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Happy Tenth Anniversary to Hasbara Fellowships!
Dear Friends & Hasbara Alums,
My first trip to Israel was when I was 3 years old with my parents, yet there is always just one thing I remember about it…taking a picture with an Israeli soldier. It’s weird to think why taking a picture with a random stranger is more memorable than spending time on the beach with my family, eating ice cream, or even hearing a foreign language. However, over time I have come to the realization that this makes total sense. It is one of the first and primary instincts that are prevalent in all creatures…the importance of self-defense. I was able to appreciate at 3 years old how important this soldier was to me since he was the one protecting me and my country. As I grew older, I learnt that there are more ways to defend something you feel strongly about aside from combat. Education is a very powerful tool and, in my opinion, has been the hidden tool for shaping history as we know it.
My first year at York University was accompanied by vigorous anti-Israel sentiment and propaganda. Attending Jewish school my entire life made this even more of a shocking reality to me. I felt frustrated, alone, and even worse, embarrassed. It wasn’t until I went on the Hasbara trip to Israel that I knew what I had to do. When I got back to university some friends and I established Hasbara @ York, an organization whose sole objective would be to defend Israel on campus. This meant a commitment on my behalf that would interfere with my social and educational life; however, I would soon come to realize how important this really was. University students are commonly referred to as the leaders of tomorrow, so it’s only logical to conclude that what is taught today shapes the future. Any strategist would tell you to think a few steps ahead, and that’s exactly what Hasbara does.
I am proud to be an active alumnus of Hasbara Fellowships and an Honoree in their Tenth Anniversary Campaign. I look forward to supporting it in any capacity and hope that you will join me in making a gift to an especially effective organization dedicated to creating the next generation of ambassadors for Israel.
Thank you,
Josh Benchetrit
Hasbara Fellowships, Winter 06-07
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