News

500 Days After October 7, the Hostages are Still in Our Hearts

Author

Hillel International

Date

February 16, 2025

Content Warning: This piece contains reference to the October 7 terrorist attacks, including mentions of kidnapping and murder. Please read with care.

It has been 500 days since October 7, 2023. Hamas still holds 70 hostages in unspeakable conditions. Jewish people and their allies around the world are working for their release, telling their stories, and saying their names. Lidar, a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow based at a university in California, shared this story about his friend Sasha Troufanov, who was a hostage in Gaza for 498  days before being released this past weekend. 

For Lidar, advocacy for his friend Sasha Troufanov, taken captive by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and released this past weekend on February 15, 2025, has become an important part of his work with Jewish college students. Sasha’s story also has become an inspiration to Lidar’s students at a time of increased antisemitism and isolation in their classes and on campus.  

Lidar and Sasha became friends as young adults. “I was a little intimidated by him when we first met,” Lidar said. “He’s a big, tall, strong guy, and I was the new guy, and he wasn’t really talking to me. But then we went to an event together, and we started to talk, and I realized he was just the nicest guy. He was always smiling, always funny.”

Sasha’s parents lived on Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was brutally attacked on October 7, 2023. A day earlier, Sasha and his girlfriend, Sapir, had gone to visit his parents for Shabbat. The next morning, Hamas terrorists unleashed terror upon the kibbutz, murdering Sasha’s father, Vitaly, and taking Sasha and Sapir hostage, along with Sasha’s mother, Yelena, and grandmother, Irena. The three women were freed during the first hostage-release deal in November 2023, but Sasha remained in captivity until this weekend, with very little known about his condition.

“There were two videos of him released last year, but we didn’t know anything more, and none of the hostages who came home talked about seeing him,” Lidar said. 

Sasha’s friends and family were given new hope recently when they learned that Sasha was on the list of hostages to be released in the first phase of this current hostage release and ceasefire deal, but  they remained anxious about his condition. “Seeing Sasha come home alive was everything I could have hoped for over the last 16 months,” Lidar said. 

In reflecting on Sasha’s time in captivity, Lidar said that he made sharing stories about his friend part of his daily routine. “One of Sasha’s habits was that every day at three o’clock, no matter what was happening or what he was doing, he’d have a coffee break,” Lidar said. “No matter what, three o’clock is coffee time. After he was kidnapped, some of his friends in Israel started doing ‘coffee for Sasha’ every day at three o’clock, and I started doing it here on campus.  It was  a way of pausing together and bringing some of his personality and his warmth everywhere we went.”

Thinking about how long Sasha was in captivity – and about the many hostages who remain in Gaza today –  is difficult. “I remember the first Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and victims of terror) after October 7, we all thought that there was no way we’d get to a year without the hostages coming home,” Lidar said. “And now it’s been 500 days, and it’s just not on people’s minds in the same way anymore.”

Lidar hopes that people around the world will continue to keep the remaining 70 hostages in their hearts and prayers, tell their stories, and work to secure their release.  “While they’re still [in Gaza], we can’t fully breathe,” he said. “We all need to keep talking and remember that they’re still there, and we need to do everything in our power to get them back home.” 

Hear from Israel Fellows across the country about their experiences in the aftermath of October 7 and how they are sharing their stories with Jewish students on college and university campuses. 

The post 500 Days After October 7, the Hostages are Still in Our Hearts appeared first on Hillel International.

Hillel Community

Israel

Connecting Students with Their Jewish Stories Through a Love of Israel

Author

Uziel Pohl

Date

January 28, 2025

IACT professionals work on college campuses across the country to help Jewish students connect with their Jewish identities through Jewish learning, Israel engagement, and community service. They help run Birthright Israel trips, and support students in staying connected to their Judaism and each other when they return from these transformative immersive experiences. Interested in becoming an IACT? Learn more and apply today.

Uziel Pohl is the IACT at Michigan State University Hillel. He experienced a life-changing year due to his work with Hillel, and we are excited to share his experience with you. 

This year has been my shehecheyanu year. Shehecheyanu, the blessing said when experiencing something new, was on my mind as I went to Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel trip this past summer, as I took my first steps as an IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) professional at Michigan State University Hillel, as I attended my first Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA), and as I returned to Israel this winter. 

The first step I took with Hillel this year was onto a plane to participate in a Birthright Israel trip this past summer, and it also was my first time traveling to Israel. As I crossed continents, surrounded by people who would also be experiencing Israel for the first time, I felt blessed that we would be forming foundational Jewish memories together.

