Amid a spike in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses across North America, a group of 20 student leaders from different universities visited Israel on a nine-day mission at the end of May.
Organized by Hasbara Fellowships in partnership with IsraelAmbassadors.com, the program was designed not only to deepen participants’ understanding of Israel, but to equip them with the tools, skills and resilience needed to speak up for Israel and the Jewish people on campus.
Michael Eglash, the founder of IsraelAmbassadors.com, summed up the mission’s purpose: “We have brought some of the best pro-Israel student leaders representing 20 campuses across North America to attend this nine-day, ‘hard-hitting’ activist mission and equip them with the tools, knowledge and conviction to become powerful advocates for Israel on campus and beyond so they can refute the lies and distortion when they return to their campuses.”
He added, “In the face of rising antisemitism, these students return not just informed, but transformed.”
The initiative brought together a diverse delegation of student leaders already at the forefront of pro-Israel activism on their campuses, actively countering antisemitic propaganda and misinformation about Israel.
Many are leaders of Jewish organizations such as Hillel, Chabad and Students Supporting Israel (SSI) as well as members of elite advocacy programs, including Hasbara Fellowships.
The visit was uniquely geared to combine security briefings, political insight, historical context and strategic advocacy training. Through a rigorous itinerary, the Hasbara Fellows gain first-hand exposure to the realities facing Israel and are provided with the resources to be even more effective leaders on campus.
Fisher Angrist, a student leader at the University of Michigan, said, “I came on this trip to better develop strong arguments for Israel and learn the most effective ways to bring them back to campus. This group felt like a think tank. Every speaker gave us valuable information, and I’m constantly asking myself how I can use what I just learned to push back against the misinformation and hate we’re seeing on campus.”
Max Berger, student and editor-in-chief of Hatikvah Magazine at Northeastern University, said, “I am here because speaking out is a moral responsibility and so is connecting with the people of this land.”
Before the visit, the students had the opportunity to hear from Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, who provided them with words of inspiration and encouragement ahead of their journey to Israel. They relayed to him their experiences on campus.
Nathaniel Rotenberg, president of SSI at the University of Colorado-Boulder, stated: “I’ve experienced shocking antisemitism on campus from counter-protests at our Oct. 7 memorial to a physical altercation at a tabling event where we were simply selling merchandise. Until recently, the worst was antisemitic graffiti like ‘Israel kills babies’ scrawled across dormitories.”
Fisher Angrist from the University of Michigan said: “We experience antisemitism on campus a lot. On October 7, there were people saying they could ‘explain’ the attacks. Some even got violent and were arrested. But their hate only makes me prouder to be a Jew. I always keep an Israeli flag in my backpack and it makes me more determined and proud to wear my kippah around campus too. I want people to know that I’m proud of who I am and what I stand for.”
Visit to the south
A central part of the mission was a journey to southern Israel, including visits to communities impacted by the Hamas-led massacre of Oct. 7, 2023. Students stood at the Gaza border, toured the haunting car graveyard at Tkuma and walked through the devastated Kibbutz Be’eri.
They visited the site of the Nova Music Festival, where they met survivors and heard harrowing accounts of the terror that unfolded there. In Sderot, a city that has lived under rocket fire for years, students engaged with residents to understand the long-term emotional and societal toll of constant threat.
“This trip is unlike anything I’ve experienced,” said Sharon Knafelman, president of Bears for Israel at the University of California, Berkeley.
“Hearing directly from residents, hostage families, IDF soldiers, and seeing places like Sderot with our own eyes, grounded everything we know in reality. We now return to campus with not just knowledge, but evidence and understanding,” she said.
Knafelman added, “We can make sure our peers understand what really happened, and tell the truth where it’s being erased. As student leaders, we already came in with a foundation, but this mission added vital perspective on what went wrong, what went right, and why the fight for Israel matters. It recharged our sense of purpose as the next generation of Zionist leaders.”
The program deliberately balanced strategic analysis with deep engagement. In northern Israel, students visited strategic overlooks near Haifa, the Golan Heights and Mount Bental to understand the threats from Lebanon and Syria. They also visited Majdal Shams and the site of the massacre of the children on a soccer field. In the frontline community of Alonei Habashan, they heard firsthand from residents living in the shadow of regional instability.
Beyond security, the mission also delved into Israel’s ancient roots. In Shiloh, students were hosted by the Yesha Council and grassroots activists. These conversations offered important context, often ignored or misrepresented in academic discourse.
Knafelman said, “I felt especially connected when we visited Ancient Shiloh. You realize that our story is not just modern; it’s also biblical and historical. That connection to the land is what gives us strength when we’re facing harassment and intimidation on campus. This trip reminded us what we’re fighting for: our people, our homeland, the truth.”
Max Berger of Northeastern University said, “I’ve been to Israel before, but never like this. The raw truth, the first-hand accounts, the stories of loss and strength, the access to people on the front lines, it made the conflict real and personal. As we drove past Ramallah, we saw where terrorists fired at a girls’ school from rooftops. These are things you can’t fully comprehend until you see them with your own eyes and speak to the people living it.”
Berger added, “This trip made me feel more deeply connected to the State of Israel, to the IDF and to the pain of our people. From 3,000 miles away, you feel helpless. But standing here, I feel a purpose. This trip gave me the clarity I needed. I came to learn and I’m leaving ready to lead.”
Alan Levine, CEO of Hasbara Fellowships, concluded, “Hasbara Fellows come together as Jewish student leaders united in the fight against antisemitism and in unwavering solidarity with Israel. These are challenging times for the Jewish people and the Jewish state and we are proud to stand tall, strong and committed in Israel at this time.”