CHICAGO — StandWithUs has a new initiative for middle school — LINK: Discovering Your Israel Connection. It is a six-lesson unit that allows students to explore the historic Jewish roots to Israel while discovering their own personal, modern connection. After a successful pilot program, LINK is now in 122 schools nationwide with over 50 teachers in the Midwest alone.
Kansas City’s own Matt Rissien, who joined LINK last month in a new position as the first Midwest associate director, plans to expand LINK throughout his region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Kentucky, Nebraska and Missouri.
“I feel honored to have been given this opportunity to help bring Israel into middle school classrooms,” Rissien said. “I was interested in the position because this curriculum reaches teens in their environment, using cell phones and technology and interactive games and videos to teach Israel in classrooms. Reaching teens today is not easy, but I truly believe this curriculum is the perfect teaching tool to help engage and interest teens in the United States.”
Rissien, 32, grew up in Overland Park, attending Kehilath Israel Synagogue where he became a Bar Mitzvah and was confirmed. His parents, Shelley and Aaron Rissien, continue to be active members of K.I. He moved to Illinois seven years ago to run the youth and young family departments at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook. He and his wife Brittany Silberman-Rissien married in 2016.
He has an impressive educational background, graduating from the University of Kansas in 2011 with a major in religious studies and a minor in Judaic studies. After studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Rissien was awarded a master’s degree in Jewish professional studies at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago.
He has been recognized for his exceptional teaching at many Hebrew schools in the Chicago area. He is the recipient of the JUF’s (Jewish United Fund) LEAD Award, given to one outstanding adult who goes above and beyond expectations in educating and caring for Jewish teens. He was also named to JUF’s 36 Under 36 list of most promising Jewish professionals.
“Over the years I have been blessed with many honors and accolades within the Chicago Jewish community,” Rissien said. “While I am humbled and thankful for all the opportunities and honors, I attribute where I am in life to everyone who brought me up in the Jewish community in Overland Park. From my parents to my K.I. family and everyone at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, I learned to appreciate growing up Jewish in Kansas City.
“I have taken those passions and experiences from my childhood and shared them with the Chicago Jewish community.”
He continues to lead trips for young teens for Tam Israel. In his spare time, he writes YouTube parodies, such as “Dreidel Rap.”
Rissien comes to StandWithUs extremely passionate about Israel education and believes that experiential education is the most important and relevant way to reach teens today. He looks forward to working with and being part of the StandWithUs team and can’t wait to bring LINK to all the schools and synagogues in the Midwest. He plans to take the StandWithUs middle school program to new locations and new heights.
“I’m very excited that my job will allow me to travel around the Midwest, and will bring me back home to Kansas a few times a year,” he said.
LINK is a digitally-interactive, experiential, on-line middle-school Israel curriculum, which was developed by teachers, curriculum writers and internet experts who understand the need for a dynamic, educational experience. Students discover an Israel not usually found in traditional Jewish curricula: an Israel whose actions are informed by Jewish values and reflect the best of what matters to our youth today; an Israel of diversity and humanitarian aid; an Israel whose innovations and technologies are improving and saving lives all around the world; an Israel that inspires pride.
The new Midwest position is made possible through a generous grant by David N. Jonas and family to expand the Etta E. Jonas Israel Fellowship Program. For more information, visit Israellink.org.
