A delegation of 70 Israeli high school students has been bringing the “message of young Israel” to American youth since Feb. 8, and according to the head of the delegation, Yehoshua Trigor, all members of the delegation “are doing a splendid job.”
“The purpose of the delegation,” Trigor explained in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “is to leave a residue of good will” among American youth. He said that this is the seventh annual youth delegation to the U.S. which the Israel Foreign Ministry is sponsoring.
“The United States is important to Israel and the members of the delegation are here to convey information to American high school students, to present them with the problems and achievements of Israeli youth,” said Trigor, a former diplomat who has been heading the delegation for the last few years.
The members of the delegation — 35 boys and 35 girls between the ages of 16 to 18 — are all top students in their classes from all parts of Israel. They were selected for their knowledge of Israeli society, Jewish tradition and history and fluency in English. All were trained in two seminars — sponsored by the Foreign Ministry and by the Education Ministry — before going on their mission.
During their two-month tour across the United States, the members of the delegation are staying with American families (“usually Jewish families”), Trigor said. Appearing in teams of two, the youngsters lecture in schools for about six hours each day. “In the first 10 days of their tour, the members of the delegation appeared in 120 schools across the United States, talked with some 60 Jewish groups and youth movements, gave 20 TV interviews, 30 radio interviews and 50 interviews to the press,” Trigor said with obvious satisfaction.
According to him, the youths stay with Jewish families exposes the Israeli youngsters to the love and devotion of American Jews to Israel. “This is very important,” Trigor observed, adding: “When they return to Israel they can tell not only about the U.S. in general but also about the Jewish community here and its warmth to Israel.” He said that the whole operation is financed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, including the preparatory seminars in Israel.
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