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Feb. 22, 2008
Touchy topics debated
Contest addresses hard Israeli policy issues.
KELLEY KORBIN
The Jewish tradition of boisterous and lively debate was alive and well last week as local students from grades 8 to 12 went head to head on some very hot topics at the 16th annual Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver high school debates.
The younger competitors tackled the issues of whether the words to Hatikvah accurately reflect modern Israeli society and whether Israel is doing enough to be an environmentally responsible nation, while the senior students (grades 11 and 12) argued about whether Israel is responsible for improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Pretty controversial topics for young minds, but the students handled themselves with decorum and their prepared speeches were articulate, well researched and thoughtful. They also managed to stand up to some hard questioning in the rebuttal portions of the evening.
What struck me was that in the three debates I watched, the students, who all live in the Lower Mainland, seemed to take personal responsibility for Israel's actions (or inaction) and repeatedly referred to Israel and Israelis as "we." In event chair David Emanuel's opinion, this may reflect the fact that as Jews, even in the Diaspora, we are often judged on the actions of the state of Israel. That's why, according to Emanuel, it's important for students to learn about issues facing Israel that provide a broader reference than the usual topics covered by the mainstream media. He added, "I think the debates have a wider impact than just the kids who debate them. There were about 250 people at the event and through the debates, these [audience members] get sensitized to issues they wouldn't otherwise think about."
Grade 9 and 10 students who faced off about Israel's environmental practices contrasted the tree-planting of the Jewish National Fund with some of the nation's poor resource use, including a lack of recycling services and pollution problems in the bigger centres. They also brought attention to Israel's lack of natural resources, most notably water, and its steadily increasing population.
One debate was between the two senior King David High School teams who argued with conviction for and against the prospect that, since the 2005 pullout of Gaza, Israel is not responsible for providing humanitarian relief to its inhabitants.
The pro team, comprised of Grade 11 members Igal Raich, Eli Kowaz and Dan Blumenkrans, argued that Israel has to help its own people first and is under no obligation to help the Gazans, whom, they argued, under the ruling Hamas party, are Israel's enemies – sending rockets into neighboring Israeli towns on a daily basis. The team stated, "It's not logical to help people who want to destroy you," adding that, "Hamas could help their people if they didn't spend money on weapons."
On the con side, Grade 12 students Jess Friedland, Sol Kauffman, Alan Schweber and Ari Claman stated that not only does Israel have a moral and social obligation to help the struggling Gazans, but, from a practical standpoint, aiding the Gazans will benefit Israel. They stated that economic failure has driven the Gazans into the hands of Hamas, poignantly illustrated by Friedland's statement that, "Hate is not stopped by the aching of stomachs."
In this particular debate, the pro side won, but there is no question that all the students who took part in this year's debates benefited from the experience and from the opportunity to look at more than one side of such important issues. Audience members also learned a lot and were impressed by the poise and self-confidence of the young men and women who took part in this year's competition.
The debates were presented by Federation in partnership with the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.
Kelley Korbin is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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