26 March 2023
On Sunday 26th of March, StandWithUs UK honoured their StartUp students with an intimate graduation ceremony marking their completion of the inaugural leadership programme. This unique leadership course for pupils in Year 10 aims to produce a new generation of ambassadors in the entrepreneurial and creative Israeli spirit. Upon gaining a place onto the programme, select few students dedicated an academic year to finding innovative solutions to complex problems shared in the region, aided by their counterparts from a twinned school in Israel.
A lively reception was followed by students presenting each of their ideas. Each group poignantly shed a light on tough realities shared by Israelis and Palestinians, whilst also drawing interesting parallels to communities within the UK. From researching PTSD amongst Israeli and Palestinian children, combatting the misinformation targeted towards Israel online, to connecting food-lovers around the world via an interactive app, students approached each subject with incredible maturity and reflectiveness.
Oli Field, Ava Gray, and Hannah Pillemer were picked as winners of the Michael and Louis Brown Leadership Award which included a free trip to Israel with StandWithUs; a testament to their dedication, teamwork, commitment, and unique innovative ideas which stood out.
About StandWithUs UK:
StandWithUs is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organisation that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism. Founded in 2010, StandWithUs UK has become a recognised support system and leading resource for students on UK campuses. We empower and energise students and communities with leadership training and educational programmes on both school and university campuses. StandWithUs informs through social media, printed materials, digital platforms, film and newsletters. The StandWithUs flagship Emerson Fellowship programme seeks to raise students into future leaders, equipped to stand strong in the face of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We believe in the right of the Jewish People to self-determination in their historic homeland of Israel. We educate the facts in an unbiased and holistic manner, with an open mind, reflecting on views from all sides of the political, social and humanitarian spectrum whilst promoting peace. StandWithUs UK believe the current discourse surrounding Israel on campus all too often crosses the line between legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies and the dangerous, mainstream, antisemitic rhetoric which stands contrary to the IHRA definition of antisemitism. We work to educate on that distinction, encourage civil discourse on legitimate criticism of Israel, and to fight antisemitism wherever it emerges.
