Timely exchange fosters mutual respect and learning amid rising concerns about the dangers of bias and antisemitism
PONTIAC — On March 11 and 12, conversation became a powerful instrument for understanding at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac. Through the nationally recognized Student to Student program, Jewish high school students from across Metro Detroit visited Notre Dame Prep’s upper school religion classes, offering a firsthand look at their faith, traditions and lived experiences.
The exchange, centered in dialogue and encounter, took on added significance in light of a violent attack a day later at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield — a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of prejudice and misunderstanding the program seeks to address.
A program grounded in encounter
Student to Student, an initiative supported by the Jewish Federation of Detroit, brings Jewish students into classrooms to share personal stories and answer questions in an open setting. The goal is to foster understanding and counter stereotypes through direct, peer-to-peer engagement.
“Student to Student is such an important program because it gives students the opportunity to learn directly from their peers, who may even be their neighbors, rather than from a textbook,” said Daniel Bucksbaum, community relations associate with the Jewish Federation of Detroit. “It helps break down stereotypes and build bridges in a simple but effective way, creating meaningful connections between our communities.”
At Notre Dame Prep, the program was integrated into senior World Religions classes, where students study Judaism as part of a broader curriculum anchored by Catholic teaching.
Learning through personal witness
Religion department chair and teacher Amy Preiss said the experience offered a unique and lasting impact.
“Learning about another world religion from people their own age who practice it was a fascinating experience for our students, one that makes a lasting impression,” she said.
Visiting students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, represented a range of Jewish backgrounds, including public schools and the Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield. They brought items central to their faith, including menorahs, tefillin and sacred texts, and demonstrated Hebrew writing. Some also shared deeply personal family histories, including stories of relatives who survived the Holocaust.
“The Jewish students brought things from their faith that are important to them and discussed the meaning,” Preiss said. “They talked about how their families observe their faith, which varied quite a bit.”
The presentations reflected the diversity within Judaism while emphasizing shared human experiences, an approach aligned with the Church’s call for interfaith understanding.
Faith in action: A Catholic vision
The event also embodied the teachings of Nostra Aetate ("In Our Age"), the Second Vatican Council document that calls for respect and dialogue among religions. Preiss noted that such encounters help students live out that mission.
“We actually begin the course each year by studying 'Nostra Aetate,' and having opportunities like this can help us to realize this mission and achieve the Church’s vision of a ‘culture of encounter,’” Preiss said.
That vision was echoed by Msgr. John Kasza, ecumenical and interfaith officer for the Archdiocese of Detroit, who reflected on the timing of the visit.
“Two events happened the week of March 9: On Tuesday and Wednesday, students from Notre Dame Prep and the Jewish Federation were able to meet and dialogue about the importance of dialogue in combating the sin of prejudice and antisemitism. On Thursday, the Metro Detroit area saw a graphic reminder in West Bloomfield of how that sin can quickly result in horrific violence,” Msgr. Kasza said.
He emphasized the shared spiritual foundation underlying the exchange.
“Those who participated in the Student to Student exchange were able to experience how each one of us is a child of God,” Msgr. Kasza added. “While we may come from different faith traditions, we share a common belief of mutual respect, the need for dialogue, and a love for one another as called for in both the Torah and the Bible.”
A personal impact on students
For Notre Dame Prep students, the conversations offered both insight and connection.
“I found it very eye-opening, getting to see other students my age share their culture, religion and beliefs,” Notre Dame Prep senior Kevin Carter said. “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.”
That sense of shared humanity was especially poignant given that several visiting students were members of the synagogue targeted in the March 12 attack.
The Notre Dame Prep visit served as a pilot for what both the school and the Jewish Federation hope will become an ongoing partnership.
“What we did at Notre Dame Prep was essentially a trial run of the program, and I hope we can continue it in the future with even more students from both communities,” Bucksbaum said. “The more mutual understanding and genuine relationships we can create between our two communities, the better our greater Detroit community will be.”
Msgr. Kasza expressed a similar hope for the program’s future impact.
“May their dialogue prove fruitful not only in the short term, but for many years to come," Msgr. Kasza said. "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.”
This article was first published on the website of Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac and is republished with permission.
More about Student to Student
This classroom-based, experiential program brings Jewish and non-Jewish high school students together to learn about Judaism through personal storytelling.
Through this program, groups of three or four Jewish high school student presenters visit local high schools with few, if any, Jewish students to share their Jewish practices and experiences. Student to Student presentations have taken place across a range of classes, including World Religions, World History, Literature or the Holocaust. Topics at presentations include the Jewish life cycle, dietary laws, the Sabbath and holidays, Israel, antisemitism and the Holocaust.
The format is intentionally peer-to-peer: student presenters do not lecture, but rather tell stories, answer questions, and facilitate respectful, open dialogue. Before students visit classrooms, they participate in a comprehensive training experience to ensure they are effective presenters and create a conversational, engaging experience that promotes dialogue and understanding.
Last year, Student to Student ...
- visited 11 communities across the United States;
- presented in 137 schools;
- and reached more than 17,000 students.
