A delegation of four high school seniors from the New England Jewish Academy (NEJA) in West Hartford met recently with Representative John Larson at his Capitol Hill office, to urge the Connecticut congressman to continue his support of security assistance for Israel and to sign a congressional letter pressing the UN to address the threat of Hezbollah in Lebanon. The students also discussed with the congressman threats posed by Iran.

In their meeting with Larson, the students – Aaron Snyder, Moshe Gesin, Moshe Koenigsberg, and Yoni Gesin – had the opportunity to put into practice the skills they had learned the previous day as participants in the Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit.

Hosted and led by the American-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC), the three-day Summit provided the teens with insight into the advocacy process and gave them an understanding of how the issues affecting Israel directly impact the United States. In addition to lobbyists and Middle East experts, the group of 400 teens from all across the county heard from college students about the current environment on college campuses, which often veers strongly towards a pro-BDS, anti-Israel sentiment. 

Gesin called the Summit “an invaluable opportunity” to meet other high school students and to form a network of like-minded peers.

Koenigsberg agreed.“I am so grateful to represent NEJA and advocate on behalf of Israel.”

Students attending the Summit were treated to a private tour of the House floor, a visit to the Speaker’s exclusive balcony overlooking the Capitol, and a sneak peek at the secret House dictionary.

Main Photo: (Left to right) Yoni Gesin, Moshe Koenigsberg, Moshe Gesin, and Aaron Snyder met with Congressman John Larson at his Capitol Hill office.