A Nanaimo high school student hopes to turn an international scholarship experience into skills for the rest of his life.

Samuel Zanbilowicz, going into his senior year at Dover Bay Secondary School, was the lone Canadian selected for the Bronfman Fellowship, which took him to such places as New York and Israel to learn about aspects of contemporary Jewish life.

The fellowship was from July 3 to Aug. 3. Zanbilowicz said the experience was B次元官网网址渋ncredibleB次元官网网址� and included discussions with Palestinian people.

B次元官网网址淲e did a lot of framing for the talks we would be doing about our own identity and seeing what our opinions are, before we interacted with Palestinians,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hen we spoke with different settlers in the West Bank, and then eventually talked to actual Palestinians and their perspectives. It was really incredible to hear about their own experiences, and how much theyB次元官网网址檝e struggled with it.B次元官网网址�

Zanbilowicz said he was expecting to come back with a B次元官网网址渉uge amount of knowledge and have some strong opinions,B次元官网网址� but the situation is difficult and multi-faceted. When doing advance research, impartial sources were seemingly non-existent, the student said, and the best way to get information was from speaking with Israelis and Palestinians, B次元官网网址渆ven with their biases.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 an issue of identity. The biggest piece is that itB次元官网网址檚 not something that can be sorted out with money or with time, itB次元官网网址檚 really fundamental to so many people,B次元官网网址� said Zanbilowicz. B次元官网网址淏ecause thereB次元官网网址檚 religion involved and ideologies and core fundamental beliefs in people, itB次元官网网址檚 such a heavy topic that itB次元官网网址檚 not really solvable with normal, easy solutions.B次元官网网址�

Zanbilowicz must now select a subject, further examine it and make a presentation to other fellowship members, and he and another student plan to work together on a handbook for people to learn more about the program.

After graduation, Zanbilowicz is eyeing B次元官网网址減robably something in health care,B次元官网网址� and said his Bronfman experience will be beneficial. He gained a lot of interpersonal skills, being able to relate to people and hearing where theyB次元官网网址檙e coming from.

B次元官网网址淚 think thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be really useful, especially in health care, relating to patients and how I can understand how theyB次元官网网址檙e feeling and make sure people are being heard no matter who they are B次元官网网址� Arts is also something that IB次元官网网址檓 passionate about and writing and literature could be really interesting, to talk about politics or whatever is on my mind,B次元官网网址� said Zanbilowicz.

He said his biggest takeaway is learning that people must understand the world theyB次元官网网址檙e in before influencing it.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of the people that I know around me try to do a lot of things to make change without fully understanding the situation theyB次元官网网址檙e inB次元官网网址�B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淟earning about the Israel-Palestine conflict, itB次元官网网址檚 so difficult to make change and make impact if you donB次元官网网址檛 know the whole picture,B次元官网网址� said Zanbilowicz. B次元官网网址淚 think my biggest takeaway would just be talking to people and getting as much information as you can before doing anything big.B次元官网网址�

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