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January 16, 2004 - Image 32

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2004-01-16

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

Giving Back

EMU student initiates a national campaign for Birthright Israel.

— aimed at 49,000 students who
have traveled to Israel on Birthright.
"The project took off because all
the
people I was with in Israel were
Ypsilanti
such
leaders and so inspiring that
astern Michigan University senior
they took the project and ran with it,
Rachel Fauman was one of 50 Jewish
and it metamorphasized into some-
student leaders at the United Jewish
Communities General Assembly in Israel thing huge and wonderful. Everyone's
really excited about it," she said.
in November.
"A half-million dollars would be a
Now she is working with those student leaders
way
for us to show that we really
to assure that, by next November's General
appreciate Birthright in our commu-
Assembly in Cleveland, they can hand the UJC a
nities and that people who've been on
check for $500,000.
Birthright realize how important it is
Fauman, 22, of Ann Arbor, was inspired by a
for other people to get a chance to
speech by philanthropist Michael Steinhardt,
go..
chairman of Jewish Renaissance Media, parent
Aaron Kaufman, campus director
company of the Jewish News, and co-founder of
of
Eastern Michigan University
Birthright Israel. In Jerusalem, Steinhardt pro-
Hillel, nominated Fauman to attend
posed a fund dedicated to enhancing Jewish edu-
the GA.
cation.
"She's been involved for three years
He committed $10 million, providing that his
in all aspects of our program. She was
contribution makes up no more than 10 percent
also our student intern for 2 1 /2 years
of the fund. He spoke of giving Jewish families
and she's a fantastic student leader,"
vouchers for Birthright Israel trips and enrolling
he said. "This was the kind of experi-
their children in Jewish preschools as an access
ence I thought she could really grow
point to Jewish experience.
from and would be really exciting for Rachel Fauman
Fauman was struck by Steinhardt's commitment
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life,
her, and she loves Israel."
to drawing the Jewish community into the future.
As students return to campus this month, there
said Fauman is expressing the enthusiasm he has
"I just really saw how Michael Steinhardt had a
are
16
schools
in
the
United
States
and
Canada
seen in many of the students who attended the
vision for the Jewish community and he was really
involved
in
the
campaign.
The
number
will
GA.
enacting it and calling forward other Jewish phi-
increase
dramatically
when
the
49,000
names
are
Fauman's generation, he said, is very apprecia-
lanthropists and activists to help him establish his
tive, and when they're given the opportunity to
divided by school and region.
goals and make his ideas tangible," she said.
The students will be solicited via e-mail and
give back, they respond generously.
In hearing Steinhardt talk about the young peo-
telephone because "it's a lot more personable,"
-"I think that it's unique for a college student to
ple who have gone on first-time trips to Israel
take on a national initiative. As ambitious as
Fauman said.
through Birthright and the challenges of finding
She hopes to reach 60-70 percent of former
young people are, generilly speaking they like to
funding to ensure the program's continuation,
see the effects of their work on a local level. So I
Birthright
Israel
participants.
Fauman realized she could make a difference.
Fauman plans to get one student from each of
think this is wonderful and it sets her apart," he
the major campuses in Michigan to contact other
said.
Birthright alumni. She sends out weekly e-mails to
Jeff Bernstein, EMU associate professor of polit-
$10 Idea
ical science and chair of the EMU Hillel steering
"It occurred to me that if every person who'd been her GA friends and remains in close contact with
national and international Hillel leadership.
committee, is impressed with Fauman's determina-
on a Birthright trip gave $10 back, then we'd have
Following
Steinhardt's
speech,
Fauman
and
tion.
nearly a half million dollars to give to Birthright,"
Joanna
Grossman
of
Toronto
proposed
the
$10
"Rachel has a real sense that Birthright is a great
she said.
program, that what Steinhardt is proposing is a
Working with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish idea to Esther Abramowitz, Hillel associate direc-
tor for Israel and the former Soviet Union.
wonderful idea. I admire that she doesn't just have
Campus Life, Fauman and students around the
Abramowitz took the idea to international Hillel.
the sense that we should do it, but that she also
country are preparing to launch their own cam-
Jeff Rubin, director of communications for
knows it's our job to help make it happen."
paign — The Jewish Present for the Jewish Future

KAREN SCHWARTZ
Special to the Jewish News

,,

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1/16
2004

32

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