We're so happy you found us.

This is a page designed for Portland-area high school teachers. Here you can find information about Israeli Educators who are available to come to your classrooms and share information about their home country.

Noy Gendelman, 35, was born and raised in Israel. She is a descendant of Eastern European Jews who fled the horrors of the Holocaust, antisemitism, and persecution.

High school students are best positioned to become active, critical thinkers when they are exposed to a range of viewpoints on complex world issues. One of the most complicated current situations, a culmination of historical events, is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has partnered with StandWithUs Northwest, a nonprofit organization focusing on Israel education and fighting antisemitism, to provide your students with an exciting opportunity this academic year - an Israeli guest speaker.

 

Since 2009, over 200,000 Pacific Northwest high school students have learned about Israel from our Israeli guest educators, and we are currently accepting bookings for the 2022-23 school year. We can cover a wide array of topics, but the most common presentation is Israel 101. This lively talk brings history to life by telling the story of Israel - from ancient to modern – through the eyes of a native Israeli. The sessions are lively, fun, and engaging.

 

While we offer an Israeli perspective, we endeavor to stay sensitive to, and to accurately convey, the history and reality of Palestinians. 

 

You can meet our previous Israel Educator, Aviv, and hear from teachers and students in the video at www.bit.ly/IsraelEducator

 

In addition to Israel education, both the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and StandWithUs offer educational programs and guidance on combating antisemitism.

 

There is no charge for a visit either in person or via Zoom; just contact us.

Teaching Israel – with its complex history and dueling narratives – can be a challenging task. We can make it easier and more engaging for you and your students. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

To learn more, or to book a visit to your school, please contact us at northwest@standwithus.com.

 

To reach Noy directly, email noyg@standwithus.com | Phone (424) 251-9988  

 

We hope to hear from you!

 
About Noy
 
Noy Gendelman, 35, was born and raised in Israel. She is a descendant of Eastern European Jews who fled the horrors of the Holocaust, antisemitism, and persecution. They arrived in Israel before and after WW2, to build their lives in a new Jewish state that was being re-established in the ancestral Jewish homeland.
 
Noy grew up in Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv in central Israel. Founded in 1878, it was the first modern Jewish village, and today is one of the leading health centers in Israel. While in high school, Noy was selected by the Israeli Ministry of Education to take part in a joint Jewish-Arab youth delegation to Germany, where she proudly represented her country and showed the desire of Israeli Jews and Arabs to coexist peacefully.
 
At age 18, she began her mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in the Human Resources Corps. In recognition of her leadership abilities, she was promoted to Second Lieutenant, where she oversaw a team of fifteen specialists supporting multiple divisions of combat soldiers. Noy’s team ensured the best conditions for the unit’s soldiers so they could fulfill their military service.
 
After her service in the IDF, she enrolled at Tel Aviv University and earned a double major in Political Science and Media Communications. She then embarked on a successful career in strategic marketing, working at Israel's largest educational company for pre-academic studies.
 
In 2017, Noy's husband was offered an exciting professional opportunity, and they moved to the USA. During these years, she continued working in marketing while volunteering with local Israeli women’s groups and advocating for Israel. In 2022, Noy started at StandWithUs, an organization that supports Israel through education and fights antisemitism. With our speakers and materials, we help people understand the complex issues facing Israel and the Jewish people, through the lens of real people and real stories.
 
StandWithUs Northwest has enabled over 200,000 people to hear Israel’s story since 2009. We welcome the opportunity to bring Noy as a speaker to educate and dialogue on the issues. Please contact Noy to see the list of presentations and programs we offer and to reserve a date.
 
Examples of Feedback on StandWithUs’ Speakers:
 
 
From Teachers:
 
“Thank you for coming into our classes. Your presentation was very useful for the students and you provided a lot of information which I am hopeful that they use in their essay. Even if the kids do not use the information now - I am sure that when they mature they will understand what an excellent opportunity they were presented with. Students at our school are very sheltered from the much larger world - because they don't see themselves as participants. They are truly blank tablets not knowing the geography nor the history. I believe your presentation did both and provided a very good picture for the students. It will be up to them as they mature to put your presentation in context and realize that the world is much larger than just Beaverton. Personally, I believe you did an amazing job!  I am in the process of reading about the conflict - and your presentation only strengthened my resolve to continue to find books that helps me understand the differing opinions regarding your nation”.
 
-Social Studies Teacher, Aloha High School, Beaverton, OR
 
“It was a joy and pleasure to have you share your journey with my students and me today. I'll forward to you their reflections on Monday. I have applied for a program that will take me to Israel in July. I'll let you know if I am selected!”
 
-Social Studies Teacher, De La Salle North Catholic High School, Portland, OR
 
“Thank you so much for sharing your life with my students yesterday. You did a great job! I learned so much as well! I am sharing your information with other colleagues who are enthusiastic to have you come to speak in their classes as well.” 
 