Some of those powerful moments included wrapping tefillin at the top of Masada, walking to the Kotel to welcome Shabbat, and mourning our brothers and sisters who were killed by Hamas on October 7. I tucked every one of these experiences into my soul to bring back and share with my students at MSU. 

Another critical moment of my growth and learning happened at HIGA and the IACT post-HIGA gathering in December. It was so inspiring to sit in a room filled with other IACT professionals who are passionate and committed to helping Jewish students discover their love for Israel. 

Danielle Kranjec, associate vice president of Jewish education at Hillel International, spoke with our IACT cohort about the importance of gathering groups of students together on campus to learn about Israel and its connection to the Jewish people. Hillel International’s student cohort, Kol Yisrael, is designed for just that, and getting an introduction to the impact that we can have through Jewish education stuck with me when I left HIGA and got back on an airplane to lead my first Birthright Israel trip. 

I was sure that flying to Israel this second time would be filled with all new shehecheyanu moments that were different from my trip as a participant just a few months ago. When the plane touched down in Tel Aviv and I looked around at my students’ faces, I knew that seeing Israel through their eyes would be as powerful, and new, as it had been the previous summer. 

After a trip filled with more firsts, we finished with something ancient — lighting Hanukkah candles together on our last night before returning home. To me, this is what it means to be an IACT. Bringing together Jewish students’ modern identities and perspectives with the ancient Jewish story embedded in the land of Israel. I’m so grateful to be a part of that story and to be exploring it with Hillel.

The post Connecting Students with Their Jewish Stories Through a Love of Israel appeared first on Hillel International.

News

Stand Together: Remarks from Hillel Student Leaders

Author

Hillel International

Date

November 13, 2024

On November 10, 2024, thousands of Jewish people from all over the world came together in Washington, D.C. to show their support for each other and for Israel. The “Stand Together: A Day of Solidarity” rally, hosted by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, featured speakers from across the spectrum of Jewish life, including political leaders like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.), Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). Among the speakers were two Jewish student leaders from Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network, Shani Menna and Evan Cohen. We are excited to share their inspiring remarks with you, as prepared for delivery:

SM: My name is Shani Menna, and I am a proud American, a proud Israeli, a proud Jew, and a proud Zionist. I am a pre-med human biology student at UC San Diego. And I am the chair of Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network.

EC: And my name is Evan Cohen. I am an American Jew and a proud Zionist. I am a computer science major and French minor at the University of Michigan. And I am the president of Michigan Hillel’s Wolverines for Israel and a vice-chair of Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network.

SM: Over the last year, professors and students have attempted to rewrite history and redefine our identities. 

The truth is, antisemitism on college campuses did not begin after October 7th. Since my freshman year at UCSD, we’ve listened to our student government debate resolutions holding Israel to a double standard. We’ve seen Students for Justice in Palestine build their Apartheid Wall in the center of our campus… And plaster it with blood libels. And days after October 7th, still reeling in tragedy, we heard fellow students chanting for the annihilation of the only Jewish state.

But I stand up to them. They chant, “From the river to the sea.” And I ask, “You mean the genocide of the Jewish people?”

Our greatest threat to those who wish us harm is our unshakable pride. They try to silence us with fear and uncertainty, but we respond defiantly by being loud and proud.

Our freedom is one that no bully can take away. Just as our brothers and sisters in Israel have a duty to defend our borders, we, as Jewish students, have a duty to defend Jewish life and experience on campus.

EC: Like Shani, I have been fighting for Israel since I got to college.

I grew up here in the United States, and love for Israel was a big part of my life. I was fortunate not to experience antisemitism growing up, but I knew it was out there.

Then, as I was about to graduate from high school, there was the 2021 Gaza War. It was the first time I truly experienced antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Just days after I committed to study at the University of Michigan, my soon-to-be student government released a one-sided anti-Israel statement. 

I reached out to the Israel club on campus, and I asked, “How can I help?” They said, “We need you to come to Michigan, and we need you to get involved.”

That’s exactly what I did.

Since October 7th, I’ve helped organize pro-Israel events on the Michigan campus, with thousands of students attending. These events united the entire Jewish community, just like those around the country and world. Despite political or religious differences, we know that we’re stronger together. Our shared history and values mean we have more in common than what might divide us.

At the end of the day, what matters is that we stand united. What matters is that we stand strong. What matters is that we stand for Israel and for the Jewish people. 

That’s what we’re doing here today, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing. 

SM+EC: Am Yisrael chai!

The post Stand Together: Remarks from Hillel Student Leaders appeared first on Hillel International.

