How do we strike a balance when First Amendment protections, dearly held values which enable our religion to thrive in the United States, conflict with other dearly held values, such as the defense of Israel? The question is not merely theoretical; Yeshiva high school graduates will encounter these questions on college campuses, where they will likely confront strong anti-Israel sentiments. Ma’ayanot prepares students for these conflicts with a yearlong Contemporary Israel course which all seniors take, as well as by inviting expert speakers.

On October 7, Ma’ayanot juniors and seniors were privileged to learn from Akiva Shapiro, litigation partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and father of Meira (‘21), who reviewed the history of First Amendment protections even—especially—for offensive speech, shared cases he has litigated and answered student questions. Students were especially interested in effective ways to address BDS activism they will encounter at college. Shapiro concluded that offensive speech should be protected, maintaining that the antidote to offensive speech is not less speech, but more speech. Senior Ariel Brasch appreciated the fact that Shapiro spoke with balance and thoughtfulness about this challenging topic.

The Contemporary Israel course, based on cutting-edge educational research and created in response to alumnae feedback about their experiences in college, is based on the premise “that students can handle the complexity of Israel’s history, and should engage in nuanced conversations about Israel within the safe space of a high school classroom,” said Sarah Gordon, curriculum coordinator for the course. Avi Mandel, Contemporary Israel teacher and a native of the Shomron, agreed that “Critical thinking is necessary in this area of education, as in any other.” Through robust education and conversations about Medinat Yisrael throughout high school, Ma’ayanot students learn to be both passionate and knowledgeable in their advocacy and love for Medinat Yisrael.