Westchester Hebrew High School

The WHHS Scholars Program is by invitation only to select incoming students, who receive merit scholarships. It offers enrichment opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. The Scholars had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they visited the United Nations during special international times.

Led by an Israeli intern from Israel’s Mission to the UN, Scholars were able to enter the General Assembly, which was celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. They got to hear from both soccer superstar and spokesperson David Beckham, as well as television star, Millie Bobbie Brown. Both serve as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors at the UN.

Shahar Azani, a WHHS parent and a former diplomat, now consultant, speaker, author and staunch Israel advocate, along with an Israeli intern from Israel’s Mission to the UN, guided the Scholars through the UN exhibits, with the ever-present reminder that even today, not every UN member nation is a friend of Israel.

This very week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reversing a forty-year American policy, announced that the United States would no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law. This breaking news meant that the UN Security Council would be in session, and it was. For the Scholars, this also meant that they would get to meet and hear about this complex world issue from Daniel Flesch, Senior Advisor to Israel’s Ambassador, Danny Danon. In fact, Mr. Flesch had just left a formal briefing before he joined the WHHS group.
This was truly a school trip of a lifetime, and an historic experience that our Scholars will never forget.

WHHS Scholars at the United Nations