-Social Studies Teacher, La Center High School, La Center, WA
 
 
"[Your Israeli speaker] was everything you would want – knowledgeable, incredibly authentic, genuine, sincere, humorous and passionate about the subject. Everything he discussed resonated with the students. [He] also has a very positive sense of delivery that is both humorous, entertaining and powerful."
 
-Social Studies Teacher, Central Kitsap High School, Silverdale, WA
 
"It was a terrific presentation. The students became much more aware of the immediacy of the situation and how important this conflict is for real people."
 
-Social Studies Teacher, Mercer Island High School, Mercer Island, WA
 
"Big thank you to [your speaker] and the StandWithUs organization for coming to visit my classes. [Your speaker] spoke to around 180 students in two days. Based on my students’ feedback, he really had an impact on their understanding. He is a great speaker and he connected with the kids. He was funny, and hip, and provided emotional, relevant information, which is the best way to educate. He taught them about bias and perspective, especially in the media. He showed them it’s better to seek firsthand information. Here in Federal Way, there’s not a large Jewish community, so many students are naive about the culture and religion. [Your speaker’s] presentation showed students how much they don’t know, and, based on their reflections, they now want to change that. Many later pointed out that their textbook, as well their past classes, have little to no coverage concerning Judaism and Israel. He also helped me to see that I have some preconceived ideas as well.”
 
-Social Studies Teacher, Federal Way, WA
 
From Students:
 
“I thought it was super interesting and it was a big eye opener about how Israel really is. It was super nice to get a perspective by someone who actually was born and raised there. And you could tell she really cared about her country.”
 
-Student at Albany High School, Albany, OR
 
My opinion of Israel changed after her speech...I think it is amazing how small Israel is and how much they have built from basically nothing.”

-Student at Albany High School, Albany, OR
 
"There were a lot of prejudices I had of countries in the Middle East, like they were always starting wars and trying to get more land and power but after hearing what the speaker had to say I learned that I was wrong about Israel." 
 
-Student at Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA
 
“It was a complete delight to hear all about your culture. I was completely captivated as you spoke about the problems in the Middle East. I now know so much more about your country. Please keep telling people about your country.”
 
-Student at Stadium High School, Tacoma, WA
 
“Your love for your country could be felt throughout the entire classroom. I enjoyed listening to Israel’s constant quest for peace and about their giving nature. I thank you for sharing with us your culture and your history.”
 
-Student at Stadium High School, Tacoma, WA
 
 
Frequently Asked Questions
 
Q. Who is StandWithUs?
A. We are a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that focuses on Israel education. Founded in 2001, we operate 18 offices in five countries, including a Northwest regional office based in Seattle.
 
 
Q. Why do you offer speakers to the community?
A. We believe that it is important for people to have a balanced understanding of the history of Israel and the Jewish people, and frankly, there is no better way to educate people than to have a knowledgeable native who can share his or her story and answer questions. When people are misinformed, it can result in them taking actions that actually make peace less likely and harm all of the people in the region, Israelis and Arabs alike.
 
 
Q. What would they speak about if they come to our school?
A. Our speaker has a standard presentation called “Understanding the Middle East.” It is about their personal family history, then they share some basic facts about Israel and Jewish history, helping to drive home the point that Jews are indigenous to Israel and have a 3,000+ year connection to that land. They talk about the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, discuss the history of the peace process from 1992-present, and end with a message of hope for a brighter future for all.
 
 
Q. Is their presentation biased?
A. Every human being has his or her unique perspective on issues. Our speaker will tell their personal story and present many facts which are not in dispute. They will also present opinions, particularly in answering questions from students, but will make clear that these are their opinions. They intend to deliver a fair presentation that is factual and as free from bias as possible. They will also take questions from the class, so anything requiring further clarification can be addressed.
 
 
Q. Can they speak about other issues, or just what’s in their presentation?
A. Our speaker can speak about a wide range of issues relating to Israel, Judaism, or the Middle East in general. For example, they can speak about music, culture, politics, minority rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights, sports, military issues, and much more. If you have a particular topic of interest to your class, please let us know and we will ask our speaker to address it.
 
 
Q. Is there any cost to our school?
A. No.
 
 
Q. Will you speak to multiple classes?
A. Absolutely. In fact, most of our engagements span multiple classes at one school.
 
 
Q. Sounds interesting! How do I book an appointment to have your speaker visit our school?
A. Please contact us at northwest@standwithus.com, or call us at 424.251.9988. The details we require are the contact name(s) at the school, specific times that the speaker should be there, detailed location, where to park, school phone number, cell phone of primary contact, and notes on any specific things you would like the speaker to cover in their talk.

Contact Us to Book An Israeli Educator for Your Classroom

Call us

424.251.9988