Jerusalem – December 9, 2018 – For an elite group of 150 articulate and diverse young Israeli men and women, their service does not end as they leave the IDF: they join the StandWithUs Israel Fellowship, building bridges & educating people of all faiths & ages about Israel.
As Israel faces challenges to its legitimacy on social media, on campus and in the community, the Fellowship empowers the next generation of Israeli leaders to reach out to people globally about Israel’s challenges and achievements. Their success in doing so will ensure more support for Israel and serve to build links between Jews, Israel, and important non-Jewish allies.
StandWithUs launched the 13th year of the StandWithUs Israel Fellowship – the leading public diplomacy and leadership program located at Israeli university campuses across the country – at Jerusalem’s Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Guest speakers at the opening conference including Zionist thinker and former MK, Einat Wilf. By the end of this year, the program will have graduated its 2,000th Israeli Fellow.
150 Israel student Fellows are selected each year from approximately 1,500 applicants. The Israel Fellowship operates on university campuses nationwide: including the University of Haifa/Technion (Israel Institute of Technology); the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya; Tel Aviv University; Bar Ilan University; Hebrew University and Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
The StandWithUs Israel Fellowship identifies outstanding Israeli students who recently completed the IDF and empowers them to become a living bridge between Israel and the rest of the world. Graduates of the program are sent to speak on college campuses, high schools and churches throughout the U.S., Canada, the UK, South Africa, Australia and Europe. They take internships and jobs in politics, at prominent NGOs and in positions where they are able to influence others to understand and work with Israel, building a groundwork for a more peaceful future.
These passionate Israeli young adults, who already served their country with excellence on the battlefield and who come from every walk of Israeli life, attend lectures by experts in academia, international affairs, public diplomacy, politics, and history throughout the year. The StandWithUs Israel Fellows learn to organize campaigns, build coalitions, understand the media and public speaking. Each university group presents a groundbreaking year-end project designed to elevate Israel in the world.
We are proud that our Israel Fellows, and the graduating alumni who have served us so ably in Israel’s army, are taking their place as the next generation of leaders and ambassadors for the Jewish State!
