Yavneh Academy seventh graders spearheaded a campaign to send a concrete message of support to the world by combatting the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement as part of their Advisory curriculum. This unit culminated in the school-wide B.I.G. Week, Buy Israeli Goods Week, leading up to Yom Yerushalayim. The campaign was two-fold. First, the students contacted all the local kosher supermarkets who agreed to hang a banner in their windows that said “Join Yavneh Academy’s BIG Weekend and Buy Israeli Goods.” In addition,Yavneh families were asked to go to one of the participating supermarkets and as they purchase Israeli products to take photos and email the photo to be entered into a raffle to win an Israeli food basket. Mazal tov to the winner, Elliot Mintz.

The second part of the campaign was to sell Israeli products in school to raise funds for Stand With Us. The sale was an overwhelming success, and was single handedly coordinated by seventh graders. Students also wrote letters to their senators and politicians in New York encouraging them to help fight the BDS movement on CUNY campuses. Students left this BIG Week and this unit in Advisory realizing that even though they may be “small” they can achieve “BIG” things for others and for Israel!