In response to a request from teens and parents, North Shore NCSY/JSU held “Stand Up for Israel,” an evening of Israel education and advocacy in mid November.

The program aimed to give Jewish public school teens and parents a better understanding of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and how to respond to antisemitism.

“Arming our kids with knowledge and history about Israel is so important right now with everything going on,” says participant Masha Chepov of Northbrook, mother of two NCSY teens. “We need to help them be able to confidently advocate for Israel and against antisemitism.”

The evening began with an informative presentation led by StandWithUs that focused on the history of the State of Israel, as well as what has happened on the ground in Israel since Oct. 7. StandWithUs High School Regional Manager Hailey Stern also defined terms like “apartheid,” “intifada” and “occupation,” and taught participates how to identify – and better understand – misinformation.

During the second half of the program, teens and parents were split into groups with discussions led by the iCenter.

The parents’ discussion focused on how to help teens navigate the current situation in Israel and the ensuing antisemitism. The teens were given an open forum to discuss what they’ve been experiencing since Oct. 7 and how and when to respond to antisemitism or anti-Israel sentiment.

“We were able to share personal stories of our experiences with antisemitism,” says Joshua Zingerman, a senior at Glenbrook South High School. “It really opened my eyes to how these global events have had such a major impact in people’s behavior in communities I would have never even expected it from.”