Weber Students Launch Pro-Israel Movement

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The Felicia Penzell Weber Jewish Community High School, a Sandy Springs high school serving students from all Jewish backgrounds, this week celebrated the launch of PRISM.

PRISM, or Pro-Israel Student Movement, is a student led movement aimed to promote Israel education and engagement among Jewish teenagers and its Alef Chapter at Weber.

For many high school seniors, April 21 marks the last few weeks of high school – warmer weather, graduation and freshman year - are all on the horizon.

However, for Weber seniors Talia Katz and Ilan Palte, their classmates and friends at Weber and AJA and 450 students and guests, that day marked the launch of PRISM and its Alpha Chapter at Weber.

By uniting as Jewish high schools who support Israel by building relationships with pro-Israel organizations, PRISM will establish a stronger bond between American teens and the land and people of Israel, preparing high school students to become effective ambassadors for Israel in college and beyond.

PRISM is about action, so all the students at the inaugural event met with representatives from 12 organizations where they learned different ways to make an impact on behalf of Israel.

“I have always been connected to Israel, but I realized that once we leave our small high school communities, we need to be able to grasp the complex and political issues about Israel,” said Talia Katz. “I hope that PRISM gives high school students a lens to learning why it’s important to have a Jewish state.”

“During our senior trip to Israel and Poland, it became apparent to me that high school students in the United States need to better understand and see Israel,” added Ilan Palte, “To launch this at Weber, weeks before I graduate, reinforces that teenagers have a voice.”

Weber Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz added student-driven initiatives are part of Weber’s culture and “a vital component to a 21st century high school education.”

“The launch of PRISM and the Israel Engagement event reflected two important aspects of Weber’s mission: cultivating student leadership and reinforcing our relationship with the land and people of Israel,” he added. “I am very proud of the work of Talia, Ilan and their fellow students for establishing PRISM as a legacy to Weber and look forward to Weber students who will build on their work in the future.”

At the end of the event, all students were challenged to make their commitment to learning about and taking action on behalf of Israel in the coming year.

Ilan added PRISM will ”be about doing, translating the ideas and hopes of our peers into meaningful and impactful action.”

“I hope our event started a movement where PRISM chapters are launched started in high schools across the country – I am proud that Weber is the first Jewish high school in North America to have the first PRISM chapter,” Talia added.

For more information about PRISM or the Weber School, contact prism@weberschool.org.

Photos: students gathering for the April 21 launch of PRISM. Credit: The Weber School