By engaging with multiple perspectives and challenging questions of identity, Shoresh Israel fellows will be empowered to lead communal discourse about Israel as a value, idea, and modern nation state of the Jewish people. Our fellowship program is rooted in four goals:
The cost to participate is $50, registration deadline is January 30th- APPLY TODAY!
Led by Dr. Benji Davis (USY alum!), scholar of Israel education and professor of Israel Studies, fellows will have the opportunity to learn from expert guest speakers. The program is both social and interactive. Fellows will debate and discuss collectively as a cohort, in small groups, and in 1-on-1 Hevrutot. Multimedia learning will be integral to the experience. Fellows will work directly with Dr. Davis on a peula (program) or project they will lead or present at our Fellowship symposium. Fellows will be honored in their communities upon completion of the Fellowship.
Our Schedule and Program Plan
Below is our schedule with each meeting’s topic, including when we will have guest speakers. Following the schedule, please see more information about our Fellowship leader Dr. Benji Davis.
February
Sunday, February 2 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): Framing the Meaning of Israel and Its Relevance to Me
Sunday, February 9 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): An Indigenous Nation Returns Home – Is That My Story?
Sunday, February 16 (1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT): Why I’m a Zionist – Guest Speaker: Dr. Gil Troy, Zionist and American Historian
Sunday, February 23 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): The Palestinian Perspective
March
Sunday, March 2 (1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM): My Palestinian Story – Guest Speaker: Nimala Kharoufeh, Activist and Coach from Bethlehem
Sunday, March 9 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): The 48’ vs 67’ Paradigms
Sunday, March 16 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): Narratives of Security vs. Justice
Sunday, March 23 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): Wait, but what about Iran?
Sunday, March 30 (1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT): Israel, the Global Jewish Community, and our post-October 7th Reality – Guest Speaker: Haviv Retig Gur, Senior Analyst, Times of Israel
April
Sunday, April 6 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT): Navigating the Israel Conversation Part I
Sunday, April 27 (7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT: Navigating the Israel Conversation Part II
May
Sunday, April 4 (1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT): Fellows Led Symposium – Keynote Speaker: Dr. Einat Wilf, Former Israeli MK for the Labor Party, Scholar and Author
Dr. Benji Davis is the Israel Institute Teaching and Research Fellow at George Mason University. An American-born Israeli educator, scholar, and speaker, Benji’s research is at the forefront of academic discourse on the philosophy and pedagogy of Israel education, particularly in its integration with the identity development of young Jews. In 2024, he was honored with the Network for Research in Jewish Education’s (NRJE) Harold Wechsler Award for Emerging Scholars. A proud alumnus of USY, Camp Ramah in California, and Solomon Schechter, Benji is a fellow at the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education, a member of the Birthright Israel Education Committee, and consults, teaches, and develops content for leading organizations in Israel education.
Benji holds a BA in Middle East Studies & History (Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from George Washington University, an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Haifa. Benji recently relocated from Jerusalem to the Washington, DC area for a postdoctoral fellowship, accompanied by his wife, Rachel, and their three daughters, Maia, Ella, and Lia.
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