Tomer Gertel, a student from Amit Be’er Tuvia, has been chosen as Israel’s representative at the UN International Climate Conference. Tomer, a sophomore, will participate in the conference in three months’ time, in Milan, Italy. Approximately 9,000 candidates from all over the world applied to take part, and only 400 youth were chosen to attend.
The September pre-conference assembly of youth is being held in advance of the UN’s 26th annual International Climate Conference. The young participants are tasked with developing ideas and strategies for improving, coping, and preventing the climate crisis, and will present them to the world governments taking part in the main conference.
Gertel has been active in the school’s educational garden and environmental quality groups. Last year he even taught classes on these subjects to the ninth and twelfth grades.
“We are not prophets of destruction but prophets of hope. We are the generation that will bring freedom, our right to life. We are the generation that will be remembered in the history books,” Gertel says. “The adults have abandoned us, abandoned our future. Therefore, because of the situation, we are forced to shout for the sake of our future.”
Avigdor Weizmann, principal of the school, says “We are proud of Tomer for his intensive activity in preserving the environment and for being chosen to represent Israel at the International Climate Conference. Tomer has recruited his fellow students and other youth in Be’er Tuvia to campaign for the environment. The school sees proactive engagement such as Tomer has advanced as an important social value; his caring and responsibility for the future of the world are a symbol for youth throughout the country!”
