Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin has always been an ally of the Jewish people.
A pre-med kinesiology major with minors in biology and political science at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, Bourgoin began advocating against antisemitism at a young age and founded the first pro-Israel student organization on campus, Christians United for Israel.
“I realized that I was placed here for such a time as this,” said Bourgoin. “To use my voice as an emerging leader and to be an advocate for Israel and to amplify stories of those who cannot speak, and to stand on the right side of history.”
However, just being pro-Israel wasn’t enough. Bourgoin felt a desire to go deeper, to experience the land and people of Israel for herself. That’s when she learned about Jewish National Fund-USA’s Caravan for Democracy, a fully subsidized eight-day program geared toward student leaders beyond the Jewish faith who have never been to Israel before.
While in Israel, the students meet with political, cultural and community leaders from diverse backgrounds and faiths, and explore Israel’s history and contributions to the world through immersive tours and respectful discussions. The experience equips participants with the confidence to return to their college campuses and advocate for informed, thoughtful dialogue about Israel and the Middle East with their peers.
For Bourgoin, the trip was life-changing. “Going to Israel [with Jewish National Fund-USA] transformed me and gave me a renewed perspective,” she said. “I went expecting to see a country with deep roots, but I came back carrying Israel’s story in my heart.”
The trip, which took place in January 2025, was jam-packed with memories, but one of the things that stood out most to her was meeting Israel Defense Forces soldiers, including some who are her age.
“There was one soldier named Noa that I will never forget,” said Bourgoin. “I asked her, ‘What are your plans after your service?’ And she simply said, ‘Plans? We don’t think that far. We’re just hoping to see the end of the war.’ She said it with a smile, but behind that smile was a sense of uncertainty. It was then that I understood the maturity and the resilience of Israel’s youth.”
The other major highlight for Bourgoin was visiting Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel that was attacked by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. Seeing the once-beautiful community in ruins deeply affected her in ways she had never expected.
“It was really difficult to be a witness of the horrors that befell them,” she said. “Seeing the shattered glass that I saw on the floor, the bullets in the wall that could amount to the stars in the sky, the broken toys of children who will never play again, burned homes and the deafening silence of a community lost, was now a reminder of those who are still missing, held hostage in terror tunnels in Gaza.”
Yet during meetings with community leaders, Bourgoin saw the strength, unity and resilience of the Jewish people even in the face of tragedy. She even took a “piece of resilience” home with her, carrying it wherever she goes.
“One of the leaders of Kfar Aza gifted our group yellow ribbons,” she said. “And I wear it on my backpack every day I walk across campus.”
Now back at Texas Wesleyan, Bourgoin is going beyond wearing yellow ribbons, she is using her newfound experience to fight for the rights of Jews on campus and to equip her peers with the knowledge she has gained about Israel.
“I have the privilege of being an active student leader, keeping antisemitism off my campus,” she said. “It is my mission to ensure that my Jewish peers, faculty and professors can freely express their Jewish identities without fear.”
And she encourages anyone who can to visit Israel for themselves.
“Caravan for Democracy was not just a trip, it was a call,” she said. “I’m grateful for the generosity of Jewish National Fund-USA that made this trip possible for me.”
To learn more about Jewish National Fund-USA’s Caravan for Democracy, visit jnf.org/caravan.