Hillel Community

Israel

Recharging My Commitment to Israel at the Israel Leadership Network Shabbaton

Author

Leah Kressel

Date

October 22, 2024

In my second year at Muhlenberg College, I became the Israel leadership co-chair at Muhlenberg Hillel. From the beginning, Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network (ILN) was an important resource for me—a place I could look to for event ideas, strategies, and accurate information. When I was invited to the White House last year to speak with Douglas Emhoff, the Second Gentleman, about my grandmother’s experience in the Holocaust and my own experience on campus, ILN resources helped me prepare for the event. The Israel Leadership Network continues to be instrumental in my growth as a Jewish student leader. 

The recent ILN Executive Shabbaton in Denver was inspiring and uplifting and deepened my connection with other students who are passionate about Israel. The 36 hours we spent learning and sharing experiences were a much-needed boost after a difficult year. 

One of the central conversations throughout the Shabbaton was how to develop strategies for sharing informational and training resources across all of our campuses. Many of us know students who want to speak up and share their perspectives on Israel and Judaism, but they feel isolated, confused, and pressured from other students and professors to hide their beliefs. In sharing that experience, we reaffirmed that one of ILN’s critical roles is to provide facts about Israel and antisemitism as well as moral support to students around the country to empower them to speak up for their beliefs. 

Throughout our Shabbat together, I appreciated the open exchange of ideas and the shared values that I found time and again. These discussions led to a concrete mission statement and set of goals for ILN, which will inform our work over the coming academic year. 

Another deeply meaningful moment for me took place during our Shabbat prayers. While I wear a hostage necklace and a yellow ribbon every day, I often feel like I am alone in my effort to keep the hostages at the forefront of my mind. Spending Shabbat in Denver was particularly meaningful, as I knew everyone in the room shared a connection and commitment to the people being held hostage in inhumane conditions in Gaza. Before we said Shabbat prayers, we each had a chance to choose a printed photo of someone being held hostage. Throughout Shabbat, we prayed for their return in the hopes that they, too, can enjoy Shabbat with family and friends again—a Shabbat that is long overdue.

Since October 7, 2023, my college experience has been colored by antisemitism, events in Israel, and my efforts to speak up for Israel and Jewish students on my campus. At times, this fight is empowering, but it can also be lonely and stressful. It means a tremendous amount to me to know that there are organizations, like Hillel International and the Israel Leadership Network, that believe in student leaders like me, and bring us together to amplify and connect the work we do. 

Leah Kressel is a junior at Muhlenberg College, where she is double majoring in Psychology and Jewish Studies. She is passionate about Israel advocacy and education, has been a leader in many Zionist activities on campus, and currently serves as the Small Campus Trustee in the Israel Leadership Network.

The post <strong>Recharging My Commitment to Israel at the Israel Leadership Network Shabbaton</strong> appeared first on Hillel International.

News

For ILN Executive Chair Shani Menna, Israel is “Why I’m Here Today”

Author

Hillel International

Date

August 7, 2024

Shani Menna, incoming executive chair of Hillel’s Israel Leadership Network, never doubted whether she would be involved in speaking up for Israel on her campus — the only question was what form her activism would take.

“Israel has always been a big part of my identity,” she said. “It’s in my DNA. ”

Hillel’s Israel Leadership Network (ILN) is the country’s largest pro-Israel student leadership body, with more than 130 top student leaders representing over 100 university campuses across the United States. With a goal of maintaining a thriving community for students who are committed to a vibrant, Jewish, and democratic Israel, these student advocates share best practices and ideas, and navigate challenges together. The majority are also leaders of their campus Israel group, or serve as the Israel chair at their campus Hillel. For Shani, her journey with ILN started with Tritons for Israel, a program through Hillel at University of California San Diego (UCSD).

“I got involved with Tritons for Israel right away,” she recalled. “I was attending board meetings my freshman year, connecting with other interested students — I really jumped into it.” 

Seeing how invested Shani was with Israel education on campus, the Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel of San Diego connected Shani with Josh Losner, the Israel Leadership Network’s director. Shani immediately knew ILN was the right path for her evolving leadership journey.

Shani grew up with a deep connection to Israel. Her paternal grandparents survived the Farhoud, the ethnic cleansing of the Iraqi Jewish community, and emigrated to Israel shortly after. They raised Shani’s father in Israel, where he met her mother, an American interested in moving to Israel after graduating college — USCD, just like Shani. They were together for only two weeks when he proposed at the airport before her flight back to the United States. 

They were married in Israel, and Shani’s two older siblings were born there. During the Second Intifada, they returned to the United States, where Shani was born. 

“I grew up hearing about their life in Israel,” she said. “ It’s a big part of who I am. And I believe that speaking up for Israel is important for the Jewish people.”  

