Every year I send one or two students to Panim el Panim in Washington, D.C., a program for high school students that teaches them about social action by doing. They learn how to lobby on the hill and then use these skills to meet with their own congressman. They also are involved with the homeless. This year I was able to send five of our seniors on the program. Below is a glance at what they did:

Going into Panim, I really only knew the basics of what we were going to encounter. The leadership, the Jewish values, and politics were some of the major topics we knew were going to be covered. What we actually experienced, however, is so much more than just the basics. The most impressive experience was when our group presented an issue, put together key points to back up our stance, and with that issue, we lobbied with Senator Durbin's legislative assistant. Being able to voice our opinion and be a part of the lobby experience was something I will always remember. Besides the politics, we also focused on service. As part of our service, we took part in Street Torah, where we went to a Square in D.C. and talked to homeless people. Before the Street Torah experience, we talked about and realized how little conversation these homeless people receive each day. Then when we approached them with donated items and our kind words, it was a great feeling to know that by just making a small conversation about their day and how they were doing, it made their day a bit brighter, all thanks to us.

Panim was a trip of a lifetime. I wasn’t really sure what I had volunteered for when I signed up but in the end it was well worthwhile. We had a plethora of speakers that covered a wide range of topics, but the one that really stuck with me was the Faces of Homelessness. That was the most touching: we had three speakers, one was an advocate and two others were people who were actually homeless. Both speakers had unfortunate things happen to them. One had bought a house which then burned down and the insurance check went to the previous owners. He had no way of getting all of that money back, and all of a sudden was homeless. The woman had a family disagreement and had to move out of her house, she then moved in with her sister. Her sister already had two kids and had trouble supporting all four of them. She was then homeless. Both of these stories were really touching, and it taught us that homeless people aren’t just burnouts, they are real people.

Panim was an excellent experience for me that really taught the importance of not only standing up for what I believe in, but actually acting upon it. The program showed us many different problems within the realms of politics and society, and how we can get involved and make a change for what we believe is right. One of the major social problems we touched on was poverty and homeless. We had a couple of homeless individuals come in and share their stories with us, it was very interesting to see that they are just normal who made a few bad decisions and ended up paying the price. My favorite part of the trip was when we went out to a public park and handed out socks and gloves and things to homeless people, and got to talk with them and hear their stories as well. On the political side of things, we got to meet a legislative assistant for Senator Durbin and lobby for an issue that we thought needed changing. We decided to lobby to him about the Illinois education system. The part that impressed me the most was how good of a case we actually presented, I did not expect that. Overall the trip was very rewarding.

Though I’ve been on many different types of engaging Jewish education trips, Panim el Panim stood out as truly unique. Rather than simply discussing pressing issues and formulating our own educated opinions, we were able to take action. One of the highlights of the program was an initiative called “Street Torah”. Armed with socks, toothbrushes, fresh underwear, and other assorted accessories; our Panim group approached the homeless of D.C. with tikkun olam in mind. Though only treating a symptom of the homeless problem in the United States, this engagement gave the homeless that we encountered an opportunity to simply enjoy warm conversation and the human interaction that they so often miss out on in their daily lives. However, the meeting with Dick Durbin’s legislative assistant gave an honest insight into the game of lobbying. Though it may be difficult to sway a legislator who disagrees with your point of view, it is entirely false to assume that it is impossible to reach such an individual. As a matter of fact, our congressmen are quite accessible. With this knowledge, as well as other revelatory information, Panim has left me feeling entirely empowered.