Panim el Panim

In February 2011, a cohort of Hebrew High students will be traveling to Washington DC to make their impression on Capitol Hill.

For more information AmyHP [at] JewishInSeattle [dot] org (subject: RE%3A%20Panim%20el%20Panim) (email) Principal Amy Hilzman-Paquette call our office at 206 774-2237
 

What is Panim el Panim

Panim el Panim is Hebrew for “face to face.” Since 1988, 16,000 teens from more than 200 communities have traveled to Washington to participate in Panim el Panim. Each seminar brings together diverse groups of 10th-12th grade students from around the country to explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens.

About 1,000 participants each year meet with Members of Congress and their staff, hear from policy experts, enjoy Washington's national monuments and historic sites and return home knowing that they have the power to make a difference!
Each Panim el Panim seminar offers two tracks, tailored to student interests:

* Politics in Action (PAT): Participants in the PAT learn about public policy and political activism by interacting with experts on a wide range of cutting edge issues. Topics include capital punishment, civil liberties, abortion, bio-ethics, gun control, and peace and war.
* Service and Advocacy Track (SAT): The SAT enables participants to explore the connection between community service, political action and Jewish values. This track includes a hands-on service-learning project at a local agency in Washington and a visit to an advocacy organization related to that service. Issues students work on include hunger, homelessness, health care, and education.

Both tracks stay in the same hotel and join together for meals, plenary sessions, and educational programming. The dual-track seminar enables students to interact with a broad network of Jewish teens from around the country. This also opens up the possibility for participants to attend both tracks over a two-year cycle. Joint programming encourages students to share their experiences and to demonstrate and synthesize the diverse approaches to civic engagement. Students in both tracks receive advocacy training and have the opportunity to lobby their elected officials on Capitol Hill, putting what they have learned into action. All Panim el Panim seminars include interactive sessions in which students relate Jewish texts and values to the world around them. Students also receive political and issue advocacy training, including exposure to the issues surrounding Israel and the Mideast conflict