Activism - The Ramaz School my Activism Our goal is to produce educated American Jews who live lives of Kiddush Hashem -- sanctifying God's name -- in a manner that brings personal satisfaction and endows them with a sense of responsibility to others. A Ramaz graduate hears the question God asked of Isaiah, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8) and answers as Isaiah did, "Here I am; send me." In keeping with our mission, Ramaz has a longstanding tradition of social activism and a commitment to doing chesed, beginning in nursery and continuing through the Upper School years. As part of our pledge to engage with the world around us, our school carries on the legacy of activism that the RaMaZ himself sparked in the early 1930s. This spirit of activism was rekindled in the 1960s as the school culture came to emphasize political awareness, Jewish consciousness, and social reform — a culture that endures today. In the '70s and '80s, students became actively involved in the Soviet Jewry movement, attending political demonstrations and rallies, as they continue to do today on behalf of the State of Israel and other causes. The last twenty years have also witnessed the rise of a re-invigorated social activism within the New York community as students prepare daily food collections, work in soup kitchens, and help developmentally disabled youth. Ramaz has always sought not only to educate children, but to train the leaders of tomorrow. Upper Schoolers Attend the ADL Never Is Now Summit March 20 2026 Ramaz students attended the ADL Never is Now Summit on antisemitism at the Javits Center in NYC with over 4,500 attendees from all around the world. The powerful event included speakers... Read More > about Upper Schoolers Attend the ADL Never Is Now Summit Upper Schoolers Lobby NY Senators and Assembly Members to Protect Houses of Worship March 12 2026 Ramaz Upper School students spent the day in Albany with UJA lobbying state senators and assembly members. They were lobbying for the “Buffer Zone” legislation, which would help guarantee safe access to synagogues and... Read More > about Upper Schoolers Lobby NY Senators and Assembly Members to Protect Houses of Worship Students Learn about Natan Sharansky from His Close Friend: Rabbi Lookstein '49 February 12 2026 To mark the 40th anniversary of Natan Sharansky’s release from Soviet prison, Upper Schoolers heard an inspiring talk from Principal Emeritus Rabbi Haskel Lookstein ’49, who is close friends with Natan Sharansky. Rabbi... Read More > about Students Learn about Natan Sharansky from His Close Friend: Rabbi Lookstein '49 Middle Schoolers Learn about the Impact of Youth Activism on the Civil Rights Movement for MLK Day January 16 2026 To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Middle Schoolers participated in a lesson exploring the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. In the lesson... Read More > about Middle Schoolers Learn about the Impact of Youth Activism on the Civil Rights Movement for MLK Day Emmy-Nominated Journalist Jacki Bryk Karsh '09 Speaks to Students about Leadership and Advocating for Jews and Israel September 26 2025 Upper Schoolers received an incredible visit from six-time Emmy-nominated journalist Jacki Bryk Karsh ’09. The proud alumna spoke about the leadership skills that helped her advance in her career, how she came to be such a prominent advocate against antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and, throughout it all, how Ramaz prepared her with the tools for her journey. She... Read More > about Emmy-Nominated Journalist Jacki Bryk Karsh '09 Speaks to Students about Leadership and Advocating for Jews and Israel Student Volunteers Phone Bank to Register Ramaz Families to Vote September 19 2025 Ramaz students are getting out the vote! On the last day of school before Rosh HaShanah, 20 juniors and seniors volunteered to phone bank... Read More > about Student Volunteers Phone Bank to Register Ramaz Families to Vote Students Examine the Artwork of Activist Ben Shahn at the Jewish Museum September 17 2025 Seniors took advantage of Ramaz’s proximity to incredible educational sites with a visit to the Jewish Museum. They toured its exhibit on New York-based artist Ben Shahn (1898-1969), learning about... Read More > about Students Examine the Artwork of Activist Ben Shahn at the Jewish Museum Seniors Meet Soviet Refusenik Rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch April 2025 Seniors felt privileged to meet Rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch, a refusenik from the former Soviet Union who was one of the leaders of the 1970 Dymshits-Kuznetsov hijacking affair. Upper School Principal Rabbi Aaron Frank explained to the students that, just as... Read More > about Seniors Meet Soviet Refusenik Rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch Rawan Osman Speaks to Students About Her Road to Zionist Activism April 2025 Sophomores and juniors were so inspired by their visit by Lebanese-Syrian/German Zionist activist Ms. Rawan Osman in February that she returned to speak with seniors and freshmen. She grew up in Syria and told students about the intense antisemitic propaganda that pervaded daily life. Jews were... Read More > about Rawan Osman Speaks to Students About Her Road to Zionist Activism