Students Go to DC with AJC

by Ellie Strachan, SSLI '25

This past week, Schechter students Liam Golan, Josh Jurmann, and Jordan Bitton went on the American Jewish Committee's (AJC) Washington, D.C. trip. This trip was from Sunday to Tuesday and is a part of the AJC Leaders of Tomorrow (LFT) program for high school students in grades 10-12.

Junior Liam Golan had a great time on the trip. (L. Golan)

Sophomore Josh Jurmann explained, "The best part of the trip is making friends and meeting so many new people. Also, seeing all the sights and going to the Capitol was amazing." Jurmann enjoyed "the educational parts," but said "the social aspects were the things [he is] going to remember the most."

Students toured all around D.C. and even learned about different religions. Sophomore Jordan Bitton stated, "During the trip, we visited locations like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Smithsonian museums, and Capitol Hill." Bitton shared that he learned "about certain aspects of Jewish history and how it relates to other ethnicities, like the African American community." Jurmann added that they also learned “how to lobby and talk to congressional staffers and about interfaith relations of Jews and others.”

Bitton hopes other Schechter students will join AJC's Leaders of Tomorrow program this coming year. Bitton explained, "They teach us about a variety of significant events in Jewish history and how to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people in the best way possible."

Jurmann concluded, "Teens should do the LFT program ... because it helps you deal with antisemitism, which is on the rise. It also helps you advocate for Israel to make sure Jews will always have a place to go to."

Ellie Strachan is an editor for Paw Print Now and has been published on the site since November 2021. Ellie is currently a junior at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: estrachan25@schechterli.org.