At the AIPAC policy conference in Washington, D.C., the RKYHS student delegation was honored to receive the prestigious AIPAC National Early Engagement Exemplars Award. The award recognizes the high school leaders who have done the most to advance AIPAC’s mission over the past year. RKYHS is one of only three high schools in the entire country to receive this impressive award. Year after year, RKYHS is one of the largest student delegations at the conference and this year was no exception, sending close to 80 students to the conference.
In their remarks when bestowing the award to the student recipients, AIPAC representatives noted “Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School is a political powerhouse and bustling with 100 plus students whose dreams are to be key contacts to their new members of Congress, run for Congress or work in politics. Through Rabbi Kirsch’s leadership the student activists have created a leadership board that divides itself to creatively and effectively take on the different AIPAC on Campus initiatives every semester. They have become masters at cultivating new activists through branding, social media campaigns and weekly legislative briefings. They impressively got the attention of both their district’s candidates this past election then continued to volunteer on one of their campaigns. RKYHS sets the bar incredibly high—the rest of the partner schools look up to their political accomplishments and admirable passion for this issue.”
In addition to the award, RKYHS was also selected to have students make a PowerPoint presentation at the session highlighting the group’s activities, achievements and accomplishments from the past year, and their efforts towards the first AIPAC on Campus semester initiative, “Educating Members of Congress.’ The RKYHS delegation was also able to see themselves and their award lauded on the jumbotron in front of the over 18,000 participants at the conference.
Another highlight of the conference was a special, off the record briefing with Howard Kohr, CEO of AIPAC. The meeting was in special recognition of the RKYHS student group’s incredible activism.
“This year’s policy conference has truly surpassed my expectations. AIPAC never fails to bring in first-rate speakers that educate and inculcate us with the knowledge we need to strengthen the U.S./Israel alliance and combat anti-Semitism. It has been an amazing experience and I am beyond proud to be a part of such an active delegation that has accomplished so much, that continuously strives to reach greater heights,” commented RKYHS AIPAC Co-President Maya Klibanoff.
“AIPAC Policy Conference is truly life changing. As a pro-Israel American, AIPAC educates and empowers me to advocate for the country. I am truly fortunate to have this opportunity not only at policy conference, but as a part of the RKYHS AIPAC group. Along with the other four presidents, I am extremely proud of all the outstanding work the entire RKYHS delegation has achieved,” added Co-President Daphne Ansel.
