{"id":770667,"date":"2024-12-10T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.masaisrael.org\/?post_type=in-media&#038;p=770667"},"modified":"2025-03-04T11:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T09:10:00","slug":"building-stronger-connections-with-israel-through-masa","status":"publish","type":"in-media","link":"https:\/\/www.masaisrael.org\/fr\/in-media\/building-stronger-connections-with-israel-through-masa\/","title":{"rendered":"Building stronger connections with Israel through Masa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"block block-content\">\n\t<div class=\"block-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"block-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"g-row article-subtitle\">Programs in Israel have always been important, particularly long-term ones, but their importance has been magnified tenfold this past year.<\/h2>\n<p>Recently, I traveled to the United States to participate in the Jewish Federations of North America (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/tags\/jewish-federations-of-north-america\">JFNA<\/a>) General Assembly. It wasn\u2019t my first time at this event or similar ones, but it was my first time attending as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/aliyah\/article-818893\">the CEO of Masa Israel Journey.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>Immediately afterward, I had the privilege of joining the Jewish Agency\u2019s Board of Governors, witnessing firsthand the presentation of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/tags\/masa\">Masa\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0impactful work. These were invaluable opportunities for me to reflect on the past few months and remind myself why I took on this challenging and important role.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>I was born in the United States and made aliyah with my family as a child. Most of my life has been spent here in Israel, fully immersed as an Israeli, yet the familial and cultural connections [with the US] remain ever-present. I feel I have a unique perspective, deeply connected to two significant Jewish groups: Israelis and those living abroad. My professional journey initially took me in other directions, with roles in the health and security fields. Later, I served as an emissary to the Jewish community in Australia and, most recently, as CEO of Mosaic United.<\/p>\n<p>Even though recent years have drawn me closer to the Jewish world, I don\u2019t think that before October 7 I would have aspired to the role at Masa. But, as we all know, everything changed for everyone \u2013 and for me personally.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<figure class=\"article-image-in-body\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mfp-image-popup-container-link\" title=\" Meir Holtz, newly appointed CEO of Masa Israel Journey (credit: Masa)\" src=\"https:\/\/images.jpost.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,fl_lossy\/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822\/620252\" alt=\" Meir Holtz, newly appointed CEO of Masa Israel Journey (credit: Masa)\" width=\"822\" height=\"537\" data-mfp-src=\"https:\/\/images.jpost.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,fl_lossy\/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822\/620252\" data-image-name=\" Meir Holtz, newly appointed CEO of Masa Israel Journey (credit: Masa)\" data-image-credit=\"\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mfp-image-popup-container-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/images.jpost.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,fl_lossy\/Icons\/zoom-image-icon.svg\" alt=\"Enlrage image\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" \/><figcaption class=\"article-image-caption article-image-credit\">Meir Holtz, newly appointed CEO of Masa Israel Journey (credit: Masa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I\u2019ve had the chance to serve in security roles and work in and with Jewish communities far from here (and everything in between). These two worlds might seem vastly different, but from my perspective, they share a common essence. At their core, both are about ensuring the safety and continuity of the Jewish people. Today, more than ever, I see the opportunity to do just that through Masa.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>We already know how critical extended stays in Israel, such as Masa\u2019s long-term programs, are for young Jews worldwide. A study conducted by Masa three years ago revealed extraordinary results: stronger connections to Israel, a much higher likelihood of remaining part of the Jewish world, and a significantly increased commitment to raising Jewish children. One in four participants even reported choosing a Jewish professional path as a result of their time in Israel.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>But those were the findings three years ago. It will likely take several more years to fully measure the impact of recent events on these young people. If long-term programs in Israel were significant before the war, imagine what it feels like for a young Jew to come here during an ongoing war, deliberately and knowingly entering a conflict zone to support the only Jewish state \u2013 one that, until recently, might not have even mattered much to them.<\/p>\n<h3>Connecting and reconnecting<\/h3>\n<p>We hear these stories every day about young people who felt no connection to Israel, some of whom had never even visited before. Many hadn\u2019t experienced a strong connection to their Jewish identity either, but after learning about the events of October 7, they felt an urgent need to reconnect \u2013 literally and directly \u2013 to Israel itself.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>Masa fellows this year aren\u2019t coming \u201cjust\u201d for an internship or to explore teaching through Masa\u2019s Educators program. It\u2019s no longer purely utilitarian; nearly all arrive with an explicit goal \u2013 to help Israel during its time of need \u2013 and a personal desire to reconnect with themselves.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>This is the essence of what we do at Masa.<\/p>\n<p>The fellows give to Israel as much as they gain themselves, whether they intend to or not. Their connection to their identity and to Israel develops almost imperceptibly, and many only recognize its significance at the end of the program, looking back with gratitude. This mutual contribution is at the heart of Masa.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>A few months ago, I had lunch at a conference with a funder for whom I have deep appreciation. She asked me: \u201cWhat is the single most important thing we can do for Israel in these trying days?\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>My response was automatic: \u201cHelp bring more people to Israel. It benefits the country, but more importantly, it leaves a lifelong impact on the people who come here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I left that lunch releasing that if this was my automatic and fast reply, it is evidence to how much I believe in it.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p>Two hours later, I applied for the role of CEO of Masa Israel Journey. Programs in Israel have always been important, particularly long-term ones, but their importance has been magnified tenfold this past year. I am committed to driving Masa forward, enabling more and more young Jews from around the world to experience Israel and themselves through this transformative lens.<\/p>\n<section class=\"fake-br-for-article-body\"><\/section>\n<p><em>The writer is CEO of Masa Israel Journey.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":767557,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-770667","in-media","type-in-media","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Building stronger connections with Israel through Masa | Masa Israel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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