{"id":61,"date":"2013-01-17T14:52:35","date_gmt":"2013-01-17T19:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:48:59","slug":"israel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Israel at BU Hillel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Our Vision<\/strong><br \/>\nAt BU Hillel, we want every Jewish student to have the opportunity to form a personal, meaningful relationship with Israel. We explore Israel\u2019s complexity and beauty through immersive, educational, and cultural experiences that deepen identity, curiosity, and connection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Our Approach<\/strong><br \/>\nStudents engage with Israel in many ways \u2014 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:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Trips &amp; Travel<\/strong>: such as\u00a0Israel Uncovered and BU Birthright<\/li>\n<li><strong>Culture &amp; Community<\/strong>: through Israeli food, film, music, and holidays<\/li>\n<li><strong>Education &amp; Dialogue<\/strong>: including speakers, learning cohorts, and workshops<\/li>\n<li><strong>Commemoration &amp; Celebration<\/strong>: including Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut<\/li>\n<li><strong>Peer Leadership<\/strong>: where students bring their own passions to life through programs and events<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These diverse entry points give students a chance to engage with Israel on their own terms \u2014 through their hearts, minds, and lived experiences.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Travel to Israel With Us!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/bri\/\"><strong>BU Birthright<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"relative flex-1 overflow-hidden overflow-y-auto\">\n<div class=\"relative h-full\">\n<div class=\"scrollbar-gutter-stable\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col pb-9 dark:bg-transparent\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full border-0 bg-transparent dark:border-0 dark:bg-transparent\">\n<div class=\"m-auto justify-center p-4 py-2 md:gap-6 \">\n<div id=\"89212b7b-3516-49d6-bee4-f210738e76a8\" aria-label=\"message-7-89212b7b-3516-49d6-bee4-f210738e76a8\" class=\"group mx-auto flex flex-1 gap-3 transition-all duration-300 transform-gpu md:max-w-[47rem] xl:max-w-[55rem] focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-border-xheavy message-render\">\n<div class=\"relative flex w-11\/12 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-grow flex-col gap-0\">\n<div class=\"text-message flex min-h-[20px] flex-col items-start gap-3 overflow-visible [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5\" dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose message-content dark:prose-invert light w-full break-words dark:text-gray-100\">\n<p class=\"mb-2 whitespace-pre-wrap\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/about\/staff\/jheisle1@bu.edu\">jheisle1@bu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Israel Uncovered<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span>The Israel Uncovered Mission educates student leaders to build enduring partnerships with a diverse array of student organizations through constructive dialogue about Israel. It has interfaith, geopolitical, and social justice components in order to expose non-Jewish and Jewish student leaders to Israel through meaningful relationships and the personal narrative of the people living there. It aims to uncover Israel\u2019s uniqueness and complexities so that Israel\u2019s existence and vitality are integrated and valued on campus. The 2025-26 school year trip applications are now closed. To learn more, contact Dekel Malka (<a href=\"mailto:dmalka1@bu.edu\">dmalka1@bu.edu<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Onward Israel<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2020\/01\/Unknown.png\" class=\"alignright\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span>Onward is an authentic taste of modern-day Israel where you will gain experience and knowledge through an internship opportunity. Onward Israel is designed with the beginning in mind: The beginning of your success story. Start up your future in Israel. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A majority of our programs are carried out in partnership with Masa Israel Journey. First established in 2012 as a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Onward Israel is now an independent U.S. based nonprofit organization. It operates in Israel as Onward Israel Internships and Opportunities. It is a partnership between lead philanthropists and foundations, Jewish communities and organizations from around the world, and continues its collaboration with the Jewish Agency.\u00a0<\/span><span>To learn more, contact Jacob Heisler (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/immersive-travel\/jheisle1@bu.edu\">jheisle1@bu.edu<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Student-Led Israel Engagement (BU Jewish Leadership Team)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>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:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Yom HaZikaron<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>and<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>Yom HaAtzmaut<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>campus-wide commemorations<\/li>\n<li>A<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>basketball tournament<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>raising funds for<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>Magen David Adom<\/strong>, Israel\u2019s national EMT service<\/li>\n<li>A<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>survivor testimony event<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>with young adults who lived through the<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>Nova Music Festival<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>massacre on October 7<\/li>\n<li>A<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>letter-writing campaign<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>in solidarity with Israeli students and teachers<\/li>\n<li>A<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>VR immersive experience<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>focused on the October 7 attacks<\/li>\n<li>A talk by a<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>BU Holocaust scholar<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>connecting memory to the founding of Israel<\/li>\n<li>A visit from an<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>IDF combat officer<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>offering personal perspective on the current war<\/li>\n<li>Many Israel initiatives exist across BU that we work closely with and support such as <strong>BUSI:<\/strong> BU\u2019s pro-Israel student club and a key partner of BU Hillel. BUSI offers educational events, political engagement, and cultural programming year-round \u2014 from holiday celebrations to policy discussions. Students can also apply to join the BUSI board and shape the future of Israel engagement on campus&#8230;and <strong>Mishelanu<\/strong> \u2014 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:\n<ul>\n<li>A weekend<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>Shabbaton<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>for community building<\/li>\n<li>A<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>day retreat<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>with food, bonding, and reflection<\/li>\n<li>Multiple<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>Israeli-style Shabbat dinners<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>open to the community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>To learn more or to create a program, contact Dekel Malka (<a href=\"mailto:dmalka1@bu.edu\">dmalka1@bu.edu<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>MTF Fellowship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>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<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>Israel Uncovered<\/em>. <span>To learn more, contact Dekel Malka (<a href=\"mailto:dmalka1@bu.edu\">dmalka1@bu.edu<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Graduate Student Israel Engagement, Travel, and Education<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We are just beginning to grow our Israel program among BU&#8217;s 15,000+ graduate student population. To propose ideas, or just talk further, email Gal (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/about\/staff\/gtuchman@bu.edu\">gtuchman@bu.edu<\/a>), our Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to support our Israel programming or learn more about how we\u2019re shaping the next generation of Jewish leaders, reach out to our team. Together, we\u2019re helping students build lifelong connections to Jewish peoplehood, identity, and the State of Israel.