In the months following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, a new kind of activism began taking root, not in the halls of government or in the media but on college campuses across North America.
At the center of this movement is a transformative initiative launched by Hasbara Fellowships in partnership with IsraelAmbassadors.com, bringing hundreds of pro-Israel student leaders to Israel to gain a firsthand understanding and the tools to confront rising antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda.
Since the initiative launched in the weeks after October 7, more than 150 student leaders from over 60 universities have participated in this hard-hitting 10-day activist centric trip to Israel. This summer, despite the Israel-Iran War, nearly 50 more students are joining this powerful mission, which combines personal connection to the land and people of Israel with intensive strategic advocacy training.
The students who come on these visits are not tourists. They are emerging leaders – presidents of campus organizations, editors of student publications, and influencers among their peers. Hailing from institutions such as Columbia, NYU, University of Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, Yale, Penn State, and the University of Florida, these student leaders are already engaged in pro-Israel work. But what they gain in Israel is something no lecture or textbook can provide: a firsthand encounter with the truth.
North American Jewish students on a mission
Led by Michael Eglash in Israel, founder of IsraelAmbassadors.com, the program is more than a mission, it’s a wake-up call. Students stand where terror struck, listen to the voices of residents, soldiers, survivors of terror and their families, and walk through towns scarred by war.
“This is a hard-hitting, high-impact experience,” said Eglash. “We bring students who are already active on their campuses and give them the facts, tools, and clarity they need to return not just with more knowledge but with the inspiration and motivation to turn their campuses upside down for Israel.”
A cornerstone of the mission is its visit to southern Israel, where students can see the aftermath of the horrors of the October 7 massacre. They visit the site of the Supernova music festival, where they view the scale of the horrors and meet survivors of the slaughter. They tour the infamous “car graveyard” at Tkuma, where the burnt remains of civilian vehicles stand as a silent memorial to lives lost.
The August pro-Israel student delegation will have a slightly enhanced itinerary that will include a focus on the Israel-Iran War, shedding light on the heroics of Israel’s military intelligence corps and its outstanding air force in executing the attack on Iran. There will be time spent seeing the destruction caused by Iranian ballistic missiles on Israeli communities and listening to experts in the field discuss what Israel faces post-war.
For students like Sharon Knafelman, president of Bears for Israel at the University of California, Berkeley, the mission changed everything. “Hearing directly from residents, hostage families, and IDF soldiers grounded everything we’ve studied in reality,” she said. “I’m going back to campus with more than facts. I’m going back with truth, with stories, with clarity. And I’m ready to speak that truth where it’s being erased.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Max Berger, editor-in-chief of Hatikvah Magazine at Northeastern University. “I’ve been to Israel before, but never like this,” he said. “The raw truth, the firsthand accounts, the emotional weight – it made everything personal. I came to learn. I’m leaving ready to lead.”
The mission is about empowering students to stand tall in the face of rising hatred. The increase in antisemitism on North American campuses is staggering. Students report increased anti-Israel and anti-Jew hate, as well as counter-protests at memorials for October 7 victims, physical intimidation, aggression and violence, and graffiti or banners with slurs like “Israel kills babies” on dormitory walls.
Fisher Angrist from the University of Northern Michigan described his experience: “People were arrested for violence on campus after trying to ‘explain’ the October 7 attacks. But that only made me prouder to be Jewish. I keep an Israeli flag in my backpack and wear my kippah with pride. This trip reminded me why.”
Before departing for Israel, the students met with Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s representative to the United Nations, and listened carefully to his words of encouragement and support. Danon spoke about how he has stood up to antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda as an emissary in Miami and in the halls of the UN by taking a pro-active approach to refuting lies and misinformation.
“This generation is on the front line of a new battle,” he said. “It’s not being fought with weapons but with lies, slander, and ideological warfare, especially on college campuses. And yet, what I see here gives me real hope. Students like yourselves are showing up with courage, clarity, and a deep commitment to truth. You represent the next wave of Jewish leadership – strong, informed, and unafraid to stand up for Israel and the Jewish people.”
In addition to visits to southern Israel, the students travel north to strategic sites in the Golan Heights, Majdal Shams, and Mount Bental, where they are briefed on threats from Hezbollah and Syria. In the moshav of Alonei Habashan, they hear from residents living just miles from the border and learn what it means to live under constant tension.
In the heartland of Ancient Shiloh and the Shomron region, students engage with grassroots leaders and learn about Israel’s biblical and historical claims to the land, which is often missing from the academic discourse they regularly encounter.
Max Berger reflected, “As we passed Ramallah, we were told about terrorists firing from rooftops at a girls’ school. These are things you can’t grasp from afar. Now I understand the conflict in a way I never could before.”
Sharon Knafelman added, “In Ancient Shiloh, it hit me that we are not just defending a country, we are defending a legacy, a people, a story that stretches thousands of years. That perspective gives us strength when we return to campus and face pressure or harassment.”
What sets this mission apart is not only its content but the community it builds. Students describe the experience as a think tank, a leadership incubator, and a support system.
That unified front is bearing fruit. Students are collaborating across campuses, planning joint events, sharing materials, and building coalitions. As more delegations arrive this summer, the network continues to grow.
With nearly 100 students expected in Israel through the summer months, and more planned in the coming academic year, this initiative is scaling up rapidly. The goal is not only to train students but to transform the landscape of Jewish student activism across North America.
“Israel doesn’t need cheerleaders,” Michael Eglash said. “It needs smart and passionate leaders who can stand in the storm and not flinch. That’s what we’re building.”
And for the students who have come here, the mission was more than a trip – it was a turning point.
“This isn’t about Left or Right, secular or religious,” said one student. “It’s about the truth. It’s about Jewish identity, Jewish resilience, and Jewish leadership. We’re going back to campus as a new kind of leader. One who has seen, who has listened, and who is ready to speak out, not just for Israel but for our future.” ■
The next pro-Israel student leadership delegation is scheduled for August 6-16, 2025.
John Gettleman is a freelance writer and former campus pro-Israel advocate. He resides and shuttles between Jerusalem and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.