Israeli Club explores South ties to Israel, promotes inclusivity
Posing while baking Challah, a traditional Jewish bread oftentimes served on holidays, junior Rebecca Spector, Israeli Club president, helps to mix the dough with sophomore Jake Hershenhouse. Israeli Club meets to discuss the prevalence of Israeli culture through activities and meetings. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Spector
May 10, 2016
6,756 miles away is a country and culture with different traditions. From the game of Gaga to kosher sushi, South’s Israeli Club studies it all. On Wednesdays after school in room 288, every two weeks or so, a group of students gather to meet and celebrate the Israeli culture.
Hillel Crandus, English teacher and sponsor of Israeli Club, said the goal of the club is to get students involved and honor Israeli culture. Crandus also stated that he felt Israeli Club gives kids a time to celebrate their heritage.
“In a very busy week […] it’s just nice sometimes [for students] to take thirty minutes or forty-five minutes and do something that’s related to that side of themselves,” Crandus said.
Similarly, Rabbi Yehuda Polstein, a leader of Israeli Club meetings, says that Israeli Club is open to anyone who was interested in participating and learning more about the Israeli culture.
“We want to make sure that every program the Israeli Club does is going to be welcomed by the widest range of students possible,” Polstein said. “[We want] to make everyone feel comfortable, if they’re Jewish or not, if they come from Israel or not.”
Crandus recalled a time when the club discussed the capture of an Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Crandus believes the discussion had an impact on how prevalent the Israeli culture is in society because it showed students that there were events happening in the world that were affiliated with Israel.
“Five or six years ago there was an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas, [a militant, Islamic group located in Gaza], and he was held for years and when he was released we kind of talked about that and had a presentation about it,” Crandus said. “I still remember that […]. The whole country kind of seized up and was worried about him and then when he was released it was such a big deal, even for us. I remember that really well, it was quite stunning.”
According to junior Rebecca Spector, a president of Israeli Club, she became involved with the club through her older sister, who had been a leader of Israeli Club last year. Spector said she believes Israeli Club is important because of Israel’s large role in society.
“Israel is part of some of our culture […] and Israel, especially these days has been a big aspect in our political lives,” Spector said. “I think it’s just important that rather than focusing only on all the big wars that are going on in that area, we are learning the livelihood of [the] people who may live there.”
Spector said Israeli Club addresses many different aspects of Israeli culture through discussions, stories of personal experiences and sometimes doing the activity itself. Spector remembered a time when the club made kosher sushi to better understand some of the religious influences on the Israeli culture.
“The day that we were having sushi it was really interesting because the Rabbi would talk about the different kinds of kosher ways to kill fish and how to turn it into sushi,” Spector said. “I hadn’t really known that much about it beforehand.”
Polstein believes that his participation in the club has impacted him in a positive way, as it has allowed him to view Israeli culture differently.
“I think working with the teens at GBS has been extremely rewarding,” Polstein said. “[The kids] force me to reevaluate and make sure I understand the things that I believe in and think about. They are definitely teens […] that are very good at asking questions and pushing the boundaries. [The club] has made me a more thoughtful and sensitive person.”
