Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel has launched its “I Believe” fundraising campaign to deepen the impact of its Zionist education initiatives at this critical time for young Jewish people.
For more than 50 years, Jewish National Fund-USA’s ultimate college-prep study abroad in Israel experience for American Jewish teens has been creating the future leaders of global Jewry.
With a $250,000 fundraising target, the campaign, chaired by Michael Feldman, will feature Muss alums creating peer-to-peer pages, educating their friends on the importance of studying in Israel and why supporting Muss provides more Jewish teens knowledge of their history and the power to shape their Jewish and Zionist futures. Fundraisers can personalize their pages by telling their Muss story, setting a fundraising goal, and explaining how “Muss Magic” has made a difference in their lives.
“We’re at a point in time where we know that Zionist education and Zionist youth education is more important than ever,” said Muss President Ron Werner, who noted that while Muss is welcoming 1,600 students this semester, the goal is to expand to 5,000 students. “What we need to do is make sure that they understand Jewish history and Jewish values, so we can build a strong, meaningful Jewish future of unity and solidarity by investing in our students.”
In addition to their regular classes, Muss provides an experiential Israel studies program that uses the land and people of Israel as a living and breathing classroom. It is instrumental in creating a lifelong connection between American students and the land and people of Israel.
“This is about the future of our Jewish people,” said Muss head of school, Dr. Stephen Kutno. “When we educate more students in Israel, we build stronger connections between American Jewish youth and their heritage, making our future even brighter than before. In that regard, every student, and every dollar, counts, so we hope our alumni are just as engaged and excited as they were when they were students soaking up the spirit of Israel.”
As an added incentive, all alumni under the age of 25 who raise at least $2,000 will be entered into a raffle to win roundtrip tickets to Israel, an opportunity to revisit the country they are now philanthropically supporting. However, many alumni participating in the “I believe” campaign simply view it as a way to give back to Muss years after the institution shaped their lives.
“We know better than anyone how Muss gave us the tools and confidence to be strong Zionist leaders on campus, in our communities, and everywhere else,” said Natalie Lewis, a 2019 Muss alum who is now a senior at the University of Miami. “Through the ‘I Believe’ campaign, I am excited and honored to help ensure generations of students will have access to the Muss experience and everything it has to offer.”
Other Muss alums include former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg; former Genesis Prize Foundation president Wayne L. Firestone; musician and Jewish megastar Matisyahu; and members of the band O.A.R.
To learn more or to support Muss’ “I believe” campaign, visit amhsi.org/believe.
