Hasbara Year Book |
Ali Cohen
Where you living now and what are you up to? Are you married and/or have any children? I am living in Baltimore and am a student at Johns Hopkins University. What is your favorite memory from your HF trip to Israel? I have so many amazing memories from my HF trip to Israel. I absolutely loved the pre-Shabbat concert with Yom Tov Glaser - "Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shabbat!" was a huge hit! I also loved our trip to Better Place. What was the greatest lesson you learned from your Hasbara Fellowships training? Or greatest pro-Israel activism success story? The most important thing I learned from my Hasbara Fellowships training was to stay on message, never be distracted, and always be proactive about pro-Israel advocacy. It's all strategic. What does Jewish leadership mean to you? Jewish leadership means taking responsibility for the Jewish people. This entails having a vision of unity and shared purpose as well as ensuring means for people to embrace their heritage and values. If you could share any wisdom with current campus activists what would it be? Set strong goals, stay focused, and remember that in the face of adversity, the facts are on your side. You have a large network of supporters within Hasbara Fellowships that you can always rely on. |
Danielle Reich
Where you living now and what are you up to? Are you married and/or have any children? I am currently a sophomore at the Joint Program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, studying Middle Eastern Studies and Jewish History. What is your favorite memory from your HF trip to Israel? My favorite memory from my Hasbara trip was when we spent had Shabbat dinner Friday night in the Aish HaTorah building in Jerusalem. Not only was it an amazing experience to pray at the Kotel on Friday night, but it was also great to connect to everyone on my trip on a much more personal level. What was the greatest lesson you learned from your Hasbara Fellowships training? Or greatest pro-Israel activism success story? Following my Hasbara Fellowships training, I successfully planned a coalition-building event with the Columbia University Black Students' Organization (BSO) by inviting Vanguard Leadership Group to speak at a joint pro-Israel and African American leaders dinner. Almost a year later, I still maintain a relationship with the BSO and hope to plan more events with them in the future. What does Jewish leadership mean to you? Jewish leadership means taking a Jewish issue that you are passionate about and playing a significant role in trying to resolve it. Additionally, it means making this issue relevant to all Jews, not just Jews in a particular religious sect. If you could share any wisdom with current campus activists what would it be? "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalms 34) |