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-61 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/photo-2023-01-10-11-24-18-12-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-12-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-12-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-12-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/dsc09721\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09721-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09721-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09721-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/photo-2023-01-10-11-24-18-7\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-7-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-18-7-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/dsc08794\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC08794-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC08794-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC08794-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/dsc09750\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09750-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09750-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09750-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/dsc09902\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09902-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09902-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09902-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/dsc00154\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC00154-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC00154-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC00154-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/photo-2023-01-10-11-24-19-8\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-19-8-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-19-8-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/PHOTO-2023-01-10-11-24-19-8-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/bri\/dsc09552\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09552-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09552-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2023\/01\/DSC09552-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/unnamed-18\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2025\/04\/unnamed-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/04\/unnamed-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/04\/unnamed-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/israel\/img_6721\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/img_6721-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/img_6721-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/img_6721-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/israel\/whatsapp_image_2025-04-09_at_10-00-13_ffbafb8e-1\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/whatsapp_image_2025-04-09_at_10.00.13_ffbafb8e-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/whatsapp_image_2025-04-09_at_10.00.13_ffbafb8e-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/whatsapp_image_2025-04-09_at_10.00.13_ffbafb8e-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/israel\/694b23ca-905f-4eb4-9d9c-e377bdef72a0\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/694b23ca-905f-4eb4-9d9c-e377bdef72a0-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/694b23ca-905f-4eb4-9d9c-e377bdef72a0-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/694b23ca-905f-4eb4-9d9c-e377bdef72a0-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/img_1508\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2024\/10\/IMG_1508-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2024\/10\/IMG_1508-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2024\/10\/IMG_1508-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/student-life\/fightinghate\/screen-shot-2025-05-15-at-11-20-57-am\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-11.20.57-AM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-11.20.57-AM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-11.20.57-AM-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h1><strong>Staff Contacts<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><strong>Jacob Heisler \u2013 IACT\/Birthright Coordinator<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-10.51.13-AM-473x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"204\" height=\"274\" class=\" wp-image-10922 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-10.51.13-AM-473x636.png 473w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-10.51.13-AM-761x1024.png 761w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-10.51.13-AM-768x1033.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-15-at-10.51.13-AM.png 794w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Heisler<\/span><span>\u00a0enters his first year in 2025-26 as BU Hillel\u2019s IACT\/Birthright Coordinator. He grew up just outside of Los Angeles, where he played basketball and golf in high school.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in History. In college,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0centered 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,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0spent 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,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0developed an inextricable connection to the country, and he is excited to help others experience the place he loves so much. Outside of work,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"il\">Jacob<\/span><span>\u00a0loves sports, history, crossword puzzles, and traveling.\u00a0<strong>Email Jacob at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/about\/staff\/jheisle1@bu.edu\">jheisle1@bu.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Gal Tuchman \u2013 Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-22-at-2.18.34-PM-495x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"211\" height=\"271\" class=\"wp-image-10947 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-22-at-2.18.34-PM-495x636.png 495w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/files\/2025\/05\/Screen-Shot-2025-05-22-at-2.18.34-PM.png 658w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 211px) 100vw, 211px\" \/>Gal Tuchman enters her first year<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>in 2025-26 as BU Hillel\u2019s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow for Graduate Students. She\u00a0<\/span>grew up in Kfar Hess, a small village in central<br \/>\nIsrael, where she spent her childhood actively involved in a youth<br \/>\nmovement, eventually becoming a youth counselor.<br \/>\nShe later completed a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology, with a<br \/>\nparticular focus on Educational Psychology during her third year.<br \/>\nAs part of the course in Educational Psychology, she provided<br \/>\nindividual support to a child who was experiencing difficulties in the<br \/>\nschool setting and conducted group sessions for first-grade<br \/>\nstudents. After graduating, she pursued her passion for creativity and<br \/>\ncompleted a professional pastry course. In her free time, she enjoys working out, traveling and baking.\u00a0<strong>Email Gal at<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/about\/staff\/gtuchman@bu.edu\">gtuchman@bu.edu.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s complexity and beauty through immersive, educational, and cultural experiences that deepen identity, curiosity, and connection. Our Approach Students engage with Israel in many ways \u2014 through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6418,"featured_media":0,"parent":31,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6418"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11627,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions\/11627"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hillel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}