A group of close to 40 MTA talmidim accompanied by four faculty chaperones headed to Capitol Hill recently on the annual MTAPAC Lobbying Mission to Washington, D.C. Similar to the much larger NORPAC mission that takes place in May, the goal of this trip was to lobby members of Congress to support legislation that will further enhance the close relationship between Israel and America.

Unlike the NORPAC mission, this is a fully talmid-lead initiative. A steering committee of seniors and juniors worked hard to secure the different meetings. The talmidim crafted the talking points for each meeting and scripted their remarks with the guidance of Rabbi Eli Cohn, faculty advisor to MTA’s Hatzioni Israel Club.

Each group was led by a Senior captain that helped the underclassmen fashion their remarks and was responsible for the overall structure of each meeting. All of the talmidim participated in training sessions in advance of the mission, and were responsible for researching the different issues they would discuss to be properly prepared.

It was a critical day to be on the Hill. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont brought two resolutions to the floor with the goal to block aid to Israel. The Lobbying Lions met with eight different members of Congress in their efforts to stop this motion. In one such meeting, a group of talmidim met with Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana to express their concerns about the upcoming vote. The Senator invited them to the Senate galley to watch him cast his vote against the motions.

All in all, the talmidim felt proud of their accomplishments. It was an exhausting day of traveling and lobbying, but it was an incredible opportunity to stand up for Israel on the Hill. Rabbi Daniel Konigsberg, Principal of MTA, reflected “it was an amazing day of experiential education at its finest. Our talmidim were tasked with the responsibility to make this day happen, and they came through with flying colors!”