Shani, now a rising senior, served as ILN’s vice chair this past academic year — the most challenging year for pro-Israel students in recent history. 

“After October 7, there was a greater need for support. ILN’s group chat was filled with students sharing their experiences on campus, and some conversations and meetings left me sobbing. But at the same time, there’s so much love and community through Hillel and ILN, and that empowers students to bring what we learn back to our campus organizations.”

As vice chair, Shani led workshops, organized speakers, and met one-on-one with other ILN members to support them and offer advice for dealing with  situations on campus, from encampments to BDS initiatives to daily protests. She credits her connection to Hillel staff with helping her stay focused and uplifted. 

“They’re beyond supportive,” she said. “No matter what, Hillel staff will remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing and how important it is.” . 

In her academic life, Shani studies human biology and leads JHealth, the Jewish pre-health organization at UCSD. This summer, she’s training to become an EMT — and she’s already looking ahead to what this coming year will bring. 

“I’ve met some of the most amazing students through Hillel and ILN,” she said. “It honestly gives me so much hope for our future — how intelligent these students are, how creative they are, how much resilience they have. I can’t wait to see what they’re going to accomplish, not just for us, but for the next generation of Jewish college students, too.”

“My goal is to uplift Jewish students and to really tell the stories about the amazing communities that they’re able to foster on campus,” Shani continued. ”And we need to continue to uplift these students, because they will make real change in our world.”

The post For ILN Executive Chair Shani Menna, Israel is “Why I’m Here Today” appeared first on Hillel International.

Israel

How My Birthright Trip Gave Me Strength Post-October 7

Author

Einav Tsach and Liora Knizhnik

Date

July 12, 2024

I never thought I would go on a Birthright trip.  As someone who was born in Israel, speaks fluent Hebrew and visits his family there two or three times a year, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Israel. 

I started opening up to the idea after coming to college. I gradually became more involved at Maryland Hillel, where I heard from friends and staff about how meaningful their trips were. But I still wasn’t convinced, unsure of how I’d fit in on the trip as an Israeli. 

Then October 7 happened, and everything changed.

That night, as we were still witnessing the atrocities in Israel, it seemed like the world was turning its back on my Jewish peers and me. My social media feeds exploded with excuses, justifications, and praise for terrorism against my homeland. Soon after, news outlets reported an unprecedented rise in antisemitism across the country. My close friends who weren’t Jewish stopped talking to me after I declared my support for the country I call home.

I felt like my identity was being attacked. I became increasingly anxious when walking through campus, speaking Hebrew, or wearing my Magen David necklace. Having grown up in a tight-knit Israeli community in Rockville, Maryland, I never before had to deal with the fact that I could be marginalized for who I am.

My time on campus this year made it clear I could no longer take my identity for granted. To find strength, I had to own being Israeli and Jewish. I needed to connect deeply to my roots and the place that anchors me to who I am. So I went to Hillel (now my second home), spoke with our IACT coordinator, and applied for a Birthright trip. 

In fact, my trip to Israel with Birthright has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Whether it was climbing Masada, driving ATVs by the Sea of Galilee, screaming the song “Tel Aviv” by Omer Adam (on the beach in Tel Aviv), bringing in Shabbat on a kibbutz in the hills of Jerusalem, or wrapping tefillin in the Western Wall, each moment made me feel more connected to my heritage. Better yet, I did it all with people who care about the Jewish state just as I do, and were just as excited and proud to be there.

One of the most significant moments of the trip was our group’s visit to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where we got a better sense of the dreadful reality faced by those being held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza. We were able to speak to a relative of one of the hostages, Omer Wenkert. This experience made me understand the importance of continuing to raise my voice back home in support of those kidnapped.

In Jerusalem, we also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and Mount Herzl, the country’s national cemetery. We learned about our people’s constant struggle for survival and peace, even through the darkest moments we face. That day reminded me of our resilience and strength as a people.

When we visited Shuk Mahaneh Yehudah, also in Jerusalem, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge party on the street. I witnessed the incredible ability of our people to find happiness—even when times are painful and challenging. I was full of renewed hope as we returned to the hotel that evening.

As I spend the rest of my summer here in Tel Aviv working at an internship with Birthright Israel’s Onward program, I feel grateful I can walk through the streets and speak Hebrew openly. I feel fortunate to have met new friends who share my love for this place. I feel proud of my country, of my identity, and of my people.

I’m worried about coming back to campus in the fall. I know our community may continue to face antisemitism, and it won’t be easy. But after my Birthright experience this summer, I also know I’ll never stop being proud of who I am and where I come from. And most importantly, I know my people have my back.

