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MSU Hillel’
s new Israel Affairs Department will 

centralize Israel education, advocacy and 

programming at MSU and at Hillel organizations 

on 10 college campuses across Michigan. The 

goal: to help Jewish and non-Jewish students 

become better informed about issues relating 

to Israel and to build connections with other 

campus student organizations. 

The campuses in the Hillel Campus Alliance of 

Michigan, or HCAM, include: Alma College, 

Albion College, Central Michigan University, 

Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State 

University, Kalamazoo College, Michigan 

Technological University, Northern Michigan 

University, Saginaw Valley State University and 

Western Michigan University.

Led by Maddi Jackson, director 

of Israel Education and 

Programming at MSU Hillel, 

the department will be 

staffed by two 

additional MSU Hillel 

employees whose role is 

to provide resources and 

support to any student 

who is interested in learning 

more about Israel. 

“We will be working directly with students to 

better understand what they want and need from 

Israel programming on campus,” says Jackson. 

“Do they want more dialogue-based fellowships and 

Israeli cultural events? Or are they more interested in 

participating in an Israeli film series or book club?”

Because students often experience gaps in their 

knowledge about Israel and are sometimes reluctant 

to engage in large group conversations, Jackson 

explains the new department will provide the 

resources to meet students where they are and help 

them grow their connection to Israel.

This year, in addition to the department’
s staff, Israel 

teams consisting of two or more students from each 

school will work together to offer Israel education, 

programming and outreach to students. One of the 

main responsibilities for the Israel teams will be 

outreach to key non-Jewish communities on their 

respective campuses to build relationships and 

educate students about Israel. Interns and Israel team 

members will receive significant advocacy training 

and will have the opportunity to attend national 

conferences to gain essential leadership skills needed 

to reach diverse groups.

“Because many of these schools have such small 

Jewish communities on their respective campuses, 

it is important to be proactive and build allies,” says 

Jackson, who became an ally herself when she was a 

student studying political science and international 

relations at Ohio State University.

Jackson became interested and committed to Israeli 

issues after she was one of three non-Jewish student 

leaders from Ohio State selected to travel to Israel.

Educating Jewish and non-Jewish students alike is 

key to helping student communities build bridges 

and find common ground. Central to the Israel Affairs 

Department’
s mission is the belief that regardless of 

one’
s religion, race or ethnic background, anyone can 

develop a connection to Israel. 

“Through these relationships, we plan on doing 

on-campus cosponsored programming, cultural 

exchanges, networking leadership dinners as well 

as Israel trips for both Jewish and non-Jewish student 

leaders to then return to their campus and connect 

their community with the pro-Israel community,” 

says Jackson. e

University. He also founded the Arava Institute for 

Environmental Studies, a graduate studies center in 

which students join Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian 

environmentalists to study common environmental 

challenges and solutions. He served as the co-chair of 

Israel’
s Green Party and is a founding member of the 

Blue and White Party’
s list of Knesset candidates, and 

actively participated in both 2019 political campaigns. 

He received a doctorate in environmental health 

policy from Harvard University and a law degree from 

Hebrew University, and is the author of five books.

Harry Yuklea is a Serling Visiting Israeli Scholar in the 

Eli Broad College of Business who teaches courses on 

entrepreneurship based on the Israeli experience. 

Yuklea has been directly involved for the last 40 years 

in the remarkable build-up of the Israeli high-tech 

sector. He served as adviser to the Israeli National 

Economic Council, the Israel Innovation Authority and 

various international agencies such as EUREKA, 

Inter-American Development Bank and iCreate. He 

recently cofounded a Chinese firm specializing in 

creating Israel-China technology joint ventures. 

He holds a master’
s in electrical engineering from 

Technical University Iasi in Romania, a master’
s in 

management from Boston University and a 

doctorate in business management from the 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Lihi Lahat is sponsored through the Israel Institute 

and teaches a public policy course in the political 

science department at MSU. Lahat is a senior lecturer 

in the Department of Administration and Public Policy 

at Sapir Academic College, Israel’
s largest public 

college. Her papers have been published in 

prestigious journals, and her areas of research are 

policymakers’
 perceptions of poverty, the regulation 

of personal social services, the trust and well-being 

of public officials, uses of time and policy and 

collaborative governance.

The Serling Institute has hosted Israeli visitors to 

MSU for the past seven years in five departments 

and colleges. 

Learn more at jsp.msu.edu. e

MSU’s Serling Institute 
hosts three Israeli visiting 
scholars 
 
 

The Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish 

Studies and Modern Israel at MSU welcomes three 

Israeli visitors to campus this fall. They are teaching 

five courses in three MSU colleges.

“These scholars are exposing students to different 

facets of Israeli public policy, politics, 

environmental studies and entrepreneurship,” says 

Yael Aronoff, director of the Serling Institute. “In 

addition to teaching, they give public lectures and 

assist in the creation of long-term institutional 

connections with Israeli universities.”

Alon Tal is a Serling Visiting Israeli Scholar who 

teaches at James Madison College. This is Tal’
s fifth 

visit to MSU, where he teaches courses related to 

Israeli politics and environmental studies. He is the 

chair of the Department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv 

MSU Hillel’s Israel Affairs Department builds connections across Michigan

Students visit the Golan Heights during a trip to Israel. 

8/23/19 3:45 PM

