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StandWithUs has announced that it has received a grant from the prestigious Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) which is bestowed annually in honor of Robert Kraft, 2019 Genesis Prize Laureate. Israeli and international non-profit organizations receive funding as part of Speak Out for Israel, a global campaign to promote a true narrative of Israel and counteract efforts to delegitimize the Jewish State. Award recipients were announced on June 15, 2020.

 

StandWithUs was awarded the grant for its highly sought-after Israel Fellowship, which since its inception in 2005, selects 150 student leaders from six Israeli universities for the year-long leadership program. Passionate young adults, who already served their country with excellence in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and who come from every walk of Israeli life, attend lectures by experts and learn to organize campaigns, build coalitions, and represent their country on the world stage. Each university group creates a groundbreaking year-end project designed to elevate Israel’s position in the world.

 

Michael Dickson, StandWithUs Israel Executive Director said, “We are inspired by the grant from The Genesis Foundation as part of ‘Speak Out for Israel,’ which combats antisemitism and efforts to de-legitimize Israel which have alarmingly been rising, and now, during the coronavirus pandemic. We are proud that the StandWithUs Israel Fellowship is being recognized for empowering articulate, diverse young Israeli adults to be the next generation of Israel’s leaders and ambassadors.”

 

Despite the lock down, the Fellowship has continued on track. Training and educational sessions have gone digital. The Fellows continue to work on their year-end projects and their 2- day annual Retreat conference held virtually, included keynote addresses, breakout sessions and working groups.

 

As antisemitism grows and Israel faces challenges to its legitimacy on social media, on campus and in the community, the Fellowship empowers the next generation of Israeli leaders to reach out to people globally and educate about Israel’s challenges and achievements. Their success in doing so will build links between Jews, Israel, and non-Jewish allies.

 

Funding for the grants comes from the $1 million Genesis Prize, awarded to American philanthropist and owner of the New England Patriots football team,  Robert Kraft. The annual Genesis Prize, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by TIME Magazine, honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values and the State of Israel.

 

StandWithUs (SWU) is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organization that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism.

 

Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their schools and communities about Israel. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters, programs and activities on 5 continents, including the U.S., Israel, UK, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.

 

For the last 7 years, SWU has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator (4 stars) and Guidestar (Platinum).