Einav Tsach (@einavtsach) is a rising junior studying journalism and business at the University of Maryland, College Park. As president of Mishelanu, the Israeli-American culture club on campus, he’s highly involved at Maryland Hillel and looks forward to continuing his advocacy as a Jewish student leader.

The post How My Birthright Trip Gave Me Strength Post-October 7 appeared first on Hillel International.

News

RootOne Trips Plant the Seeds of Connection to Israel: Part Two

Author

Hillel International

Date

June 20, 2024

Anyone who’s participated in a group trip to Israel can attest to how powerful and transformative that experience can be. But there’s something particularly special about visiting Israel as a teen, and that’s where RootOne comes in. 

RootOne helps thousands of Jewish students travel to Israel each summer, providing funding for teens ages to visit the country with programs that span the entire Jewish community: through scholarships with youth groups like NFTY, BBYO, or NCSY, trips with their local communities or synagogues, and more. Teens who go on RootOne-funded trips are more likely to continue engaging in Jewish life and community, and seeking out more opportunities to get involved. And many of them find those opportunities at Hillel. 

Students who participated in RootOne trips as teens are bringing their experiences with them as they get involved with campus Hillel. Check out these stories from some of today’s emerging student leaders from Hillels all around the country.

Yael Smith, Washington University in St. Louis

Like so many other young people, Yael Smith’s final summer at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin was called off because of the pandemic. Her last year as a camper — the end of a journey that she started in fifth grade — had been canceled. 

But the following year, in 2021, a RootOne trip gave her the opportunity to reclaim that lost summer. Yael joined Ramah campers from around North America on Ramah Seminar, a six-week travel program in Israel. 

For Yael, it was a light at the end of a long tunnel. For the first time since the pandemic began, she was able to socialize — and felt happier than she had in over a year. 

Yael’s RootOne trip was her third visit to Israel, but it was by far the most meaningful thus far. For the first time, she was able to travel around the entire country, even with some pandemic restrictions in place. She visited a natural mikvah in the north, spent time in Jerusalem, and challenged herself to take on hiking trail Yam l’Yam. 

One of the most meaningful moments was a Shabbat in Jerusalem. About 300 students had gathered in a natural amphitheater, and Yael’s close friend from camp was leading the entire group in Kabbalat Shabbat. After a long year away from all her friends, being part of this community was a powerful, standout moment.

When Yael came back to the states, she knew her Israel experience wasn’t over. Inspired by her time on her RootOne trip, she decided to sign up for the Nativ College Leadership Program, an immersive nine-month gap year based out of Jerusalem. 

During her gap year, she spent more time at some of the places she had only briefly  visited during her RootOne experience, while also seeing extended family, making new friends, and gaining a deeper understanding of her Jewish identity. One of the most impactful places she visited, one that she still thinks about regularly, was Moshav Netiv HaAsara, a village just outside the Gaza border. As part of their outreach and education work, the village has a program called the Path to Peace wall, where visitors can add a stone to a decorative mosaic directly on the border wall between Israel and Gaza. 

Yael has thought about that mosaic almost daily for the past six months, as Moshav Netiv HaAsara was one of the border villages attacked on October 7. Twenty-two residents were killed. 

Yael’s passion for Israel and the Jewish community has been a key part of her college experience at Washington University in St. Louis. She served on the first-year Hillel board and will serve on her Hillel advisory board in the upcoming school year, and also serves on the executive board for Challah for Hunger. She’s an active member of Alpha Phi Omega, the community service fraternity, regularly attends Shabbat services, and particularly enjoys connecting with other students during Kabbalat Shabbat — she often convinces her friends to join her for Shabbat with Hillel or Chabad. 

Yael credits her RootOne trip with helping her develop her own relationship to Israel and to Judaism, and building her desire to connect with the Jewish community of her own will, not just because it’s what she grew up with. It also cemented her determination to  speak out for Israel — not just in college, but for the rest of her life.

Olivia Ball, University of Utah

Olivia “Liv” Ball’s RootOne trip to Israel in summer 2021 wasn’t her first Israel experience, but it was the most impactful.

Liv grew up attending Jewish day school in South Florida. In eighth grade, she took her first trip to Israel, led by educators from her school. On that trip, she experienced what she fondly recalled as the “touristy things,” such as visits to important cultural and historical sites. She also spent the trip with her classmates, and didn’t meet new people.

Her RootOne trip was completely different. The summer between Liv’s junior and senior years of high school fell in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to travel at all. When she found out about a RootOne trip called Trek Israel, through BBYO, she was excited just to have an opportunity to go somewhere. 

That trip wound up changing Liv’s life. 

