The second Tribe Ambassador programme at Hasmonean Girls’ School reached its conclusion this week. The programme, which takes place over seven weeks, engages with participants in weekly sessions which are designed to prepare them with the right tools to confront anti-Israel sentiment on campus and in the wider world.
At each session, participants were given up to date facts on the situation in Israel by guest speakers including personnel from the Israeli Embassy and Stand with Us. Once the sessions were complete, participants were then set tasks to complete, ranging from creating YouTube videos promoting Israel, writing articles, and setting up stalls in the school dining room to promote Israel to the school body.
These tasks were used to find the three finalists from the original 20 candidates, with those who performed best in the tasks making it through to the next challenge.
The finalists were Yael Holder, Leah Shaya, and Elisheva Roselaar, who had to write a three-minute speech on the topic “Why Britain should stand up for Israel”. Each one presented their speech in front of sixth-form students and a panel of judges, which included Tribe’s Rabbi Binstock, Stand with Us Fieldworker, Jonathan Hunter, and Joanna Wolfson, Head of Sixth Form at Hasmonean Girls’.
Rabbi Binstock commented, “Although the standard of the speeches was extremely high, the judges decided that the winner of the Tribe Ambassador Programme at Hasmonean would be Leah Shaya. Well done to Leah and all the participants, who took on each challenge with great enthusiasm. I’ve no doubt that these young ladies will be able to represent Israel forcibly on campus.”
Winner, Leah Shaya said, ‘the course was so informative and worthwhile. I am much more aware now of the challenges facing Israel and the often incorrect perceptions that can be given over by biased reporting and rumours spread via social media. This course has shown me how important it is for me to have the information and understanding to challenge those misconceptions in order that I can stand up for Israel.”
