Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program

Seminars on Israel

One of the key tenets of the Hornstein program is to empower students to build deep connections with the Israeli community, particularly at this critical moment for the global Jewish community.

All master's degree students are required to take a seminar course on Israel. The course examines the complex and nuanced issues facing contemporary Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities. Degree students - both online and on-campus - have the opportunity to attend the heavily-subsidized Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel; an intensive study trip that serves as a key community-building experience within the cohorts.

A trip of a lifetime

The Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel has been a cornerstone of the Hornstein Program’s curriculum for more than 30 years. The seminar provides an incomparable opportunity for you to explore Israel through thought-provoking dialogues, speakers, experiential activities, wide-ranging field visits, and personal and group reflections.

You will be exposed to the complexities of modern Israel, helping you to shape your personal and professional relationships to the country. You will meet individuals and organizations that can serve as important resources for years to come. You will deepen your connections to classmates and strengthen your ability to speak knowledgeably about Israel.

graffiti in Jerusalem

Cost of participating

The Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel has been generously funded by the Robert and Myra Kraft Israel Initiatives Fund at Brandeis, which has allowed our students to participate in this unique experience at little cost.

People and Places We've Visited: A Selected List

Tel Aviv

  • Yossi Kupperwasser: "De-legitimization of Israel and Israel on the World Stage"

  • Netali Flint: Reut Institute

  • Guy Sharett: graffiti tour

  • Shahar Markus, artist

  • Dahlia Rabin: Rabin Center

  • Mike Mitchell, MAOZ Seal Leadership Program: social entrepreneurship and philanthropy

Jerusalem

  • MK Ruth Kalderon: meeting followed by Knesset tour

  • Batya Kallus: Women of the Wall

  • Hanah Bendcowsky: Christian Quarter tour

  • Gil Troy: "Current Events and Perceptions of Israel"

  • Sami Adwan: Peace Research Institute in the Middle East (PRIME)

  • Riman Barakat: Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI)

  • Saul Singer: "Start-up Nation"

  • Zohar Raviv: "Education for Jewish Peoplehood - in Israel and the Diaspora"

  • Alex Selsky: Russian-speaking Jewry

Southern Israel

  • Sderot: Kol Voice Seminars tour

  • Sde Boker tour: David Ben Gurion's hut and grave site

  • Lakiya Bedouin village: Interagency Task Force on Israel Arab Issues; Bedouin Weaving Project

  • Lirit Serphos: Strategic Planning Directorate for Economic and Community Development of the Negev Bedouin

  • Yerucham: visit to Ayalim Village

  • Talmei Yosef: Shvil Hasalat tour

  • Tal Shamir: Friends of the Earth Middle East

“Going to Israel with Hornstein is amazing. Our experiences were so rich and intense, and everyone was prepared to ask questions, to grow and to push themselves. I learned so much from conversations on the bus with my peers.”

Beth Lesch, MA/MBA’15

Writer, Aleph Beta Academy