Two seniors from Hewlett High School represented their chapter of the Jewish Student Union at the organization’s annual Presidents Conference Nov. 9-11 in Stamford, Connecticut.
The Jewish Student Union encourages Jewish teens that attend public high schools to get more involved in Judaism. It has more than 400 Jewish culture clubs on public high school campuses that offer Jewish teens programs that strengthen their Jewish identity and their connection to Israel, according to JSU.org.
The conference was open to all members who have leadership positions in their chapters from across the United States and Canada. The program was intended to teach JSU leaders how to lead, build up their clubs and get involved in the broader JSU community.
Becky Feygin, of Woodmere, represented the Hewlett High chapter. “I saw that there are so many Jews across the country that are dealing with similar struggles and have the same stories,” she said. “In general, we understand each other, and I gained a deeper sense of community.”
The program combined workshops and interactive learning experiences. Participants also worked on practical takeaways that chapter leaders can use in their day-to-day lives.
“My favorite part was hearing all the different speakers and seeing all their perspectives about antisemitism and Israel advocacy,” Feygin said. She added that she learned a lot of things that can’t be taught in a classroom, such as communication and interacting with other Jewish students.
“We learned how to reach out to kids so that they show up and are active with their Judaism,” she said.
She plans to use the skills she learned to reach out to more students at Hewlett High, where about 20 students usually gather at the JSU’s weekly Thursday meetings.
“I want to give the students new ways to embrace their Judaism and help them speak up about their feelings regarding antisemitism,” Feygin said. “Also, how to advocate for Israel and themselves.”
Being a young, Jewish student in today’s society, she said, means you have to be brave and be able to stand up for yourself. “You have to be able to know when someone is speaking bad and spreading lies about your people, your community and Israel,” she said.
Dina Heller, another Hewlett representative, has been involved in JSU since her freshman year, and currently oversees the chapter’s presence on social media.
“I make videos, interview people and film a lot of content for them,” Heller said. “I also encourage people to come to events, and I try to build a good community with it.”
Heller, who transferred from the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, in Lawrence, to Hewlett High as a freshman, said she has found solace in the JSU.
“It’s really important to have some sort of involvement in something so amazing,” she said. “You definitely feel the community when you’re there, and it brings a lot of people together. It’s ultimately such an amazing organization.”
She attended the conference because a lot of students have said it’s their favorite event of the year.
“It was a really amazing experience to go, and I’m really happy that I went,” Heller said. “I learned a lot and made a lot of new friends. I took away a lot of leadership skills and how to attract new members.”
It’s important to learn how to promote your chapter, she said, as well as how being in JSU can help prepare you for college, and how to deal with antisemitism protests.
“Your identity of being Jewish is not something that everybody has, and it’s an amazing community,” Heller said. “You don’t realize how amazing it is until you participate in something like JSU. Your involvement in it shows a lot about you as a person, and you won’t experience this anywhere else.”
The student representatives from Nassau County also included Tali Eisner, of John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore. Eisner, who lives in Merrick, is a senior, and serves as co-president of her chapter and is a member of the state executive board. She has been involved with JSU since her freshman year.
“It’s so much more than a club,” Eisner said. “It’s a community and outside organization for Jewish teens to express themselves. It is such a nice environment — I love it.”
This was the second time she attended the conference, and she said she has learned new things each time.
“I feel like as a teenager during this time is the most crucial time to be involved,” she said. “It meant a lot to be around people who share the same values as me and who are all there for the same reason. We all want to express our Judaism and celebrate it in a time where it’s not celebrated right now.”
