David Weisglass, age 16, is the creator of the design on the back of the blue NCSY T-shirt worn by hundreds at the Israel Day Parade in Manhattan. He was born in Queens and moved to Modi’in, Israel, with his family, when he was 9. Three years later, the family moved to Dallas, Texas,
where he now attends public school.

During his time living in Israel, Weisglass came to appreciate the warm feeling of being part of a Jewish community. Later, when he entered public school in Dallas, he discovered NCSY. “It helped me keep my connection that I had found in Israel with the Jewish community,” he said.

Weisglass also became the president of the JSU (Jewish Student Union) at his public school. “It has been an amazing opportunity to connect with my peers and to be closer to our Jewish culture. I myself learned a lot about the importance of Jewish culture in teaching teens about our religion.”

When asked if he has felt antisemitism at school, the teen said: “In every public school, there’s at least some antisemitism and hostility. But definitely after October 7, I felt a shift in the attitude of the school with the widespread misinformation, and people believing anything they heard on the internet. But on the other end of the spectrum, the principal was very accommodating and gave us a room for the JSU—a comfortable space for us that felt safe.”

In addition to his active involvement in JSU and NCSY, Weisglass enjoys being part of a Jewish arts group. So when he found out that NCSY was looking for a design for the back of their T-shirts for the Israel Day Parade, he sent in a sketch. A few weeks later, to his delight, an NCSY representative told him they were using it. The design depicts a large heart with an Israeli flag draped over it. IDF soldiers in various poses are standing in front of the heart, with the words “לבי במזרח”—“My Heart Is in the East”—above and below the design. The OU logo is on the front of the shirt as well.

Although he couldn’t be in New York, Weisglass was thrilled to feel like he was part of the Israel Day Parade. “It looked like there was a big turnout and it felt amazing to see my design on the back of the shirts,” he said. “It was empowering to see so many Jews celebrating our culture. I want to embrace that aspect of Jews celebrating their culture and commemorating anyone who was lost, and I tried to show that in my design.”