Unlike her previous experience, the Trek itinerary was focused on hiking and outdoor exploration. For the first time, she spent all day hiking across Israel’s mountains and deserts, sleeping in campsites and kibbutz guest houses. One of her favorite experiences was taking a side trip into Tzfat, coming right off the trail, dusty and sweaty, and walking through the streets — a rare trip into civilization. 

Her time hiking “Yam l’Yam,” sea to sea, made her fall in love with the outdoors — and cemented her decision to enroll at the University of Utah, where she’s double majoring in computer science and criminology. She’s gotten involved at her campus Hillel, and particularly enjoys educational programs like the Jewish Learning Fellowship and Kol Yisrael, a six-week curriculum centering on Israeli culture, history, and politics. Earlier this year, she attended Hillel International’s Israel Summit, where she loved interacting with students from all Jewish backgrounds from around the country. 

Liv credits her RootOne trip with reshaping her college journey, and impacting every facet of her campus life: from her friends to her Jewish experiences at school. 

The RootOne trip afforded her experiences and connections she’d never have had otherwise, and she’s already finding that her experiences with her Hillel community are doing the same. She’s excited to keep learning and growing with Hillel… especially anytime there’s an opportunity to study outside.

This is the second in a two-part series about RootOne. Read part one here. 

The post RootOne Trips Plant the Seeds of Connection to Israel: Part Two appeared first on Hillel International.

News

RootOne Trips Plant the Seeds of Connection to Israel: Part One

Author

Hillel International

Date

June 4, 2024

Anyone who’s participated in a group trip to Israel can attest to how powerful and transformative that experience can be. But there’s something particularly special about visiting Israel as a teen, and that’s where RootOne comes in.

RootOne helps thousands of Jewish students travel to Israel each summer, providing funding for teens to visit the country with programs that span the entire Jewish community: scholarships with youth groups like NFTY, BBYO, or NCSY, trips with their local communities or synagogues, and more. Teens who go on RootOne-funded trips are more likely to continue engaging in Jewish life and community, and seek out more opportunities to get involved. And many of them find those opportunities at Hillel. 

Check out these stories of student leaders who participated in RootOne trips as teens, and see how they’re making a difference on campus today.

Alexander Nadelberg, Trinity College

For Alexander Nadelberg, who grew up as a reform Jew in Lexington, Massachusetts,  being part of a  Jewish community was an important part of his life. He attended URJ Eisner Camp, where he learned to be a song leader, and worked with his synagogue’s cantor to song lead for his congregation during the school year. 

Alexander’s planned trip to Israel in 2020 was canceled because of COVID-19, but he got a second chance, thanks to a RootOne-funded NFTY trip during his junior year of high school. 

“It was life-changing,” Alexander said, describing one of the most powerful moments of the trip, visiting Masada. 

“I realized [then] that the way I could make a difference in the world was by serving the Jewish community. That’s where my passion is,” he added.

After his trip, Alexander changed his college search to focus on schools with vibrant Jewish communities and active Hillels. He landed on Trinity College, where he now serves as Hillel president and majors in Jewish Studies and International Studies, with a focus on the Middle East. In the post October 7 world, Alexander has taken his role at Hillel and as a Jewish student even more seriously, and is working to combat antisemitism on campus. This year has only sharpened the realization he had in Israel on his RootOne trip: his future is working in advocacy in the Jewish professional world.

Amy Nossal, University of North Texas

For Amy Nossal, traveling to Israel with RootOne wasn’t just transformative — it was healing. Her mother passed away only two months before her trip with Kehillah High, a post B-Mitzvah education program in Houston that had partnered with RootOne. The financial support from RootOne and local Jewish federations made the month-long trip possible for Amy. 

Amy’s mother had always dreamed of traveling to Israel with her two daughters. While Amy and her sister took the trip with their high school peers instead, she felt her mother’s presence throughout the journey. 

“When we went to the Western Wall as a group, I leaned my head against the Wall and wished my mom was there with me,” she said. “As I walked away from the prayer area, I saw my sister walking toward me. We ran and held each other and cried together. Being with my sister in that moment and in that place is a happy memory for me. My mom would have been filled with so much joy and pride to see us together in our homeland.”

Since her trip, Amy has remained involved with Israel programming and with her Jewish community. As a college student at the University of North Texas, she’s gone on a Birthright Israel trip, plans to visit again with Onward Israel this summer, and is currently doing a fellowship with Hillel. 

“That one RootOne trip changed the course of my life,” Amy said. 

She’s not done with her Israel engagement anytime soon — after college, she plans to make Aliyah.

