2026-05-24 11:12:PM <br/> Tags: #organization #AmericanJewry #Israel ![[image-285.png|445x166]] # itrek - itrek (formerly Israel & Co.) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 2011 (tax-exempt since 2013) that brings graduate students, professionals, and industry/public leaders to Israel on subsidized trips. - According to its website, "itrek has facilitated the creation of tailored Israel Treks for more than 27,000 participants over the past 15 years."[^1] - Beyond its trips to Israel, itrek functions as a pro-Israel advocacy nonprofit. - itrek, unlike Birthright Israel or Masa Israel Journey programs, is not simply presenting a positive image of Israel to Jewish students. itrek aims to cultivate the future elite echelon of Jewish leaders by connecting them to specific sectors, businesses, patrons, and companies in Israel. itrek alumni hold high positions within law, public policy, cybersecurity, consulting, private equity, banking, etc. #### Activities - itrek was founded in 2011 under the name Israel & Co. for the purpose of "introducing Israel to the world’s future leaders."[^2] - Israel & Co. rebranded to itrek in 2018.[^2] - itrek's Graduate Program is its signature program.[^11] - The program targets students at top business/law/policy universities. - itrek selects group leaders who will "manage a significant budget, design a custom itinerary, coordinate with Israeli tour operators and high-level speakers, run a recruitment and marketing campaign on your campus, and guide a group of your peers through eight days of thoughtfully crafted programming." - In 2024, itrek contributed $22,500 to the [[Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC)]].[^3] - In 2024, itrek absorbed the REALITY program from the [[Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation]].[^4] - The program was founded in 2009 for the purpose of bringing "influential leaders" on week-long curated trips to Israel.[^5] - On itrek's [website](https://itrek.org/reality/#:~:text=Michael%20Bauer-,Yossi%20Klein%20HaLevi,-Zikaron%20BaSalon) Yossi Klein Halevi is listen under "expert speakers" available for itrek speaking events.[^5] - Halevi is an American-born Israeli Jew, former follower of [[Meir Kahane]], and former senior fellow at the [[Shalem Center]] in Jerusalem.[^18] - In June 2024, itrek partnered with the Texas Association of Business to facilitate a delegation of Texas legislators and leaders to Israel.[^14] - After checking into the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Jerusalem, the delegation's first stop was a "welcome and opening dinner" hosted by itrek co-founder and CEO, Gil Galanos. - On day two the delegation met with Israeli minister and former mayor of Jerusalem, [[Nir Barkat]], and later with [[Ron Dermer]], Israel's Minister of [[Ministry of Strategic Affairs|Strategic Affairs]]. - On day three the delegation attended an "exclusive dinner hosted by Dr.[[Miriam Adelson]]." - The meeting with Miriam Adelson took place at her private residence. - In November 2024, itrek partnered with Israel Tech Mission to facilitate a trip "featuring 40 tech leaders and investors."[^15][^16] - On day three of the trip, the group met with Canadian-American heiress Dana Azrieli, daughter of [[David Azrieli]] and chairwoman. of the [[Azrieli Foundation]].[^17] - After [[October 7th]], itrek began funding Jewish American student activists with $2,500 "Emergency Israel Education" grants to promote October 7th propaganda on campuses.[^19] #### Funding and Donors - itrek reported $10.4 million in revenue in 2024. - itrek's revenues have consistently increased since its 2011 founding. The organization saw a spike in revenue in 2023 to $17.8 million, possibly a result of October seventh. - itrek donors include: - [[Jonathon Jacobson]]'s One8 Foundation - $15.3 million[^12] - [[Jan Koum]]'s foundation - $11 million[^12] - [[Seth Klarman]]'s foundation - At least $8.177 million from 2014-2024.[^13] - *Online databases (the source for some figures above) claim the Klarman Foundation gave $10.2 million to itrek. When I made the Seth Klarman page, I read and charted every grant from every year on the 990 tax forms from 2001-2024 of the Klarman Foundation. My total came to $8.177 million after entering all the figures. The year 2019 was missing section I (the grants section) from all sources I could find. Either 2019 had a ~$2 million grant or the [Impala](https://impala.digital/public/profiles/45-5230138/overview) database is wrong. This is not implausible because the Klarman foundation usually contributes $1-2 million to itrek annually.* - [[Paul E. Singer Foundation]] - $2,602,000 from 2014-2024. - [[Marcus Foundation]] - [[Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation]] - [[Bill Davidson]]'s foundation - [[Jewish Communal Fund]] - $3,765,893 from 2017-2025 #### Notable Figures - Gil Galanos - Co-founder and CEO - #### Board of Directors[^7] - Jim Heeger - Heeger is a past board chair of the [[Jewish Agency]], [[Moishe House]], [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]] and the [[Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)]]'s Camp Newman.