Student to
Student

Changing Perceptions by
Sharing Personal Jewish Stories

Student to Student is a nationally recognized peer education program that brings Jewish high school students into local schools with little to no Jewish representation to share their personal experiences, practices, and traditions with Judaism in an open, thoughtful, and engaging way. Jewish students present during school hours to classes, bringing in props, photos, and personal anecdotes about their connection to Judaism and Israel.

Student to Student in the Classroom 

Student to Student isn’t just an opportunity to learn about Jewish religion and culture; it’s also an opportunity for students to engage with other students they would never have otherwise met. The program provides non-Jewish students with an open forum to ask questions and learn about Jewish culture from their peers through presentations by a trained group of Jewish high school students. That’s the crux of the program: it is experiential learning led by high schoolers for other high schoolers. The knowledge and understanding gained from Student to Student can have an impact far beyond the classroom. To schedule a presentation or to learn more about the program, contact Daniel Bernstein at bernstein@jewishdetroit.org. 

Leadership Opportunity for Jewish Students  

Student to Student gives you the opportunity to serve as an ambassador for our local Jewish community to schools with little to no Jewish representation. 
Through classroom presentations to other students at schools across Metro Detroit, you’ll gain public speaking skills, confidence, and connections outside of our Jewish community.  

Most importantly, through sharing your personal stories and experiences, you will impact how your peers think about and interact with the Jewish community. 

As a participant in Student to Student, you will:

  • Attend one orientation session in the fall
  • Represent the metro-Detroit Jewish community through 2+ presentations per year
  • Interact with and get to know non-Jewish high school students
  • Learn public speaking skills
Nominator Form Student Application

Testimonials

May their dialogue prove fruitful not only in the shot term, but for many years to come. It is my hope that this first experience of the Student-to-Student program will be repeated throughout our archdiocese and bring greater awareness to the continued need for conversation

Monseigneur John Kasza
Archdiocese of Detroit

It was incredibly meaningful to see how genuinely interested the students were in what we had to share. Having the opportunity to speak about how I practice Judaism and to help others better understand it was very impactful for me..

2026 Student-to-Student Presenter

For me, I think the most meaningful part is that there are kids my age who just need one positive interaction or experience with Jews to influence the way they think.

2026 Student-to-Student Presenter

I found it very eye-opening, getting to see other student my age share their culture, religion, and beliefs. As a part of the NDP Podcast Club, I believe that it is important to build and maintain a dialogue with other people, especially those who may differ from us. In the end, through discussion, we will find that us, as human beings, are more alike than we could know otherwise.

Catholic School Student

Frequently Asked Questions

Student to Student brings in a trained group of Jewish high schoolers to present their Jewish journey. Through low-tech presentations, they discuss holidays, beliefs, traditions, connections to Israel, culture, and more.  

Student to Student requires an application. Jewish high school students in 10th-12th grade are eligible to apply. Once accepted, they will attend a training session in the fall and be put into a group of 3-5 students. In these groups, Jewish students visit a school classroom to share personal anecdotes about Judaism, accompanied by an adult.

During the school day, a group of Student to Student ambassadors will come into a classroom and present. Presentations include props to pass around, opportunities to participate in Jewish customs, and time for questions. If there’s a specific aspect of Judaism your class would like to focus on (i.e. the Holocaust), we will ensure our student presenters emphasize it in their presentation. 

Since Student to Student takes place during the school day, presentations are intended to last one class period, or about an hour. Student ambassadors should expect presentations to take about two hours, including driving time. Ambassadors should anticipate 1-2 presentations per semester, plus one orientation session in the fall.

Over the past three years, antisemitism has been rising. Through the nearly 40 years of this program, Student to Student has proved to be an engaging way to learn about religion, increased understanding and awareness of antisemitism, and broken barriers between different communities across the country.

Presentations are given by students to a classroom with little to no Jewish representation. Students will cover all sorts of topics including, but not limited to: Shabbat, holidays, traditions, Israel, explaining the branches of Judaism, antisemitism, the Holocaust, Kashrut, Hebrew, and personal experiences of being Jewish. Presentations also include props, such as a mini-Torah, shofar, and challah.

Student to Student costs nothing for prospective schools or Jewish student presenters.

Student to Student is intended for local schools with little to no Jewish representation to learn more about Jewish culture and history.

Student to Student is unique in its peer-to-peer experiential learning format. Jewish high schoolers engage with non-Jewish high schoolers, making it easier for to relate to each other. The presentations are also intentionally low-tech and rely heavily on props, allowing non-Jewish students to not only hear about Judaism, but interact with it as well. 

Student to Student allows Jewish high schoolers to serve as ambassadors for the Jewish community in non-Jewish spaces. They gain public speaking skills, meet Jewish students from across the metro Detroit area, and can earn community service hours. 

Students will leave presentations with a greater understanding of Jewish culture, beliefs, and traditions. This is not intended to convert students or discuss politics; rather, it’s a way for non-Jewish students to learn and ask questions about Judaism in a classroom environment from their peers. They will also learn more about antisemitism, how to identify it, and how to support the Jewish community when antisemitic incidents occur. 

If you want to bring Student to Student to your school, contact Daniel Bernstein at bernstein@jewishdetroit.org. 

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