Representatives of Brandeis fly on El Al’s maiden Boston to Tel Aviv flight

Twenty-five representatives of Brandeis’ Summer Institute for Israel Studies were on board the inaugural El Al fight from Boston to Tel Aviv on June 28.
 
Each year, the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University runs the Summer Institute for Israel Studies, a fellowship program that brings between 20 and 25 faculty members from universities around the world to Israel for an academic study tour. Prior to this new, direct flight, participants in the program, which also includes a two-week intensive seminar on the Brandeis campus, had to waste hours of travel time by connecting in New York City.
 
"The establishment of direct flights from Boston to Tel Aviv marks another step in the continuing development of ties between Massachusetts and Israel, two significant destinations for tourism, business, and education,” said Professor Ilan Troen, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies founding director and Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies at Brandeis University. “The flight itself was wonderful. Great service, comfortable and stress free. All we need now is daily service!”
 
The fellows, accompanied by Troen and doctoral students Amber Taylor and Ari Moshkovski, are all currently in Israel following their 11-hour, transcontinental journey on board a Boeing 767. During the study tour, they are meeting with Israeli scholars, government officials, writers and artists, as well as visiting historic, religious and cultural sites. The program’s goal is for the faculty participants to bring their experiences both at Brandeis and abroad into the classroom, creating and teaching courses at their home universities exploring Israel through the lens of each educator’s respective discipline.
 
El Al held a launch party at the gate before departure, handing out gifts and refreshments. Numerous public officials were on hand, including Dan Shapiro, a Brandeis alumnus and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Shapiro said that the new route showcased the U.S. and Israel’s strong ties, adding that it’s a sign of the “friendship between the US and Israel.”