Hasbara Fellowships, a program spearheaded by Aish International, educates and trains university students to be effective pro-Israel activists on their campuses. Hasbara Fellowships, started in 2001 in conjunction with Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brings hundreds of students to Israel every summer and winter, giving them the information and tools to return to their campuses as leaders in the fight for Israel's image. So far, Hasbara Fellowships has trained over 1,400 students on over 250 campuses. Upon returning from the program, the Hasbara Fellows receive support from our staff, which offers various campaigns, programs, speakers and other materials and tools. The organization focuses on college campuses, but the information and tools offered are applicable to other arenas as well

 

Hasbara Fellowships
520 8th Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10018
ph: (646)365-0030
fax: (646)349-1946

Our Staff

Elliot Mathias, Director

Elliot Mathias is the Founder and Director of Hasbara Fellowships, a leading pro-Israel campus activism organization working with over 10 Universities across North America. Elliot founded Hasbara Fellowships in 2001 as a partnership between the Foreign Ministry of Israel and Aish International. Hasbara Fellowships trains and supports students on Universities to defend and promote Israel, providing them with information, tools, materials and motivation to stand up to the wide range of anti-Israel activism and propaganda prevalent on University campuses. In addition, since 2006, Elliot has been the Director of Aish International’s Campus Division in North America. Aish Campus is a leader in providing transformational Jewish educational programming for Jewish University students in North America. Aish Campus brings thousands of Jewish University students each year on educational trips to Israel and other locations. Elliot frequently speaks both on and off campus about topics relating to Israel, Israel activism and Jewish education. Elliot graduated from Northwestern University in 1997 with a degree in Communications and received his Rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem in 2007.
Contact Elliot via email.

Natalie Menaged, Managing Director

Since 2006, Natalie Menaged has served as the Managing Director of Hasbara Fellowships, overseeing the campus staff and programming, designing and producing materials and campaigns, and organizing the activism training programs in Israel. Natalie also frequently represents Hasbara nationally, holding advisory and committee positions with organizations including the Israel on Campus Coalition, Hillel and Aish on Campus. Natalie was a participant on the very first Hasbara Fellowships and was the founder and president of Gators for Israel at the University of Florida. She was also extensively involved in university and state politics, as well as the Jewish community, during her time at UF. Upon graduation Natalie worked for Hasbara Fellowships as a Campus Coordinator. Natalie then lived in Israel for two years with her husband, Eli. The Menaged family currently lives in Brooklyn where they are active in Jewish education and outreach. Natalie is dedicated to the mission of building Israel activism skills and Jewish leadership among university students.
Contact Natalie via email.

Lauren Krol, Senior Campus Coordinator

Lauren Krol is the Campus Coordinator for the New England and Mid Atlantic region. Lauren attended Drexel University before transferring to University of Maryland, College Park where she studied art studio. She was active in the Terrapin Israel Public Affairs Committee (TerPAC) where she served as president and secretary. Lauren cannot wait to work with students to help develop their knowledge and leadership skills.
Contact Lauren via email.

Lauren Krol, Senior Campus Coordinator

Lauren Krol is the Campus Coordinator for the New England and Mid Atlantic region. Lauren attended Drexel University before transferring to University of Maryland, College Park where she studied art studio. She was active in the Terrapin Israel Public Affairs Committee (TerPAC) where she served as president and secretary. Lauren cannot wait to work with students to help develop their knowledge and leadership skills.
Contact Lauren via email.

Alan Levine, Campus Coordinator

Alan Levine is the West Coast Campus Coordinator. Alan grew up in San Diego and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis on international relations. While at UCSB, Alan was president of American Students for Israel, one of the premiere pro-Israel student groups in the country. He also held leadership positions in AEPi and AIPAC while at UCSB, as well as an undergraduate fellowship with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Alan was also a research assistant at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel and the Jewish Policy Center in Washington, DC. His research focused on the activities of Hezbollah and Iran in Latin America. Alan's writing has been featured in prominent publications such as Front Page Magazine, InFocus Magazine, and National Review Online. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is proficient in Hebrew. Alan has a passion for activism on college campuses and is excited to work with as many students as possible throughout the West Coast.
Contact Alan via email.

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