About
For an elite group of 120 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 and ages about Israel.
StandWithUs launched the StandWithUs Israel Fellowship in 2006, the leading public diplomacy and leadership program located at Israeli university campuses across the country.
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!
More info coming soon
More info coming soon
Program
The StandWithUs Israel Fellowship program launches in December with an Opening Conference for all the fellows from across the country at Hanukkah-time — this lays out the aims of the program and inspires students as they begin their journey in the Fellowship. The program concludes with a Graduation Ceremony in July where they each receive a certificate signed by the Director-General of the Foreign Ministry and StandWithUs.
The program is divided into three main parts:
Sessions take place on the university campuses every two weeks for 4 hours at a time, or on an online platform every week for 2 hours at a time. The content of the sessions tackles issues from the world of diplomacy: how Israel is perceived in the eyes of the world; how this image is formed; current trends in anti-Israel activity and more.
The workshops focus on acquiring practical tools for leaders: formulating messages and adapting them to a target audience; improving body language; conducting a debate; speaking in front of a camera; an “answering tough questions about Israel” workshop; storytelling workshop and more.
Fellows also attend Strategic Tours to get a firsthand perspective on contentious issues relating to Israel and to better cultivate responses to tough questions, using what they learned and experienced at various sites of importance. StandWithUs believes that there is nothing better than hands-on experience coupled with training by renowned experts to illustrate to the students the issues discussed during the theoretical sessions. In recent years, tours have focused on Judea and Samaria/the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
The program encourages entrepreneurship and student leadership with the help of the annual projects unique to the program. Students on each campus are given the opportunity to express their personal interpretation of Israel’s story, tailoring it for different audiences around the world. The annual project allows the program participants not only to enrich their knowledge, but also to join the Israel diplomacy efforts and gain practical experience in entrepreneurship and innovation. Throughout the year, the fellows are responsible for all the project logistics, from obtaining financing to scouting and recruiting participants from all over the world, securing speakers, organizing tours, promoting the program and arranging flights and accommodations (if the project involves travelling to Israel).
The work on each campus’ annual project is launched during the program’s annual Retreat Seminar. This is a two-day seminar held before Passover that provides students with business and practical tools for project management, setting goals and building metrics to achieve them, raising funds, working with the media and collaborating with other organizations. At this retreat, each campus group begins work on their year-end project and develops a “game plan” to implement their respective program.
PROGRAM FAQS
Israel Fellowship
- What is the Application Process?
Each year, 120 of the best and brightest Israeli university students are selected to be StandWithUs Fellows and are guided to become effective global ambassadors for Israel, preparing these exceptional young adults to assume leadership roles in Israeli society. Students from all major academic institutions in Israel, from all faculties and fields of study were invited to apply.
After the close of registration, the most qualified candidates are invited to a group dynamics session which includes several small group assignments, in English and Hebrew. The candidates who successfully pass this stage are invited for a personal interview. At the end of the screening process each year, 120 Israeli student fellows are selected from approximately 1,000 applicants.
Application is open to all Israeli Students in the beginning of each year, around October. If you want to submit your application click here.
- What universities do you partner with?
The Fellowship Operates on six university campuses nationwide, including: Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Bar Ilan University, The Hebrew University, Reichman University (IDC), Haifa University and the Technion.
