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Hillel and Israel on Campus Coalition Appoint Director
August 20, 2002Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend Wayne Firestone Appointed to Hillel, Israel on Campus Coalition
(WASHINGTON, D.C., August 16) -- Veteran Israel advocate Wayne Firestone has been named the director of Hillel's Center for Israel Affairs, and the director of the Israel on Campus Coalition, a partnership of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Hillel in cooperation with a network of national organizations committed to promoting Israel education and advocacy on campus.
"I look forward to undertaking this challenge at this critical moment," said Firestone, who most recently served as director of the Israel region of the Anti-Defamation League. "As a former student activist who has lived in Israel for the last eight years, I believe I can help students penetrate beyond the headlines to better understand Israel's position as the only democracy in the Middle East, as well as its centrality to the Jewish people."
"Wayne brings a depth of experience in Israel, public policy and student affairs that is unique in the Jewish community," said Richard M. Joel, president and international director of Hillel. "We are certain that his leadership will contribute significantly to our work on campuses."
"I am looking forward to working with Wayne to advance a pro-Israel agenda on college campuses," said Lynn Schusterman, president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. "It is so important at this historic juncture that we have a seasoned and knowledgeable professional like Wayne spearheading our efforts to educate and train college students about Israel."
Hillel's multifaceted Israel education program helps Jewish students forge a connection with Israel and to create effective programs on their campuses. Hillel offers advocacy training, Israel travel, a speakers' bureau, program grants, interns and printed material. Hillel recently launched a new Israel Web site that helps students appreciate the fullness of Israeli life, from its political realities to its culture. Hillel is a key provider of birthright israel trips, a free ten-day visit to Israel for Jews ages 18-26.
As director of the ICC, Firestone will help to coordinate the work of 20 Jewish agencies working collaboratively to bring pro-Israel resources to campus, to launch national initiatives in support of Israel, and to provide information on Israel travel. The coalition, a central clearinghouse of pro-Israel information and events, coordinates pro-Israel education, marketing campaigns, speakers' tours, cultural programs and advocacy training. The coalition Web site is www.israeloncampuscoalition.org.
As ADL regional director in Israel, Firestone was a frequent international media commentator and analyst on current Israeli and Jewish world issues. In addition, he facilitated projects targeting university students, interfaith groups and Jewish educators. He also developed rapid response advocacy materials, established partnerships for Israel education and counter-terrorism efforts and conducted research and analysis on strategic issues.
While in Israel, Firestone was the founder and chief executive officer of a strategic consulting service for Israeli high-tech startups and overseas business investments. He was also an instructor at Technion Israel Institute of Technology, where he previously served as director of the Visitors Center in the Division of Public Affairs and Resource Development. Firestone is a past director of the Project Judaica Foundation and served as a counselor and seminar leader for High School in Israel.
A former international lawyer with Patton Boggs in Washington, D.C., Firestone received his J.D from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. in politics, public affairs and Judaic studies from the University of Miami, where he was a Harry S. Truman Presidential Scholar. A student leader and activist, he also studied at the Overseas Students Program at Tel Aviv University, where he was founder and chairman of Tel Aviv University's Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry. He was a member of the Hillel National Student Secretariat, Political Action Committee Chairman of University of Miami Hillel, and 1986 Youth of the Year of the Florida Hillel Commission. He participated in the AIPAC-Hillel Political Leadership Seminar in Israel and helped coordinate the UJC Washington II, III and IV Public Policy Conventions.
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation supports programs that seek to enrich and expand Jewish communities in the United States, Israel and the Former Soviet Union. The Foundation also provides assistance to non-sectarian charitable organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Tulsa, Oklahoma, especially in the areas of education, child development and community service. For more information on the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, visit www.schusterman.org.
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, program centers 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. For more information, visit Hillel.org.
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