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Hillel Israel empowers the next generation of Israeli leaders to engage deeply with Jewish life and become active shapers of a pluralistic, connected Jewish future. Our programs nurture leadership by exposing students to the richness of Jewish diversity, fostering dialogue across differences, and creating opportunities to build bridges with Jewish peers worldwide. Grounded in the core values of Jewish Pluralism and Jewish Peoplehood, we believe that inclusive leadership is essential for strengthening Jewish life in Israel and beyond.
After October 7, the need for strong, pluralistic leadership has only deepened. Our students are stepping forward to heal divides, lead initiatives within their communities, and strengthen solidarity with the global Jewish People.
Through immersive educational experiences, overseas delegations, and peer-to-peer encounters, Hillel Israel is shaping a generation of leaders who carry Jewish values, civic responsibility, and global engagement into the heart of Israeli society.
Your partnership helps build the next generation of Israeli leaders.
50+ Programs running
10,000+ Students
110+ Years of activity
TAU volunteer
Tel Hai limmud
BGU environment
TAU volunteer
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Our programs focus on...
Jewish Identity and Pluralism
Our programs foster a deep, personal connection to Jewish life by embracing the full spectrum of Jewish expression. Through YAHA-DO-IT and a variety of Beit Midrash learning cohorts, students explore questions of identity, practice, and tradition in open, inclusive environments. We also offer tailored Beit Midrash experiences for specific communities, including Ethiopian Israelis and Russian-speaking students. These programs create space for students to reflect on their own Jewish journeys while honoring their culture and heritage as an essential part of the global Jewish community.
Jewish Peoplehood
We connect Israeli students with global Jewish communities to cultivate a shared sense of belonging across borders. At each of our campuses, students participate in programs that pair them with peers from North American Hillels for ongoing dialogue, cultural exchange, and shared exploration of Jewish identity and community. In the Matanel Global Leadership Fellowship, participants engage with Jewish peers from around the world, building real relationships and confronting both commonalities and differences. This work is guided by a core belief that we must learn with one another, about one another, and from one another.
“I understood more about how uneven the Jewish community in the world is, but united. I realized how common our challenges are even if they are different and/or affect certain communities more than others, and the importance of the younger generation in the Jewish community to overcome the challenges and maintain the unity and connection between the communities.” – Tomer, Hillel Ben Gurion
Immersive Experiences
Our delegations abroad and immersive Shabbaton experiences offer students powerful opportunities to connect with a myriad of options for Jewish life. For many of our students, the Shabbaton is their first experience of Shabbat as a communal, joyful, and welcoming tradition. Whether meeting with Jewish leaders in North America or exploring Jewish history alongside peers from Poland and the U.S., these experiences create lasting bonds and transformative learning moments. Students return home inspired to lead and more connected to the global Jewish story.
"A personal highlight for me was visiting the Great Synagogue [in Budapest], where I truly felt like I was a part of something much bigger. Another powerful moment that I will never forget was seeing the shoes on the Denube River - it was deeply moving and left a strong impression on me." - Avihu, Hillel Tel Hai
Holocaust Education and Commemoration
We believe that memory is a call to action. Through volunteer and educational programs, such as Inheritance and Breaking the Boundaries of Memory, students engage deeply with Holocaust history and survivor testimony with a focus on untold or overlooked stories of the Holocaust. Many students volunteer with elderly survivors, particpate in multilingual testimonial events such as Zikaron BaSalon, visit museums, and tour historic sites. While not always easy or light, these experiences are deeply meaningful. As we enter a post-survivor era, our programs help young adults find meaningful ways to commemorate and carry forward the legacy of the Holocaust. These programs are deeply meaningful for our students. They challenge students to confront difficult truths, to listen with compassion, and to carry forward the stories of others with integrity. The result is a powerful sense of reflection, responsibility, and moral clarity.
"The program impacted me deeply. It turned Holocaust memory from something distant and historical into something personal and alive. Through my relationship with the survivor I volunteered with, I came to understand that remembrance is a personal responsibility, not just a public one." - Racheli, Hillel Haifa
Social Action
Social responsibility is embedded in everything we do. Students across all our programs take initiative to put learning into action and create positive change in their communities—launching mental health campaigns, advocating for vulnerable populations, and building community-based service projects that occur both on and off campus. . From supporting new immigrants to addressing intergenerational trauma, our students are turning values into impact. Students also put their learning into action through advocacy work supporting pluralism, democracy, peace, deeper global Jewish connections, and mutual responsibility. Soon By You, a yearly student-led initiative, advocates for marriage freedom in Israel and reaches more students and communities members each year.
Leadership Development
Leadership at Hillel Israel is hands-on, values-driven, and deeply personal. The Foundry, our leadership incubator program is the first step in our leadership pipeline for students who want to build a more pluralistic Jewish future. This program is just one of many that we offer students, including the Matanel Global Leadership Fellowship and international delegations. Through these programs, students step into real leadership roles where they facilitate diagolue, represent their campuses abroad, and implement programming for their peers. Our programs nuture confident, compassionate, pluralistic leaders who are shaping the future of Jewish life in Israel and around the world.
"I learned that I have influence and pride in being part of the global Jewish community." - Avihu, Hillel Tel Hai
Want to be part of the movement?
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