Ramsey, NJ: What began as a final project in a Ramsey High School English class last spring culminated in an October 30 address to the Israeli government in Jerusalem for senior Zachary Zimmer.
Zimmer, 17, of Saddle River, called on the Jewish State to address anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses.
“These are dark days for reason and debate,” Zimmer told the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) in Jerusalem at a special hearing on the Growth of Anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Europe. Zimmer’s remarks followed those of the German, Austrian, British, French and EU ambassadors to Israel. Several members of the Knesset and organization heads also spoke.
Zimmer, as part of his junior year AP English final project to make an argument for an authentic audience, wrote a speech he delivered to the annual dinner in June of the King David Society, a local organization of Jewish philanthropists, to thank them for their support of a conference he helped organize to prepare Bergen County high school juniors and seniors for the anti-Semitism they might face in college.
As part of that final project, Zimmer worked with his teacher, Mr. Carmen Lacherza, to explain what it’s like to face anti-Semitism as a young man. The speech was very well received, picked up a social media presence, and through this was seen by a member of the Knesset, who invited Zachary to speak in Jerusalem.
Though he was no longer in his class, Zimmer sought out his help once more to ready his speech for an international stage and Lacherza was happy to oblige.
“It is amazing to see the skills we learn in class implemented in such a meaningful way,” the teacher said.
During his Israeli address to the Knesset, Zachary focused specifically on anti-Semitism at college campuses, why it may exist and potential solutions for ending it. In particular, he said, criticism of Israel should “lead to engagement, not isolation or demonization.”
Zimmer also advocated for additional funding of programs like Birthright, a program that pays for Jews ages 18-26 to visit Israel, at an even earlier age. Additionally, he called for support of more community programs, like the one he organized last March with the North Jersey Jewish Federation, called iCAN (I Can Answer Now). That workshop further was attended by more than 200 students from 40 plus public and private Bergen County high schools.
As a high school senior invited to address a foreign government, Zimmer said: “It was a tremendous honor to see how influential our work has become and to see how many lives I can affect by speaking for what I believe in.”
From this experience, Zachary was able to network with many international organizations, including leaders from the Anti-Defamation League and StandWithUs. Additionally, the address was carried on i24 News in Israel and broadcasted through various livestreams. Through this experience, Zachary has been invited to speak at the United Nations this spring.
In working with Zachary, English teacher Carmen Lacherza said: “[He] showed an incredible amount of passion and work in putting these speeches together. His talent and dedication shine through all that he does.”
