Hillel, EMET, Tel Aviv University Cooperate to Educate Students
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Hillel EMET Fellows Program in cooperation with EMET: An Educational Initiative, Inc., and Tel Aviv University.
EMET's financial commitment will enable 40 North American college students to attend a three-week seminar at Tel Aviv University's renowned Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies from July 30-August 19. The program will provide an intense academic study of Israel's role in the Middle East. In addition, Hillel experts will help students prepare proactive Israel advocacy action plans for their campuses. It is expected that this program will be expanded from year to year.
EMET: An Educational Initiative, Inc., is a think tank established by Leonard Abramson, and supported by several Jewish philanthropists including Bernard Marcus and Hillel International Board of Governors Chair Edgar Bronfman, Co-Chairs Michael Steinhardt and Lynn Schusterman, and member Charles Bronfman.
"EMET is pleased to be able to bring together Hillel and Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center to educate these campus leaders," explains Leonard Abramson, of Jupiter, Fla. "It is critically important today that students are knowledgeable about Israel and the Middle East and can bring text and context to the discussion on campus."
"Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center is a respected academic institution that will provide students with the facts they need to accurately inform their fellow students about the Middle East," says Hillel President and International Director Richard M. Joel. "The EMET Fellowship program will continue once the students return to campus through a full year of additional educational opportunities and advocacy efforts."
Tel Aviv University faculty will implement the curriculum, presenting a thorough overview of the history and politics of Israel and the Middle East. Seminars will include political and economic trends, the role of Israel's neighbors, Israeli domestic issues, and U.S. policy.
More than 100 students who have previously traveled to Israel applied for the
program. The participating fellows hail from 27 campuses across North America. Fellows have the option of receiving academic credit from Tel Aviv University for the program.
EMET grants for follow-up programs will be available for fellows to bring speakers and other resources to campus throughout the academic year. The EMET initiative supplements Hillel's extensive array of Israel-related programs. Hillel hopes to increase these programs in the year to come, and work collaboratively with a variety of Jewish community organizations committed to these efforts.
The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, is committed to creatively empowering and engaging Jewish students through its network of over 500 regional centers, campus foundations and affiliates. Its long-standing dedication to building Jewish identity, while nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth in a pluralistic community, positions Hillel as a leader in building a stronger Jewish people and stronger Jewish future.