Advocacy fellowship picks local student

Ariel Pedoeem of West Orange is one of nine young men and women selected from around the country to participate in a fellowship designed to deepen Israel advocacy efforts.

As a Masa-Israel Action Network fellow, he will work with the Community Relations Committee at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, assisting with Israel advocacy programs and gaining experience as a non-voting member of its board.

Pedoeem, a recent graduate of Rutgers University, spent a year in Israel after high school at Machon Lev, the Jerusalem College of Technology. He works as a research assistant at New York University.

Pedoeem said that after graduating from college, “I thought this fellowship would be a good way to volunteer with Greater MetroWest, where I’ve been involved for many years, and advocate for Israel.” He said he is looking forward to interacting with people who can learn from his experience and knowledge of Israel, and with people who have even more experience, who may be able to teach him as well.

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“The CRC is happy to welcome Ariel onto its committee,” said CRC director Melanie Roth Gorelick. “Ariel was a participant in our Talk Israel Retreat for Jewish college students when he was a student at Rutgers. We think it is very important for people to get involved and exposed to Israel advocacy at a young age, and we applaud our IAN partner in helping to make this fellowship possible.”

The fellowship is open to alumni of programs offered through Masa, a joint effort of the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel to encourage long-term study in Israel.

“Our alumni return from their experiences in Israel hungry to do more and support Israel,” said Avi Rubel, executive director of Masa Israel Journey in North America, in a statement. He added that this project will “help them channel their passion for…Israel into meaningful, productive action.”