(Courtesy of SWU) StandWithUs Northeast honored exceptional teens with the “Leader of Tomorrow” High School and Campus Award at its gala held recently at Gustavino’s restaurant in New York. The honorees were Frisch High School senior Kayla Grunstein, who was the 2017-18 StandWithUs High School lntern, and 2017-18 SWU Emerson Fellow Neil Dasgupta, a junior at Stonybrook University, who lives in Tenafly.

Kayla was chosen because of her commitment to educating her school about Israel. She fulfilled one of the requirements of the internship by starting an Israel Club. Through it, she organized many thought-provoking programs. One was to have 21-year-old Arab Zionist Yaha Mahamid share with the entire school assembly how he overcame indoctrination to hate Israel and Jews. As a senior, she continues her activism and to be helpful in creating more effective programs.

Neil stood strong in the face of adversity when a vicious Students for Justice in Palestine formed and tried to kick Hillel off campus. He started a new campus group, “Seawolves for Israel,” to educate about Israel and confront the anti-Israel rhetoric. The scope of his programming was designed to engage a much broader campus community in conversation.

The SWU gala “Leaders of Tomorrow: Inspiring the Next Generation for Israel” also honored Rebecca Stern from NYU. The keynote speaker was Congressman Ed Royce with a special introduction by Representative Eliot Engel. SWU NE board member Barbara Fix received the Community Award.

Reality star and author Siggy Flicker was the special guest and comedian Elon Gold emceed the sold-out event.

SWU High School Internship: https://www.standwithus.com/aboutus/hsinternship/

SWU Emerson Fellowship: https://www.standwithus.com/aboutus/emersonfellowship/