Temple Israel students set to head to Rome

For the past eight years, Temple Israel of Lawrence has facilitated an American Jewish — German Youth Exchange Program with non-Jewish students from Berlin, along with exchange programs with the involvement of the Vatican with Catholic high school students. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum of Temple Israel said this exchange program is unique in the history of World Jewry.

During their upcoming February break, 18 students from Temple Israel of Lawrence’s high school program, as well as from the Five-Towns Jewish community who are members of a junior ambassador corps, will be heading to Rome for more than a week to stay with Italian students. This program is a partnership among Temple Israel of Lawrence, the North American Board of Rabbis, the World Jewish Congress, the Jewish community of Rome and the Renzo Levi Yeshiva in Rome.

While in Rome, the students will be staying in the homes of their exchange partners, whom they have already been paired with. A full itinerary is planned, including visiting historical and religious sites. There is a trip to Florence planned where the students will meet members of the Jewish communities of Florence and Milan. They will be traveling with Nan Shapiro, director of International Student Relations, North American Board of Rabbis, and Jeffrey Price, chairman, International Junior Ambassador Corps.

The Roman exchange students will take their turn, and will arrive in New York in mid-March. They are proficient in English, so there will be no language barrier. They'll be here for about a week, and will visit several tourist spots in New York City. They will also attend their partner’s schools, going on a visit to the United Nations and meeting members of the International Diplomatic Corps. The Roman students will spend the Sabbath with members of the Orthodox Jewish community in the Five Towns.

According to Rabbi Rosenbaum, this program “transcends both national and denominational lines and is a way to teach students a new way of life and a first-hand perspective of other cultures. The participants in this program, I hope, will come to feel empowered and realize that they need not simply be observers of history, but rather those that help to shape the history of the 21st century,” Rosenbaum said.

Evan Perlzweig, a senior at Hewlett High School who participated in the temple’s exchange program to Germany last year and will be attending the trip to Rome, sees the program as a great experience. “I do recommend this program,” says Perlzweig. “It is a lot of fun, and you get to see all the really cool sights of a foreign country that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”

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