Students from the local Board of Jewish Education recently joined other Jewish students from around the country for Panim el Panim, a four-day seminar created by PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values of BBYO. During the sessions, the students explored public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens.

This Panim el Panim (Hebrew for “face to face”) seminar featured two learning tracks modeled for the teens’ specific interests: Service and Advocacy, and Politics in Action. Students in the Service and Advocacy Track did service projects at Washington Parks & People, Metro TeenAIDS, Martha’s Table, Food and Friends, and Bread for the City. They also had advocacy visits at Natural Resources Defense Fund, Feeding America, Share Our Strength, and National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The students in the Politics in Action Track met with Jack Swanton, a legislative aide for Senator Mark Udall, Democrat Senator from Colorado,for a legislative update on healthcare reform. They also met with Evonne Marzouk of Canfei Nesharim for a session on Jewish perspectives on climate change, and then had a legislative debate on Climate Change Policy with Jennifer Kefer, senior climate advisor at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Kenneth Green, an environmental scientist who has authored numerous policy studies.

The students also had the opportunity to work with the National Coalition of the Homeless. They were introduced to two homeless speakers who shared their experiences.This eye opening discussion then led to an evening of Street Torah, a www.P ANIM pro gram that br ings t ee ns to a D.C. area park to meet and talk with area homeless. The teens also shared blankets and winter clothing that they had brought from home.

The students also spent a morning at the University of Maryland, having a student tour and meeting with U/MD students and former localites Tory Kane and Brian Toll.

Throughout the Panim el Panim seminar, the teens studied and debated with peers and educators the issues most impacting the country today. The teens studied the health www. jewish tim es-care reform and legislation, immigration, climate studies and Middle East policy. This prepared them for the finale of the seminar, their trip to Capitol Hill.

The delegations met with the offices of their federal representatives including Sen. Barbara Boxer (DCA), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Rep. David Reichert (R-WA), Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), Rep. Bobby Bright (DAL), Rep. Vern Buchanon (R-FL), Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Rep. James Langevin (D-RI), to advocate for the issues that they most believe in.

“I have gained so much knowledge and perspective on today’s most talked about issues,” said Lee Mamolen from the BJE of Atlantic County. “I have also gained leadership skills that I hope to bring back to my school.”

Since 1988, 16,000 teens from 200

communities have participated in

Panim el Panim. Each seminar brings jewishtimes-sj.com together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country and enables teens to take home a new knowledge of advocacy and service.

The following local students participated along with Cantor Ed Kulp, who was their chaperone for the trip: Brandon Amir, Harry Furman, Noah Grossman, Rachael Lilienfeld, Seth Lipshutz, Samantha Malamut, Lee Mamolen, Rachael Reich and Rikki Roth.

For 20 years, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, has been empowering Jewish teens to a lifetime of activism,

leadership and service. Now, as a

division of BBYO, PANIM offers its com high-quality content and experiences to significantly more Jewish institutions and teens, creating a movement of young activists ready to take on the challenges facing society and the Jewish community.