IDF 521.(Photo by: Courtesy) |
This IDF soldier knows what you need to know
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By LAUREN SCHMIDT
12/27/2011
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Educating US students about IDF, advocating for Israel and creating dialogue.
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From standing ovations to interruptions from silent protesters, Nadav Weinberg
has experienced a wide range of reactions to his lectures. Weinberg travels to
college campuses, in addition to other destinations, to educate people about the
ethical codes of the Israel Defense Force through interactive scenarios, video
clips and most importantly, sharing the facts.
Although Weinberg’s most
recent trip to Washington DC in October led to peaceful and passionate
discussion, he encountered controversy on a visit to Arizona State University
last fall when members of a group called Students for Justice in Palestine
protested his lecture.
“The fact that people were protesting made me
realize how important my message is,” Weinberg said, explaining that the
experience reminded him of the value of his work.
Although disputes have
occurred during his lectures, Weinberg has experienced many moments where
students with a wide range of views have listened to his perception of the
conflict and thanked him for offering his perspective.
“If I am able to
reach out like that in each speech, that is unbelievable and I have done my
job,” Weinberg said.
Weinberg, who was born in Jerusalem but raised in
Cleveland, Ohio, decided to join the IDF after graduating from Case Western
Reserve University in 2008. While sitting in an ethics seminar during Special
Forces training, he realized that the information he was learning was not common
knowledge. Ever since that moment, Weinberg has been determined to share what he
has learned with people across the US, especially students.
Emily Seckel,
the president of George Washington University’s Student Alliance for Israel, is
confident that Weinberg’s recent visit to GW, which drew more than 60 students,
was a success.
“The point of his presentation was to get the student body
thinking,” Seckel said. “Nadav really got them thinking about choices they would
make as a solider and left them pondering more questions. I want people to leave
events questioning, thinking about Israel and creating a desire to know
more.”
Israel Campus Beat is the premier student-written online
publication providing up-to-date reports and insights on the North American
campus Israel scene . For more information, visit
www.israelcampusbeat.org/subscribe
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