Our History and Vision
Our History
The Student to Student program was founded in 1992 by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of St. Louis to foster positive perceptions of Judaism through interactive, peer-to-peer high school classroom presentations. As originally conceived by Batya Abramson Goldstein, former executive director of the JCRC, the program brought together high school students from different branches of Judaism to share their personal stories with students in schools with few, if any, Jewish students. Through the years, independent research has shown that nearly every student who attends a Student to Student presentation says it improves their knowledge of, and attitude toward, Jews and Judaism.
Since its inception, the Student to Student program has empowered thousands of Jewish high school students to help dispel stereotypes about Judaism and reduce antisemitism. Through their classroom presentations, these Jewish students also gain valuable leadership and public speaking experience.
Success of the Student to Student program in St. Louis led to the expansion of the program to other communities throughout North America. In 2022, Joe Pereles and John Kalishman, former board chairs of the St. Louis JCRC, founded Be the Narrative, an independent organization focused on strengthening the Student to Student program and expanding it further to meet the growing interest from other cities. Today, the Student to Student program is offered and supported in the United States and Canada through Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).
Our Vision
Our Vision
Create enduring, positive perceptions of Jewish people.
Our Mission
Deliver interactive programs that connect Jewish and non-Jewish teens to develop leaders and reduce antisemitism.
Our Values
Education – We come together to teach others about Judaism while strengthening our bonds within the Jewish community.
Understanding/Affirmation – We respect other people’s views and beliefs and understand the humanity in ourselves and others.
Empowerment – Through support and guidance, we empower people to work together to create positive social change.
Leadership – We encourage participants to lead and inspire others by doing something proactive, dynamic and meaningful.