Viennese table by A&A Gourmet, the highly anticipated annual event will also showcase prizes that include the HP IQ 770 touch screen computer, the Dell XPS laptop computer, diamond and pearl jewelry, fur coats, semi-custom sheitels, trips to Israel, a trip to Florida, iPods, the Garmin Nuvi GPS navigation system, and the complete 73 volume Artscroll Schottenstein Talmud Bavli. As a family-friendly organization, parents of young children are also encouraged to inquire about free babysitting. For more information and to purchase auction tickets for this world-class event, visit www.NYNCSY.com, call 718.261.6279, or email NYregion@NCSY.org. 9