Your Support

Bank Hapoalim CTO, Haim Pinto, giving a presentation to the Connect Israel group — Bridging the gap between American Jews and Israelis to create new, innovative ideas for business, culture, society, and the Jewish world.

Why support Connect Israel?

Connect Israel is the fresh and disruptive approach to the current Israel-Diaspora model that no longer appeals to this rising generation of successful professionals. With 54%* of American Jews having never visited Israel, we are providing an opportunity for the next generation of leaders to deepen the Israel-Diaspora relationship through a meaningful and exciting experience. Our goal is to integrate the two cultures, working together in creative teams to produce breakthrough ideas, find common ground, and create long-lasting relationships.

*Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020 Report

A message from our founder

Since our inaugural trip, our fellows have already been making a huge impact on our global Jewish community. Not even a pandemic could stop them.

We’re only just getting started! Even with our fellows fronting a portion of the cost for their experience, your contribution can help us bridge the gap in a new, disruptive way between our two nations – and beyond.

Whether it’s engaging and connecting American Jews with their Israeli counterparts, preparing our fellows as the next generation of leaders and contributors to the Jewish world, or expanding and widening the personal, human relationships across industries and borders, our plans to “connect” Israel are as bold as the times demand right now.

Connect Israel’s founder, Metuka Benjamin

METUKA BENJAMIN Founder — **METUKA BENJAMIN**
Founder

American fellow, Eden, participating in a workshop led by Frank Luntz.

Meet Eden

During the day, Eden is one of the top entertainment attorneys in the Los Angeles area. Upon returning from her first Connect Israel trip, she was so inspired and motivated that she created A Wider Frame, a new digital media company that delivers quick, easy, and comprehensive Jewish and Israel-related news on-the-go to your inbox and social media newsfeeds. Today, thousands of young Jews turn to A Wider Frame to stay informed.

American fellows and business co-partners, Celine and Ariel, on the trip to Israel.

Meet Celine & Ariel

Celine and Ariel aren’t random fellows to each other within the Connect Israel program. They’re both co-partners of a leading Los Angeles-based investment firm. Since attending our inaugural trip, they saw personal and professional doors open up in ways that they never thought were possible before. Connect Israel helped introduce them to top leaders and entrepreneurs, including Dov Moran, Managing Partner at Grove Ventures and inventor of the USB memory stick. Since then, they’ve made investing in early-stage Israeli companies and partnering with technology-based venture capital firms the top interest and priority for their own firm.

American fellow, Danielle, at a networking event during the trip to Israel.

Meet Danielle

During our inaugural trip, Connect Israel held a networking event at Bank Hapoalim’s headquarters. It was here where Danielle got connected to the founders of Fabric Skincare, an Israeli venture-backed men’s wellness company. Soon after she returned back home, Fabric brought her on-board to help them break into the U.S. market. She consulted on brand marketing, content creation, and overall strategy. Thanks in part to Danielle’s work, Fabric has now become one of the fastest growing men’s skincare brands in the U.S. over the past year. It also stands as a great example of what can happen when you bring Jewish American and Israeli business minds to the table, working together as one.