2026-02-15 02:26:AM <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #organization #Program ![[image-234.png|324x324]] # Hasbara Fellowships - Hasbara Fellowships is an Israeli government-backed U.S.-based organization that trains Jews to be "[[Hasbara]] Fellows" i.e., public advocates for Israel.[^4] - Hasbara Fellows are primarily deployed to American college campuses where they act as agents of Israeli state advocacy. - Hasbara Fellowships was founded in 2001 as a partnership between Aish HaTorah, an Israeli Orthodox Jewish outreach organization, and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[^1] - The organization was conceived of and founded by rabbi Elliot Mathias of Aish. - The organization is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in New York while being operated out of the Aish World Center in occupied East Jerusalem.[^2][^3] - According to the [Hasbara Fellowship website](https://hasbarafellowships.org/mission/#:~:text=North%20American%20leaders.-,Active%20Fellows,-200), there are 200 active Hasbara Fellows on 95 "Hasbara Campuses." #### Activities - After Applying online and finishing a preliminary course on Israel and the Israel/Arab conflict, candidates are brought to Israel for 16 days of intensive [[Hasbara]] training.[^5] *Hasbara is the Hebrew term for "public diplomacy." Hasbara can also be thought of as Israeli state propaganda.* - For their training in Israel, Hasbara Fellows pay $249 plus a $400 refundable deposit. After "two semesters of dedicated campus advocacy as a Hasbara Fellow" the $400 deposit will be returned.[^6] - After returning to the United States, Hasbara Fellows are expected to organize pro-Israel activism on their campuses. - Hasbara Fellows counter pro-Palestine and pro-BDS demonstrations with the Hasbara training they received in Israel. - Hasbara Fellowships founder rabbi Elliot Mathias explained the role of the organization: "The goal of the program is to give students the information and tools to deal with the fundamental issues they are facing on campus — i.e., that Israel has a right to exist and a right to defend itself — that 90 percent of the spectrum agree with."[^7] *These words "Israel right to exists and defend itself" are a rhetorical trap. These words are intended to trap an opponent in a logic chain that defends Israel's interests. When words like these are invoked the only proper response is to disregard them as the trap they are.* - As revealed in a 2020 article in *[[The Forward]]*, Hasbara Fellowships received over $1 million via *Concert* in 2019. *Concert* was a clandestine entity operated by the Israeli [[Ministry of Strategic Affairs]] to fund global influence operations.[^3] - Similar to the *Concert* funding, the [[Ministry of Strategic Affairs]] gave $822,000 to Aish HaTorah in 2016 to bring American Jewish students to Israel.[^8][^3] *Aish HaTorah is the Jerusalem-based Orthodox organization that runs Hasbara Fellowships.* - This funding from the Israeli government was not reported, yet Hasbara Fellowships remains unregistered as a foreign agent under FARA. - Hasbara Fellowships is a member organization of the [[Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC)]].[^9][^7] #### Funding and Donors - Hasbara Fellowships has relatively low income, averaging $.12-1.8 million in annual revenue.[^12] - In 2025, the organization reported $1.66 million in revenue - [98%+](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201651102#:~:text=%241%2C640%2C817-,98.7%25,-Program%20Services) of Hasbara Fellowships' revenue comes from donor contributions including: - Israel's [[Ministry of Strategic Affairs]] (mentioned above).[^3] - [[Adam Milstein]]'s Foundation.[^10] - [[Jewish Communal Fund]] - At least $505,273 between 2017 and 2024.[^13][^14][^15][^17] - [[Maccabee Task Force]] - $100,000 in 2016.[^16] #### Notable Figures - Rabbi Elliot Mathias - Hasbara Fellowships founder, COO Global of Aish, and former board member of the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federation]] of Greater Metrowest NJ.[^1] - Alan Levine - Executive director since 2020.