RKYHS commemorated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Balfour Declaration with an in-depth dive into the text and context of the declaration over the course of two days. Each class in the high school examined the background that pushed the British Government to draft this show of support for a Jewish homeland, and examined the various nuances of the text of the declaration to understand how the history of the region was shaped by the precise wording of the document.

The following day, students heard from Dr. Eric Mandel, the founder and director of MEPIN (the Middle East Political and Information Network). Mandel regularly briefs members of Congress and their staffs about the current geo-political situation in the Middle East. He also meets with members of the Israeli leadership and think tanks. Mandel is the Northeast co-chair of StandWithUs, an international organization dedicated to educating the public about Israel, while fighting the BDS movement (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) against Israel. Mandel shared with students insightful remarks about the hundred-year legacy of the Balfour Declaration and how it helped pave the path for the establishment of the State of Israel. It illustrated for the students how many of the issues that Israel faces today are the same as they were one hundred years ago. Mandel went through the history of the modern State of Israel and linked it back to the Balfour Declaration in order to put this pivotal declaration into context.