(GLEN COVE, NY) The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center has announced the recognition of Jake Javier Ruehl as Upstander of the Month for July 2013.
Jake is a junior at Pierson High School who resides in Sag Harbor. His activism began when he perceived special needs students being treated unfairly in his school. Jake took his concerns to the principal who encouraged him to speak with the superintendent. As a result of Jake’s actions, along with the district’s leadership, a resolution to address everyone’s perspectives was reached.
Inspired by the change he was able to achieve, Jake went on to design a student-run anti-bullying team. The team is intended for grades 6-12 where students experiencing bullying can go directly to their peers to seek arbitration, rather than parents or staff. He believes this is a more effective way to solve student problems. After the establishment of his anti-bullying team, Jake attended the HOBI Student Leadership Conference at Adelphi University and hopes to implement his program in the Fall of 2013.
Each month the Center accepts nominations from teachers, civic leaders, family and friends of a Long Island youth that has implemented the HMTC’s mission by advocating respect for all people. The student’s action as an Upstander could be one of intervention or prevention. To nominate a student for “Upstander of the Month” or learn more, email Jennifer Carpenter Low at jenniferlow@holocaust-nassau.org or call 516-571-8040 ext. 107.
About the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County is the pre-eminent Holocaust resource on Long Island, with a contemporary museum and is one of the largest and most comprehensive education program providers in the region. Since 2007, nearly 210,000 students, educators, employers and law enforcement personnel have participated in the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center’s education programs.
Under construction and scheduled to open in late 2013, the Claire Friedlander Education Institute will accommodate four classrooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual aids and cutting edge technical equipment for specialized Holocaust video-conferencing programs and a wide variety of workshops for youth and adults.
With the Louis Posner Memorial Library, the Center offers over 7,000 volumes of Holocaust, genocide, multicultural, anti-bias and anti-bullying material for youth and adults, from Kindergarten through post-graduate researchers. It is the largest such collection on Long Island. Additional information is available online at www.holocaust-nassau.org.
For more information about this release and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, please contact:
Jennifer Carpenter Low
jenniferlow@holocaust-nassau.org
Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
Welwyn Preserve, 100 Crescent Beach Road
Glen Cove, New York 11542
(516) 571-8040 x107
www.holocaust-nassau.org
