On Dec. 9, New Yorkers united on the Upper West Side for an intimate Jewish National Fund-USA event hosted by Lisa and Avner Mendelson, where local leaders discussed Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss), the organization’s college-prep, study abroad in Israel experience for American teens, and how the program is inspiring the next generation of Zionist leaders.
The event featured guest speaker Shai Davidai, an Israeli professor at Columbia University. After Oct. 7, Davidai was thrust into the spotlight, fighting against the rise of antisemitism on campuses nationwide. He spoke about the urgent need to protect students, promote education and support future Zionist leaders who will become the pillars of tomorrow.
“The most important thing we can ask ourselves when we see a problem in the world and we want someone else to solve it is to say, ‘Why not me?’” Davidai said. “I think a place like Muss is the perfect program for creating more leaders. Not politicians or CEOs, but just everyday leaders that will learn a lot, that will know our history and then, when the time comes for them to see something they want changed, to say, ‘Why not me?’”
Former Muss students also discussed their experiences on a panel moderated by Jewish National Fund-USA board member Logan Levkoff, whose son is also an alumnus. The students and Levkoff both noted how Muss’ experiential Israel studies program, which uses the land of Israel as a living and breathing classroom, has empowered them to educate their classmates about the reality of what is happening in the Middle East.
“I go to a secular (non-Jewish) high school, and that comes with hearing a multitude of opinions from different people, a lot of them uninformed teenagers,” said Lila Mauk, a junior attending the Hewitt School in New York. “Muss and my Israel studies class helped me come back and relay the message and educate people with simple facts that they don’t have. It’s important to me to be able to spread truth, and that was the main thing I took away from Muss.”
“The only way we can raise strong, Jewish kids who are capable of fighting antisemitism, who develop resilience, skills and intellect, is if our kids know that we have their backs,” Levkoff said. “Muss is important because it’s a partnership between what Muss teaches and the experience of being in Israel, learning from your environment and immersive history, peer development, and leadership. It has been a joy to be a Muss parent because developing Zionist leaders is critically important.”
Local lay leaders also pointed out that with increased antisemitism on college campuses nationwide, Muss provides students with the tools necessary to combat Jew-hatred wherever they encounter it while ensuring they are both educated and invested in Israel’s future.
More than 300 high school students participated in Muss programming in 2024, with even more expected next year.
“Alexander Muss High School in Israel is the answer,” said New York Muss president Bob Weiss. “Training, educating and inspiring teens to become confident, Jewish leaders ready to stand up for Israel and their identity.”
For more information about Alexander Muss High School in Israel, visit amhsi.org.
