The Algemeiner: New Fellowship Connects Jewish Students Across the World
Originally published on June 19, 2025 in The Algemeiner, “New Fellowship Connects Jewish Students Across the World,” shares students’ experiences participating in the Matanel Fellowship, a collaboration spearheaded by Hillel Israel in partnership with, Hillel International and made possible by generous support of the Matanel Foundation. Jewish students from Israel, North America, and Europe collaborated on a year-long course of study to foster their connection and leadership, including a Shabbaton experience in Budapest, Hungary. Read on for selected excerpts:
“With antisemitism surging on college campuses across the Western world, [Hillel Israel], Hillel International and the Matanel Foundation have selected 15 Jewish students for a spot in the inaugural year of the Matanel Fellowship for Global Jewish Leadership, a 12-month program which aims to foster their ‘sense of responsibility’ for the worldwide Jewish community.
They have already created memories that will last a lifetime, Matanel Fellow and Barnard College student Yakira Galler told The Algemeiner during an interview.
‘So far, it’s been amazing. We’ve had three or four Zoom sessions and then we had our midway trip to Budapest,’ Galler said. ‘In our first day in Budapest, we explored both the history of the community, before the war and also under communism, and that was really interesting both because there is a specific type of Jewish sect in Hungary — the Neolog sect — which I had never heard of before. It was also really interesting because Theodor Herzl was born and raised in Budapest, which prompted me to reflect on what that means for this community and the immensity of the intellectual life within it.’
Forging ties between Jews around the globe has never been more important, said another Matanel Fellow, Avihu Sela of Tel-Hai College, located in northern Israel.
‘For me, connecting Jewish people around the world is something we need right now. I’m so happy that they did it, and now I have connections with Jewish people from an array of countries and cultures,’ Sela said. ‘When we all flew out [of] Budapest, it allowed us to have the really deep talk, and to be honest I went in with some deep concerns because I did not know how it would be there. When I arrived, and we did all the tours, exploring everything and seeing Jewish culture and learning about historic events, I felt deep inside that I am part of something so much bigger than myself.’