What was your journey to becoming CEO of ImpactIsrael?
Israel and education have been the guideposts of my professional life.
Early in my career, as a middle school teacher in the South Bronx, I saw first-hand the challenges, struggles, and needs of at-risk youth.
After that experience, I ran a Jewish summer camp for a few years before returning to my other guidepost and passion, Israel. I worked for 15 years at AIPAC as the Deputy Regional Director in New England. I left to join ImpactIsrael because it is leading and growing an educational movement that helps Israel in a different albeit equally important way.
In Judaism we talk about the guf or “body” and the neshama the “soul.” My work with AIPAC was centered on defending, protecting, and supporting the body of Israel — making sure Israel was physically safe and secure. At ImpactIsrael we are defending, protecting, and supporting the soul of Israel — ensuring that its future generations are strengthened for years to come.
Why is the work of ImpactIsrael important?
Israel has one of the youngest populations in the developed world. Prior to October 7 it was estimated that around 13% of its young people were considered at-risk (crime, poverty, social and professional detachment, etc). The combination of those two factors raises the risk of significant societal failures down the road. With hundreds of thousands of at-risk youth soon entering adulthood we can likely expect to see huge numbers of Israel’s future adult citizens disengaged and disconnected — drags on society rather than boons to society. And that was before October 7. Now with the significant increase in emotional distress as a direct result of Hamas’ attack and the war, we have, as Dr. Chaim Peri says, “a national emergency, which if left untreated could lead to a permanent degeneration of Israel’s young.”
The Village Way — our groundbreaking educational methodology — offers a path forward for educators to support Israel’s youth by giving them direction, meaning, and a way to engage. Our goal is not to turn kids into Rhodes Scholars or simply to improve their test scores. Our goal is to help these kids evolve into good people, and good leaders who are involved in their communities, who have jobs and families, and feel a connection to the state of Israel.
What are your big dreams for ImpactIsrael?
Our partners in Israel are now bringing the Village Way to schools and youth villages, the IDF and border police, and municipal education departments and entire cities. Given the number of at-risk youth in Israel, that expansion needs to continue — and the sky is the limit on the lives we can touch. On our side of the ocean, we want ImpactIsrael to be recognized as a key player in the pro-Israel community. We are doing significant, tangible, life-changing work in Israel that is strengthening its future. Our goal is to shed the moniker of being the best kept secret in Israel. We want people who love and care about Israel here in the U.S. to know about this work and to become part of our movement to elevate education and lift lives.
If you’d like to get in touch with Ben and talk more about ImpactIsrael, Village Way, and how you can be a part of changing a nation, be in touch at ben@impact-israel.org.