Chuck Rutberg, Washington and Lee University

Like many other students, Chuck Rutberg’s planned trip to Israel with Camp Seneca Lake was rescheduled due to COVID-19, and then pushed again. But Chuck was determined to experience the summer Israel trip he’d looked forward to for years. His friend’s mother reached out to BBYO, and thanks to some additional support from RootOne, a group of teens from his camp took a three-week trip through BBYO Passport. 

This wasn’t Chuck’s first visit to Israel, but it was one of the most impactful. 

“My most vivid, powerful memory was visiting a moshav, [a village] on the border with Gaza,” he recalled. “People there were living a simple, small-town life. It was so peaceful. These days, I think about that a lot.”

Sadly, Netiv HaAsara, the village Chuck’s group visited, was attacked by Hamas on October 7.

“It was very scary to think about,” he said, upon learning the news.  “What I saw when I was there was a place where a family with children would go to live a peaceful life, and it is painful to imagine what may have happened to some of the people we met there.”

Chuck, who now attends Washington and Lee University, credits his decision to get involved with Israel leadership at Hillel to his experiences in Israel, including his RootOne trip. He currently serves as the Israel chair on his university’s Hillel board. 

“There’s so much value in having had opportunities to engage with Israel’s modern history while visiting,” he said. “It would have been so much harder to maintain my connection and support for Israel if I hadn’t experienced it for myself.”

Jake Powers, University of Cincinnati

Jake Powers had a different journey to Israel — instead of attending a RootOne program as a participant, he was there as a staff member last summer, as part of an Israel Leadership Summer through Camp Wise in Cleveland. 

“We focused on Israel engagement before and after the trip to keep the campers involved throughout the year,” he said. “It was amazing to see the ongoing growth in their Jewish identity and their connection to Israel.”

Jake credits the online learning his campers did prior to the trip with the deeper, more significant experience they had once they arrived in Israel. 

“It made it more than just touring around,” he explained. “RootOne’s focus — the trip, the big tent event — makes it such a meaningful experience for them.”

After his trip, Jake became a RootOne Fellow through his camp, and now runs Bearcats for Israel at the University of Cincinnati Hillel, where he studies middle childhood education, focusing on math and natural science. He and his sister also founded an organization called Ohio Students for Israel. His trip had a profound impact on him that he still feels today. 

“My campers learned how to carry the part of themselves that they discovered on the trip forward into their future. And so did I,” he said.

The post RootOne Trips Plant the Seeds of Connection to Israel: Part One appeared first on Hillel International.

News

IACT Coordinator Inspires Students to Connect with Israel

Author

Hillel International

Date

April 8, 2024

IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) professionals are helping Jewish college students learn about and engage more deeply with Israel, supporting thousands of students before, during, and after immersive travel experiences, especially Birthright Israel. This community building allows students to learn and develop their own authentic and meaningful relationships with Israel.

For Devin Davidson, the IACT Coordinator and Greek Life Specialist at Hillel at Arizona State University (ASU), her own experiences in Israel were so powerful that they changed the trajectory of her goals for her college — and post-college — career. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, Devin went on a Birthright Israel trip in 2019, and the following year, she picked up a religious studies minor and applied to be an IACT intern at MSU Hillel. 

As an IACT intern, she filled an entire Birthright bus, and discovered her passion for student engagement — and a greater love for Israel.

“Birthright offers a distinctive opportunity to connect individuals with their heritage, culture, and history,” Devin said. “My goal for my students is to help them develop a deeper sense of belonging and understanding within the Jewish community, as well as encourage a stronger connection to Israel.”

That close personal connection to Israel has been more important than ever to Devin in the months since the October 7 attack. As someone whose role is entirely student-facing, Devin found the weeks after the attack to be especially challenging. In addition to processing her own feelings about what had happened, she was also trying to help her students when they came to her for support. She acknowledges beautiful things arose during those difficult months at ASU. She witnessed Jewish student unity on campus, as a notable sense of Jewish pride emerged. Students were more aware of antisemitism, but she says they were also working hard to find ways to address it.

Traveling to Israel Post-October 7

In March, Devin had the opportunity to travel to Israel with Hillel International, along with 15 other IACTs. It was her first trip back to Israel post-October 7, and the experiences and conversations resonated with her in ways she had never anticipated. Her typical trips to Israel are focused on facilitating experiences for others (this past summer she took 60 ASU students on Birthright) and she was moved by the chance to have her own space to experience Israel, particularly in this raw moment. Despite all of the devastation, Devin felt a powerful spirit of resilience and hope. She witnessed communities coming together to rebuild and support one another during a time of tragedy, and was revitalized by that determination to overcome obstacles in the face of heartbreak.

