Two YULA Students Picked as Scholars

Having a conversation with Yeshiva University of Los Angeles
(YULA) students Debra Glasberg and Tzvi Smith is like chatting with two
political experts being interviewed on CNN. These two high school students are
among the five Jewish teens chosen for the exclusive Sen. Joseph Lieberman
Scholars Program.

Now in its third year, the program is a joint project of the
Orthodox Union’s Institute for Public Affairs (IPA) and the National Conference
of Synagogue Youth (NCSY). The goal of the Lieberman Scholars Program is to
educate and cultivate future leaders of the Jewish community.

After submitting an extensive application, selected high
school students are notified late in their junior year. The program lasts
throughout their senior year.

Twelfth-graders Smith and Glasberg and the three other
students selected are expected to monitor issues in Congress, work in
government offices at the local level and participate in pertinent educational
programs and seminars.

Glasberg has visited Russia and Australia to teach children
about Judaism and has been participating on her school’s Model United Nations
team since 10th grade. At 17, she has her immediate future figured out: She
will learn at a yeshiva in Israel for a year after high school and then go to
college to study political science. Her goal is to become a political activist.

“I’m concerned about issues that affect the Jewish community
and how we can help American Jews and world Jewry in the political process,”
the Beverly Hills resident said. “I think it’s extremely important that Jews
have a say in American politics.”

Smith, who started an NCSY branch in his community of
Westwood, was inspired to participate in the Lieberman Scholars Program after
spending a summer working for Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice). The 17-year-old said
he was asked to look into various policies and outline positions on both sides
of issues.

“I really enjoyed thinking about and seeing where and why
people choose one side of an issue over another and getting down to the bottom
of it,” he said.

Smith is anticipating that the program will expose him to
different points of view. “I’m hoping to get perspective out of it and make my
world a little better,” he explained. “As a teen, I live in a pretty cloistered
environment. I’m hoping the program will give me an opportunity to get in touch
with Judaism in other parts of America and other points of view.”

Like Glasberg, he plans to study at a yeshiva in Israel
before attending college.

In late November, Glasberg and Smith attended the United
Jewish Communities (UJC) General Assembly in Philadelphia. The conference
provided an opportunity for Jewish community leaders from across North America
and from Israel to meet and exchange ideas. The purpose of the event, which is
one of three major seminars the scholars will attend this year, was to foster
leadership in the Jewish community and promote Jewish awareness.

“Coming from an Orthodox perspective, I was fascinated how
the whole community could come together,” Glasberg said. “We all had this
uniting factor in supporting Israel and learning how to bring community
together to help Israel.”

For Smith, the most memorable part of the conference were
the sessions on outreach. “I do Jewish community outreach, and it was interesting
to see differences in goals and messages between the Orthodox and
non-Orthodox,” he said. “I like to be reminded that the Orthodox opinions are
not the only way.”

“It reminded me that we’re all Jews,” Smith continued.
“There were no conclusive answers, and I thought that was important because so
many backgrounds were represented.”

Josh Sussman, the IPA associate director in Washington,
D.C., is one of the guiding forces behind the program. “Our office hopes to
increase political activism in the community,” he said. “The Orthodox community
traditionally feels the political community is not for them, and there are some
pockets who still feel this way.”

“Anything that gets people involved is a good thing,”
Sussman added. “Hopefully this program is one more step in that direction.”

Debbie Shrier, YULA’s secular studies principal, said that
while both students have vision and drive, the program will give them the
skills to implement their ideas.

“Both of them have the tikkun olam [heal the world] aspect
to make change,” the administrator said. “Now they’ll have the political tools
to make change and have an impact on the community as leaders.”