[^11] - Levine is a Hasbara Fellow alum who was "president of the pro-Israel student group" at UC Santa Barbara. - Levine "spent two years as an associate area director in [[AIPAC]]’s Los Angeles office." #### References [^1]: “Rabbi Elliot Mathias,” _Kosherica_, [https://kosherica.com/rabbis_and_scholars/rabbi-elliot-mathias/](https://kosherica.com/rabbis_and_scholars/rabbi-elliot-mathias/). [^2]: Max Blumenthal and Julia Carmel, “Exposed: Pro-Israel Modern-Day McCarthyites Are Going to Extremes to Slime Human Rights Activists,” _Truthdig_, October 2, 2015, [https://www.truthdig.com/articles/exposed-pro-israel-modern-day-mccarthyites-are-going-to-extremes-to-slime-human-rights-activists/](https://www.truthdig.com/articles/exposed-pro-israel-modern-day-mccarthyites-are-going-to-extremes-to-slime-human-rights-activists/). [^3]: Aiden Pink, “U.S. Pro-Israel Groups Failed to Disclose Grants from Israeli Government,” _The Forward_, August 31, 2020, [https://forward.com/israel/453286/us-pro-israel-groups-failed-to-disclose-grants-from-israeli-government/](https://forward.com/israel/453286/us-pro-israel-groups-failed-to-disclose-grants-from-israeli-government/). [^4]: “Hasbara Fellowships,” _Wikipedia_, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasbara_Fellowships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasbara_Fellowships). [^5]: InfluenceWatch, “Hasbara Fellowships,” _InfluenceWatch_, [https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/hasbara-fellowships/](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/hasbara-fellowships/). [^6]: Hasbara Fellowships, “Israel Programs,” HasbaraFellowships.org, [https://hasbarafellowships.org/israelprogram/#:~:text=The%20%24400-,refundable%20deposit,-may%20be%20returned](https://hasbarafellowships.org/israelprogram/#:~:text=The%20%24400-,refundable%20deposit,-may%20be%20returned). [^7]: Johanna R. Ginsberg, “Students Train for Advocacy,” _New Jersey Jewish News_, January 27, 2010, [https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/students-train-for-advocacy/](https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/students-train-for-advocacy/). [^8]: Uri Blau, “Inside the Clandestine World of Israel’s ‘BDS-busting’ Ministry,” _Haaretz_, March 27, 2017, archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311095043/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-03-26/ty-article-magazine/inside-the-clandestine-world-of-israels-bds-busting-ministry/0000017f-e160-df7c-a5ff-e37ace710000](https://web.archive.org/web/20240311095043/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-03-26/ty-article-magazine/inside-the-clandestine-world-of-israels-bds-busting-ministry/0000017f-e160-df7c-a5ff-e37ace710000). [^9]: _Israel on Campus Coalition_, “Israel on Campus Coalition Joint Statement: Condemning Students for Justice in Palestine for Glorifying Terror,” October 11, 2023, **Israel on Campus Coalition, Inc.**, [https://israelcc.org/joint-statement/#:~:text=Hasbrara%20Fellowships](https://israelcc.org/joint-statement/#:~:text=Hasbrara%20Fellowships). [^10]: “Hasbara Fellowships,” _The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, Supported Organizations_, [https://www.milsteinff.org/supported-organizations/hasbara-fellowships/](https://www.milsteinff.org/supported-organizations/hasbara-fellowships/). [^11]: “Alan Levine,” _Hasbara Fellowships_, [https://hasbarafellowships.org/alan-levine/](https://hasbarafellowships.org/alan-levine/). [^12]: _Hasbara Fellowships Inc_, Nonprofit Explorer (ProPublica), [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201651102](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201651102). [^13]: _2022 JCF Giving Report_, Jewish Communal Fund, PDF page 24, [https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2022-JCF-Giving-Report.pdf](https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2022-JCF-Giving-Report.pdf). [^14]: _2020 JCF Giving Report_, Jewish Communal Fund, PDF page 21, [https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2020/12/2020-Giving-Report-final.pdf](https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2020/12/2020-Giving-Report-final.pdf). [^15]: _JCF 2019 Annual Report_, Jewish Communal Fund, PDF page 33, [https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2020/01/JCF-2019-Annual-Report.pdf#:~:text=Hasbara%20Fellowships%20%2451%2C800,00](https://jcfny.org/app/uploads/2020/01/JCF-2019-Annual-Report.pdf#:~:text=Hasbara%20Fellowships%20%2451%2C800,00). [^16]: Maccabee Task Force Foundation, Form 990 for fiscal year ending December 2015, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474908810/201602289349304570/full](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474908810/201602289349304570/full). [^17]: “Jewish Communal Fund,” _ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer_, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237174183](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237174183).