June 10, 2024 — Washington, DC
American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) in North America today announced an historic partnership aimed at forging closer ties between Israeli and American Jewish teens and addressing growing rates of antisemitism in private non-Jewish high schools.
A cornerstone of this new partnership will be the formalization of strategic meetings between Jewish Agency emissaries based in the U.S. and teens in AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT) program, which trains high school students on how to become effective advocates for Israel and the Jewish community. This will lead to closer connections between these two young dynamic cohorts of future American Jewish and Israeli leaders.
Additionally, AJC will provide in-depth training to nearly 400 shlichim—emissaries in Hebrew—in the U.S. on how to advise American Jewish teens who attend private schools about the growing antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment experienced in their schools.
The partnership was announced on stage at AJC Global Forum in Washington, D.C., by AJC CEO Ted Deutch and Dan Elbaum, Head of North America and President and CEO of Jewish Agency International Development. Elbaum formerly worked at AJC, most recently as Chief Advocacy Officer.
JAFI places shlichim across the country. These Israeli teens and adults travel abroad to provide a living connection to Israel, foster Jewish social activism, and speak about issues of national and religious identity.
AJC will also host gatherings between shinshinim, the name for the post-high school emissaries, and LFT cohorts in Atlanta, Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and Westchester County, N.Y., along with a virtual national cohort.
“Leaders for Tomorrow is such an impactful program, which will become even more rewarding with this partnership,” Deutch said. “Ever since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, the Jewish community has faced a wave of antisemitism that shows no signs of receding. Hearing the lived experiences of Israelis will help our LFT teens gain valuable perspectives and burnish their pride in being Jewish.”
“We are delighted to partner with AJC to connect the future leaders of the State of Israel and the American Jewish community,” said Elbaum. “In the short term, this partnership will lead to more impactful Israel advocacy and greater understanding between American Jews and Israelis. In the long term, this partnership has the potential to build life-long relationships between Israel and American Jewry’s future leaders.”
AJC will also facilitate meetings between shinshinim and Jewish student affinity groups in private schools in cities where AJC has an active LFT program and will invite up to 20 shinshinim to AJC’s annual Susan and Bart Lewis Family Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT) Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., to expand their understanding of Jewish advocacy efforts and what matters most to American Jewish students.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org
Since 1929, The Jewish Agency for Israel has been working to secure a vibrant Jewish future. It was instrumental in founding and building the State of Israel and continues to serve as the main link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere. This global partnership has enabled it to address the Jewish People’s greatest challenges in every generation. Today, the Jewish Agency connects the global Jewish family, bringing Jews to Israel, and Israel to Jews, by providing meaningful Israel engagement and facilitating Aliyah. It also strives to build a better society in Israel - and beyond - energizing young Israelis and their worldwide peers to rediscover a collective sense of Jewish purpose. The Jewish Agency continues to be the Jewish world’s first responder, prepared to address emergencies in Israel, and to rescue Jews from countries where they are at risk. For more information, please visit: www.jewishagency.org