That trip, chronicled in the video above, became a source of comfort, strength, and renewal. It provided her with a new sense of clarity and purpose, while inspiring her to dive deeper into her own Jewish identity.

“It was truly a surreal experience, and it’s been amazing to be able to share that with the students,” she said. “Traveling to Israel now is even more important than ever, because you can discover a greater sense of purpose, and develop a much deeper connection to your Jewish identity.”

Traveling alongside her IACT cohort made the trip even more meaningful. Her IACT community played a pivotal role in easing her transition post-graduation, and she counts them as some of her closest friends. The trip strengthened their bonds with one another, and also provided a safe and supportive space for conversation during some of their most vulnerable moments.

Deepening a Sense of Unity on Campus

Coming back to campus, Devin’s biggest takeaway from her trip has been a desire to create the sense of unity and pride she experienced while in Israel. While building unity has been a common theme in the Jewish community at ASU, she sees the potential to take it even further. 

“It was an overwhelming, powerful feeling in Israel,” she said. “I want to try to emulate that special feeling on campus.”

Devin’s experiences with IACT have been transformative, and she’d recommend applying to become an IACT professional to anyone interested in getting into the student engagement and Israel space. 

“Being in the cohort has been such a positive experience for me,” she said. “If you’re thinking about applying, I’d say to do it!”

IACT professionals are leading students towards an enduring commitment to Jewish life and Israel through Hillel’s proven relationship-based engagement approach. Interested in becoming an IACT professional? Let us know, and we’ll be in touch!

The post IACT Coordinator Inspires Students to Connect with Israel appeared first on Hillel International.

News

IACT Coordinator Dan Kling Shares His Love for Israel with Students

Author

Hillel International

Date

March 26, 2024

IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) professionals are elevating the field of Israel engagement and education on campus. They work to support students on a journey of Jewish learning before, during, and after immersive Israel experiences — sparking a lifelong relationship with Israel for thousands of students. Active on 34 campuses across the United States, IACT is building connected and committed campus communities, and is leading students toward an enduring commitment to Jewish life and Israel.

For Dan Kling, the IACT Coordinator at Maryland Hillel, his work is all about inspiring students to make their own connections with Israel — just like he did.

“On the first night of a Birthright trip [to Israel], we go around and talk about what we’re hoping to see,” he said, describing the most rewarding part of his job. “I say to them that I’m excited for them to fall in love with the place I already love. It’s so invigorating for me.”

That’s when he says students realize they each have a place in a Jewish community, whether in Israel or at home. 

“That’s the energy I never get tired of — the ‘Aha!’ moment,” he said.

Israel has always been part of Dan’s life. Describing himself as “the Israel guy” as a college undergraduate, Dan served as president of his campus Israel Club, and Israel chair of his AEPi chapter. He fell in love with Israel on his first trip there, and wanted to share that love with others. 

After college, Dan spent a few years working at Jewish nonprofits in the D.C. area with young adults and K–8 students, but kept an eye out for an opportunity to work with college students. The job posting for the Maryland Hillel IACT Coordinator was the perfect fit.

Since starting the position, Dan has come to think of himself as a shaliach, or emissary. He’s the face of Israel on campus, the person students seek when they have questions.

“You have to be that bridge, and be a constantly open person,” he said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but it empowers you to feel that the job is really yours.

One of Dan’s favorite things about his IACT work is that no two days are ever the same. He’s constantly looking for creative, innovative ways to connect with students: interviewing prospective Birthright participants, working with student groups, and making sure students feel comfortable coming to him with questions or concerns. During the Birthright recruitment season, it’s a lot of coffee meetings and schmoozing — “Which I love to do,” he enthused.

But since October 7, the job has taken on new meaning.

“There’s a lot more of the pastoral element to it,” he explained. “The students are fighting an even harder fight than I did when I was on campus, and I went to a school that dealt with a lot of antisemitism at the time.” 

“[Today] it’s often answering those late night texts on how to respond to protests on campus and what it will be like to talk to an administrator about it. It’s up to you to decide how you want to improve the situation, and I’m trusted to decide that,” he added.

Dan sees a role with IACT as the right opportunity for anyone with a passion for Israel/Jewish education, engaging students, and community service.

For those on the fence about applying for the role, Dan says this: “Take every opportunity. I think that lots of people write themselves off — but it’s so important to put yourself out there.”

Especially, he says, if you have a passion for Israel that you’re ready to share

“If you want others to love Israel, too,” he said, “this job is perfect for you.

Interested in becoming an IACT professional? Let us know, and we’ll be in touch!

The post IACT Coordinator Dan Kling Shares His Love for Israel with Students appeared first on Hillel International.