Efraim added that the program has made her better understand how to target her pro-Israel message to a certain group.
“It’s important to find a common starting point with an organization and then build a relationship from there,” she said.
This would not be able to occur without donors who support this program. Adam Milstein is an Israeli and major donor to the program; his family’s organization helped found the Israeli Leadership Council, the organization through which this program is run.
“I’ve seen a big campaign against Jewish people and Israel on campus. It made sense to train our students so they can stand against and educate and debate negative elements on campus,” Milstein said. “The [amount of Jewish students on campus] might be five, ten, sometimes even zero percent. We do need more organizations on campus to help us survive against the anti-Semitism on campus.”
Milstein is particularly proud of the wide-ranging influence that Shagririm has on students; the program’s effects continue even after participants finish college and he loves seeing students excited and motivated to do more.
”Inspiring and impacting the lives of young people is very rewarding,” he said.
Milstein hopes that the program will continue to evolve and eventually span across the nation.
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