Arizona Jewish Life
Mala Blomquist
March 26, 2019
Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs will be the special guest at the Ignition! 2019 luncheon presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix on April 4.
StandWithUs is an international nonprofit Israel education organization with 18 offices and chapters around the world. SWU supports people around the world who want to educate their campuses and communities about Israel. SWU provides university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel.
In between her speaking engagements on behalf of SWU, we were able to ask Roz a few questions:
You are coming to Arizona on April 4 for the Ignition! Luncheon. Why is it important for you to speak at these kinds of events?
It is critical that we underscore the importance of education. During these days of watching the misinformation being promoted about Israel as well as rising anti-Semitism, it is incumbent upon all of us who care – to use this moment in history as an opportunity to become increasingly engaged. I will review the challenges we face from my own perspective and ways that concerned people can be involved and have a positive impact.
What message do you want people to take away from the event?
That this is an important teaching moment, and that each one of us can play a greater role in inspiring people of all ages to become more involved in informing others about Israel and in fighting against rising anti-Semitism.
Do you have any programs in the works for elementary school students?
Yes! It’s on the horizon. We would love to begin our work for elementary schools. It’s all a matter of funding. LINK, our middle school curriculum is already in 120 schools, and we are getting excellent feedback from teachers and students. We are confident that we can apply our expertise to elementary school!
StandWithUs is working on a new initiative for middle school students called LINK. Has that launched yet in Arizona, and if so, how is it doing?
LINK is being used in 120 schools nationwide. Mina Rush, director of community engagement has reached out to every school in Arizona and has made follow-up calls. She presented at SWU’s “Israel in Focus” International Conference March 2 – which had 500 attendees – and will now reach out again and schedule LINK demos.
Ignition! 2019
When: April 4 at 11 am
Where: Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix
Couvert: $80 per person; $40 for students and those under age 35
And a $180 minimum commitment to the 2019 campaign (payable by December 31, 2019)
For more information, visit jewishphoenix.org/ignition2019
Mitzvah Project
Please bring non-perishable every day or Passover food items to help feed those who are food-insecure in our community.
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