Walk into the YOSS cafeteria on Election Fair day, and you might have thought you’d stepped into a campaign rally. Tri-board displays covered with photos, policy summaries, and candidate profiles lined the room from wall to wall, as students stood confidently beside their research, ready to make their case.After weeks of in-depth research into this year’s Democratic and Republican congressional candidates, students in Rabbi Adler’s and Rabbi Escovitz’s classes brought their work to life at the school’s Election Fair. Each student presented their assigned candidate — fielding questions from judges and visitors on everything from the candidate’s background and policy positions to their broader political agenda.
The depth of knowledge on display was genuinely impressive. Students spoke fluently about their candidates’ platforms, voting records, and positions on key issues — demonstrating exactly the kind of engaged, informed citizenship that this type of project is designed to cultivate. It was a reminder that even young students, when given the tools and the challenge, can rise to meet the complexity of real-world civic life.
Kudos to Rabbi Adler, Rabbi Escovitz, and their students for a project that was as educational as it was exciting. The YOSS community came away with a lot to think about — and a genuine appreciation for how much these students learned along the way.