Masa Israel Journey and the Nitzavim Fellowship hosted the closing ceremony of their year-long joint initiative supporting gap-year fellows as they prepare for the transition to college campuses across North America. The May 27 event took place at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School, a founding partner of the Nitzavim Fellowship.
The Nitzavim Fellowship was co-founded by the Seven Schwartz Brothers Leadership Trust and Rothberg International School at Hebrew University. It engages, educates and empowers future Jewish leaders with the skills, tools and confidence to stand up for Israel and Jewish values in academic environments that increasingly challenge them.
During the past academic year, 100 Masa fellows from various gap-year programs participated in the Nitzavim Fellowship, attending monthly classes at Hebrew University. They received in-depth training and resources to navigate the complexities of Jewish identity, Israel advocacy and antisemitism on college campuses.
The final event, which marks the culmination of the fellowship’s first full cycle in partnership with Masa, served as an opportunity for the fellows to celebrate and showcase their social impact. Participants presented initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism and/or promoting Jewish identity and Israel engagement on campus. A panel of judges selected the winning project, which gets funding and mentorship to bring it to life next year on campus.
They declared Ben Goodman of New York the winner of a $5,000 prize for his project, Chaverut, which encourages students to continue their education by pairing users for personalized Jewish learning with access to texts, lectures and resources for all levels.
“At a time of rising antisemitism and divisive discourse, we believe that preparing young Jews with knowledge, pride and resilience is critical,” said Meir Holtz, CEO of Masa Israel Journey. “In addition to the in-depth training they receive through Nitzavim, Masa fellows come with firsthand experience of living in Israel—a perspective many of their peers don’t have. This combination enables them to translate what they’ve lived and learned into practical tools for advocacy and support back home. This is the kind of impact we are proud to invest in.”
Rabbi Adi Isaacs, founder and CEO of Nitzavim, stated that “this collaboration with Masa reflects our shared belief in preparing students not just for college, but for leadership. Together, we’re building a new generation of passionate, educated and empowered Jewish advocates who will stand up for Israel and the Jewish people on their campuses, effecting tremendous change.”
And Yishai Fraenkel, vice president and CEO of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, added that “we are honored to be a co-founder of the Nitzavim Fellowship. Through this initiative, our Fellows will serve as proud ambassadors for Israel, leveraging their knowledge and skills to promote a deeper understanding of the country and its people on campuses around the world.”
