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Club Z Charlotte Celebrates Fourth Graduation, Fostering Jewish Leadership
August 2024
By Lena Kosinovsky
Club Z, an organization dedicated to empowering Jewish youth with knowledge about Israel and fostering leadership skills, celebrated its fourth graduation in Charlotte on May 26. This year's graduates were Joshua Gets, Rachel Rubin, and Ari Zatlin.
The graduates demonstrated their proficiency in Israeli history through an exam and presented capstone projects on subjects of importance to Israel. Notably, the Charlotte class achieved the highest average test scores of any Club Z chapter in the country for the fourth consecutive year.
Club Z's mission is twofold: to equip Jewish youth with the knowledge and resilience to counter anti-Israel propaganda they will inevitably encounter in college (and that most already experienced in high school), and to nurture proud Jewish leaders. The organization's success is evident in its graduates' ongoing commitment to supporting Israel and their active roles in pro-Israel campus groups.
Charlotte's chapter, though young, has already made significant impacts. Alumni such as Evan Biller (class of 2021), Jonah Rubin (class of 2022), and David McCrudden (class of 2023) have become prominent pro-Israel leaders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jonah and David gained national attention during campus protests by protecting the American flag from protestors. Additionally, Jonah testified before Congress regarding the SHALOM Act, which was subsequently passed in both the North Carolina Congress and Senate.
Georgia Engelhardt, a 2021 graduate, founded the Students Supporting Israel chapter at UNC Charlotte and has successfully opposed Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions adopted by the student government.
"We don't expect every Club Z Charlotte teen to become a campus pro-Israel leader," says Kosinovsky. "We are proud of our graduates who are simply unwavering Jews and Zionists. Many of those we didn't think had the fire to become leaders have pleasantly surprised us."
Club Z provides ongoing support to its graduates through alumni networks and national conferences, fostering connections among Jewish youth across the country.
To learn more about Club Z Charlotte or to make a donation, visit clubz.org/locations/ charlotte/. Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. For questions, contact charlotte@clubz.org.
For excellent content about history, current affairs, and Jewish pride, follow Club Z on Instagram @ZionismForTeens.
