MetroWest teens capture ear of state legislators
Sam Cantor and Gabrielle Flaum wait to make
their presentations on behalf of Save Our Soldiers.
A group of eight Jewish teens from MetroWest captured the attention of members of the state government on May 14 as they brought their grassroots initiative, Save Our Soldiers, to a meeting of the General Assembly's State Government Committee.
The teens carried their campaign to Trenton to press for the posting of Assembly bill AR244, which calls on the United Nations to implement UN Resolution 1701. The resolution seeks the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev, who were kidnapped during last summer's war between Israel and Hizbullah in Lebanon.
Assemblymen Eric Munoz of Summit (R-Dist. 21) and Gary Schaer of Passaic (D-Dist. 36) are the primary sponsors of AR244. A similar bill, SR94, sponsored by Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. of Westfield (R-Dist. 21) is sitting in committee in the Senate.
Save Our Soldiers, which was founded last September by 16-year-old Gabrielle Flaum and 17-year-old Sam Cantor of Short Hills, is a teen initiative to bring about the release of the abducted soldiers.
In a conference room in the State House Annex, Flaum and Cantor, who attend Millburn High School and the Hebrew high school at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, addressed the five-member State Government Committee. They recounted the stories of the three Israeli soldiers and pushed for the immediate posting of the bill.
"We urge you to post resolution AR244 and bring it to a final vote, and together we can bring these soldiers home," Flaum said. 
"We ask you, the representatives of the most powerful democratic country in the world, to help us stand up for social justice and let the terrorists know that this is wrong.
"Just this past Saturday, three American soldiers were kidnapped in Iraq," she said. "I read a report that said that America will do everything in its power to find them. We need to show the same solidarity for our Israeli allies."
With that, Flaum and Cantor distributed to each committee member a dog tag bearing the names of the Israeli soldiers.
In response, the committee voted unanimously to post the bill. Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr. of South Orange (D-Dist. 27), committee chair, commended the members of Save Our Soldiers for their involvement. "You're making sure we are going one step beyond what the United Nations is doing to make sure they are released," he said. "This is how we make the world a better place in which to live."
A dog tag already encircling her neck, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin of Belford (R-Dist. 13) hailed the students with a "Kol hakavod" — in essence, "Good for you."
"Beautiful presentation," Handlin said. "I will wear this with pride and commitment."
Schaer, who is vice chair of the committee, called AR244 "a tremendous statement on behalf of the committee, as well as the State Assembly and the New Jersey government, calling on the United Nations to do what is right. This is really an opportunity for us to do the right thing."
In a separate interview, Schaer called the students' support for the Israeli soldiers "a tremendous statement."
"I think it's wonderful," he said. "The students are here today to voice their support for Israel. It's extraordinarily meaningful to the committee, and it underscores for them the importance of participating in the process."
'Exhilarating' experience
Fresh from their appearance before the committee, Flaum and Cantor clearly were feeling the impact of that participation.
"It was exhilarating, incredible — a great experience," said Flaum. "I can see myself being in politics. To see all our hard work pay off, it's exciting."
"It was really great," agreed Cantor. "I really felt I was contributing. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm glad I got to have it."
The experience shows that students can have an impact and really change the world, observed another member of Save Our Soldiers, 17-year-old Emma Barnett of South Orange.
"This started as a mitzva project — just a way for the Jewish youth of our temple to get involved," she said. "I think we really have done a pretty good job of it, and, hopefully, we'll go even further."
Another member, 15-year-old Samantha Schoen of Short Hills, said that the stories of the three Israeli soldiers "just got to me."
"I'm learning that students can make a difference and impact the government in ways you don't expect from teens," she said. "I haven't been to Israel, but I feel obligated to go now."
Jeff Rayvid, 17, of Short Hills said that the issue of the kidnapped soldiers speaks to him because he's going to Israel this summer. "I really care about the cause," he said, "and I want to connect with Israel as a Jew."
For Gabrielle's mother, Nancy Kislin Flaum, a teacher at Sharey Tefilo-Israel, the experience of participating in Save Our Soldiers is bringing the lessons of the classroom to life.
"This is something I feel so incredibly strong about — teaching about Israel and social action, and teaching this generation of children that one voice can make a difference," said Flaum, who serves as adviser to the two dozen members of Save Our Soldiers.
"This project has the ability to teach about current events, about history, about our Jewish connections, and why we care," she said. "And, bottom line, it teaches about social justice, and the kids have responded with open arms."
Now, those lessons will be going national, Flaum added. United Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of North American Jewish federations, has adopted Save Our Soldiers as the model for the youth arm of its Free the Soldiers campaign. And Save Our Soldiers is working with Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, to focus the Reform movement's attention on a national campaign.
"We want other communities to model what we're doing," said Flaum, "and these kids are going to be leading that movement. It's a wheel in motion."
Also present for the hearing were Jeffrey Maas, executive director of the NJ State Association of Jewish Federations, and Larry Lerner of Warren, immediate past president of the association.
"It's up to the state of New Jersey to go on record in what is essentially a violation of every rule of the Geneva Conventions and stand for the release of the three captured soldiers," said Maas.
Added Lerner, "All we want out of New Jersey is to stand with those who stand up to this kind of tyrannical action. It's a tyranny.
"The Jewish community — all it can do is raise its voice and hope that cooler heads will prevail and right will be done," Lerner said. "You just stand up and, hopefully, somebody will listen."
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