Israel

Israel at BU Hillel

Our Vision
At BU Hillel, we want every Jewish student to have the opportunity to form a personal, meaningful relationship with Israel. We explore Israel’s complexity and beauty through immersive, educational, and cultural experiences that deepen identity, curiosity, and connection.

Our Approach
Students engage with Israel in many ways — through food and holidays, travel and storytelling, politics and prayer, memory and celebration. We offer a wide range of opportunities to explore Israeli life and society:

  • Trips & Travel: such as Israel Uncovered and BU Birthright
  • Culture & Community: through Israeli food, film, music, and holidays
  • Education & Dialogue: including speakers, learning cohorts, and workshops
  • Commemoration & Celebration: including Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
  • Peer Leadership: where students bring their own passions to life through programs and events

These diverse entry points give students a chance to engage with Israel on their own terms — through their hearts, minds, and lived experiences.

Signature Experiences

BU Birthright

Birthright is a nonprofit organization that offers free, educational trips to Israel for young Jewish adults, typically aged 18-26. Its goal is to strengthen Jewish identity, foster connections to Israel, and build a sense of community among participants worldwide. Email Jacob to learn more jheisle1@bu.edu.

Israel Uncovered

An immersive 10-day journey to Israel for student leaders — both Jewish and non-Jewish — to explore the land, people, and complexity of the region firsthand. The trip centers on building enduring campus partnerships and equipping students to return as thoughtful, informed leaders. The trip is closed for the 2025-26 school year.

Student-Led Israel Engagement (BU Jewish Leadership Team)

BU Hillel supports student creativity and leadership through our BLT (BU Jewish Leadership Team), which empowers students to design their own Israel-focused projects and events. With staff support and funding, students have brought to life:

  • Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut campus-wide commemorations
  • A basketball tournament raising funds for Magen David Adom, Israel’s national EMT service
  • A survivor testimony event with young adults who lived through the Nova Music Festival massacre on October 7
  • A letter-writing campaign in solidarity with Israeli students and teachers
  • A VR immersive experience focused on the October 7 attacks
  • A talk by a BU Holocaust scholar connecting memory to the founding of Israel
  • A visit from an IDF combat officer offering personal perspective on the current war
  • Many Israel initiatives exist across BU that we work closely with and support such as BUSI: BU’s pro-Israel student club and a key partner of BU Hillel. BUSI offers educational events, political engagement, and cultural programming year-round — from holiday celebrations to policy discussions. Students can also apply to join the BUSI board and shape the future of Israel engagement on campus…and Mishelanu — a community for students with Israeli heritage. The club fosters friendships and cultural identity through Israeli-style Shabbat dinners, retreats, and holiday events. Recent activities include:
    • A weekend Shabbaton for community building
    • A day retreat with food, bonding, and reflection
    • Multiple Israeli-style Shabbat dinners open to the community

 

 

MT Fellowship

This coalition-building internship supports cross-campus relationships through conversation and connection. Interns build relationships with non-Jewish student leaders and invite them into Israel-related experiences, including Israel Uncovered.

Graduate Student Israel Engagement, Travel, and Education

We are just beginning to grow our Israel program among BU’s 15,000+ graduate student population. To propose ideas, or just talk further, email Gal (gtuchman@bu.edu), our Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students.

If you’d like to support our Israel programming or learn more about how we’re shaping the next generation of Jewish leaders, reach out to our team. Together, we’re helping students build lifelong connections to Jewish peoplehood, identity, and the State of Israel.

Staff Contacts

Jacob Heisler – IACT/Birthright Coordinator

Jacob Heisler enters his first year in 2025-26 as BU Hillel’s IACT/Birthright Coordinator. He grew up just outside of Los Angeles, where he played basketball and golf in high school. Jacob graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in History. In college, Jacob centered much of his time around Jewish life and Israel through his extensive involvement in Hillel and TAMID Group. He was also a senior writer for Berkeley Economic Review, an Undergraduate Student Instructor, and a so-called athlete in countless intramural sports. After graduation, Jacob spent a year as a MASA Israel Teaching Fellow in Jerusalem. He taught English to 7-12th grade students at Tichon Derech. During his year in Israel, Jacob developed an inextricable connection to the country, and he is excited to help others experience the place he loves so much. Outside of work, Jacob loves sports, history, crossword puzzles, and traveling. Email Jacob at jheisle1@bu.edu. 

Gal Tuchman – Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students

Gal Tuchman enters her first year in 2025-26 as BU Hillel’s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students. She grew up in Kfar Hess, a small village in central
Israel, where she spent her childhood actively involved in a youth
movement, eventually becoming a youth counselor.
She later completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a
particular focus on Educational Psychology during her third year.
As part of the course in Educational Psychology, she provided
individual support to a child who was experiencing difficulties in the
school setting and conducted group sessions for first-grade
students. After graduating, she pursued her passion for creativity and
completed a professional pastry course. In her free time, she enjoys working out, traveling and baking. Email Gal at gtuchman@bu.edu.