[^9] - Heeger is a past president of [[Hillel International|Hillel]] at Stanford and senior vice-chair of the [[World Union for Progressive Judaism]]. - Jim Hirshorn - Hirshorn is a "former partner at [[Ares Management]]." - Tova Katz - Katz is the Director of Jewish life at [[Jonathon Jacobson]]'s One8 Foundation. - Katz is a [[Wexner Foundation]] graduate fellow. - Stephen Siderow - Siderow is an executive in the asset management field. - Siderow is a former vice chairman of [[Birthright Israel]]. - #### Advisory Board [^7] - Scott Beiser - Investment banking CEO - Beiser is "active with numerous organizations including [[AIPAC]], American Cancer Society, [[Israel Bonds]], itrek and The [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federation]] of Los Angeles." - Matt Botein - Botein was managing director and a member of the management committee at [[Jonathon Jacobson]]'s Highfields Capital Management. - Botein "began his career in the private equity department of [[Blackstone]]." - Botein was formerly co-head of [[BlackRock]] alternative investors. - Gal Treger - Treger "is a General Partner at First Spark Ventures, a deep tech-focused venture capital fund formed in partnership with the Stanford Research Institute." - Treger also "served in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office as an economic advisor," and "served in an elite Special Forces unit in the Israeli Defense Forces." *It undermines American national security to permit individuals like Treger into our most sensitive industries.* - Yuval Horn - "Yuval is the founder of Horn & Co, Law Offices, a leading Israeli practice specializing in the representation of technology companies and their stakeholders." - Sherri Zigman - Zigman was "president of her [[B'nai B'rith]] Girls chapter in her teen years." - Zigman is a board chair of Utah's [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federations]]. - Zigman "will return to Israel for her 8th time this June..." - Zigman and her husband who, "give 100% Jewishly," "recently donated time on an IDF base through Sar-El." *Sar-El is an Israeli nonprofit for IDF volunteering.* - Zigman's "21-year-old daughter, Aliya, is currently on a [[Masa Israel Journey|MASA]] program at a kibbutz in the lower Galilee." *The name Aliya relates to Aliyah, the process of a Jew leaving their home country to 'come home' to Israel.* - Shira Eting - "'[[Michael Milken|Milken]] fellow in the [Israeli] Ministry of Economy. She also served in the Israeli Air Force for more than eight years." - Peter Fishkind - "In addition to his roles within itrek, Peter is deeply involved as an activist with [[AIPAC]], serving as a Political Chair and on their National Council." - Jim Grien - "For over two decades, Jim has served as a Trustee of The [[Marcus Foundation]], which is funded and chaired by [[Bernard Marcus]]." - Shai Kivity - "Shai’s journey began in the IDF’s prestigious Talpiot program, where he dedicated a decade of service. In 2017, he pursued advanced studies in a dual program at Wharton (MBA) and Harvard (MPA), earning the school’s highest academic distinction – Palmar Scholar. Shai also commands an infantry company in the IDF reserve (Rank – Major)." *The pipeline followed by Kivity is not unique. Israel's military and intelligence apparatus filter for capable individuals through programs like Talpiot. These individuals are placed in elite units and trained to infiltrate prestigious American universities and industries. This infiltration has been particularly effective in silicon valley, cybersecurity, private intelligence, and tech more broadly in the United States.* - Eran Koren - Koren "served as a senior combat instructor for the security agents of the Israeli parliament and the Israeli Supreme Court. Eran served in the IDF as a team leader in a special unit." - Shimon G. Levy - Levy is the COO of Milwaukee's [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federation.]] - Levy "worked through the [[Jonathon Jacobson|One8 Foundation]] to establish the pilot for what would become itrek’s Law and Policy segments." - Udi Mokady - Founder of [[CyberArk]], an Israeli cybersecurity company. - Adria Moshe - Moshe is an American Jewish attorney who "had the privilege of clerking for Israeli Supreme Court Justice Neal Hendel from 2018-2019." - Katie Dinner - Consultant at [[Bain & Co.]] - Eric Rosenfeld - Former member of the [[Salomon Brothers]] executive committee. - Joshua Savitt - American Jewish banking executive at American Express. - Savitt "served in the Israel Defense Forces in the Nahal Infantry Brigade." - Andrew Sherman - Sherman is "extremely active in his philanthropy, driven by his love for Israel. Andrew is a Trustee of the [[Max Fisher|Max M.]] & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and University of Michigan [[Hillel International|Hillel]], an active leader with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and a member of the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|JFNA]] National Young Leadership Cabinet." - Skip Victor - Victor started his banking career at [[Drexel Burnham Lambert]][^10] - #### itrek Network Board Members[^7] - Ben-Ari Boukai - Boukai "has previous experience" at "the U.S. Department of State and the [[Michael Milken|Milken]] institute." - According to his itrek bio, Boukai has also worked for the [[Jewish Agency]], [[AIPAC]], and the [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]]. - Nir Duek - Duek is a business operations manager at Microsoft. - When Duek was "back in Israel," he "worked for an international private intelligence firm and as a law clerk in the General Attorney’s Office." - Danielle Eisenberg - Eisenberg is "involved with the [[UJA-Federation of New York]]." - Rebecca Federman - According to her itrek bio, "Rebecca works in the field of counterextremism, monitoring the surface, deep, and dark web for threats. She is also embedded within the [[ADL]]’s Center on Extremism where she researches trends in antisemitism and conducts investigations into antisemitic incidents. Prior to this, Rebecca worked at [[AIPAC]] for close to 5 years." - Isa Goldberg - Goldberg was a lone soldier in the IDF. *IDF lone soldiers are non-Israeli Jews who feel so supremely loyal to the Jewish state of Israel that they fight in its military.* - Joshua Henderson - Henderson "is currently an associate in the Financial Markets Advisory group at [[BlackRock]]." - Henderson is "now involved in [[UJA-Federation of New York]]." - Hannah Katz - Katz "has experience in executing and managing diplomatic and strategic initiatives for the Israeli Mission to the UN." - Shoham Raz - Raz "served as a commander in the IDF's [[Unit 8200]]." - Raz is an attorney in Israel and, as of recently, working in the legal field in New York. - According to her itrek bio, "Shoham’s passion for Israel advocacy led her to foster connections between Israel and world Jewry as an emissary of the [[Jewish Agency]] for Israel in Canada and Australia." - Shenhav Ruttner - Ruttner is the "first gay female commander of an Israeli Naval base." - Joseph Shawn - Shawn is a Chinese-born Israeli who served as a commander in [[Aman]], Israel's military intelligence. - Shai Tamary - Tamary is the U.S. partnerships manager at Tent Partnership for Refugees, an organization that connects third world refugees to employment in their host countries. - The CEO of Tent Partnerships for Refugees is Gideon Maltz. - Gideon Maltz was the 2025 laureate of the [[Charles Bronfman]] prize.[^8] - Ophir Wainer - According to her itrek bio, "Ophir is a proud born and raised Israeli." - Olivia Wittels - Wittels is a member of [[AIPAC]]'s Young Leadership Council. - Linor Zeilig - Zeilig is a portfolio manager at [[Jonathon Jacobson]]'s One8 Foundation. - Zeilig formerly worked as an advisor in the policy planning department of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.[^6] #### Footnotes [^1]: “itrek,” _itrek_, [https://itrek.org/](https://itrek.org/). [^2]: Gil Galanos, “itrek: The Story Behind the Rebrand,” _itrek_, October 17, 2018, [https://itrek.org/2018/10/17/from-israel-co-to-itrek-new-name-same-mission](https://itrek.org/2018/10/17/from-israel-co-to-itrek-new-name-same-mission). [^3]: itrek, “2024 Schedule I (Form 990),” _ProPublica_, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/455230138/202531359349306133/IRS990ScheduleI](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/455230138/202531359349306133/IRS990ScheduleI). [^4]: “itrek and Schusterman Family Philanthropies Announce REALITY Journeys to Continue Under itrek,” _Schusterman Family Philanthropies_, May 29, 2024, [https://www.schusterman.org/announcement/itrek-and-schusterman-family-philanthropies-announce-reality-journeys-to-continue-under-itrek](https://www.schusterman.org/announcement/itrek-and-schusterman-family-philanthropies-announce-reality-journeys-to-continue-under-itrek). [^5]: “REALITY Israel,” _itrek_, [https://itrek.org/reality/](https://itrek.org/reality/). [^6]: “Linor Zeilig,” _One8 Foundation_, [https://one8.org/team/linor-zeilig/](https://one8.org/team/linor-zeilig/). [^7]: “About itrek,” _itrek_, [https://itrek.org/about-itrek/](https://itrek.org/about-itrek/). [^8]: “Gideon Maltz,” _The Charles Bronfman Prize_, [https://thecharlesbronfmanprize.org/recipients/gideon-maltz/](https://thecharlesbronfmanprize.org/recipients/gideon-maltz/). [^9]: “Jim Heeger,” _Jewish Agency for Israel_, [https://www.jewishagency.org/jim-heeger/](https://www.jewishagency.org/jim-heeger/). [^10]: “Skip Victor,” _Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute_, [https://dci.stanford.edu/fellow/skip-victor/](https://dci.stanford.edu/fellow/skip-victor/). [^11]: “Graduate Programs,” _itrek_, [https://itrek.org/graduate-programs-new/](https://itrek.org/graduate-programs-new/). [^12]: “Overview of itrek,” _Impala_, [https://impala.digital/public/profiles/45-5230138/overview](https://impala.digital/public/profiles/45-5230138/overview). [^13]: Klarman Family Foundation, *ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer*, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43105768](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43105768). [^14]: _Texas Leaders Delegation to Israel: Reinforcing US - Israel Relations_, _itrek_, June 2024, [https://itrek.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Texas-Leaders-Delegation-to-Israel-Itinerary.pdf](https://itrek.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Texas-Leaders-Delegation-to-Israel-Itinerary.pdf). [^15]: “Alpha in Israel: Strengthening Ties and Finding Opportunity Among Adversity,” _Alpha Partners_, November 25, 2024, [https://alphapartners.com/blog/alpha-in-israel-strengthening-ties-and-finding-opportunity-among-adversity/](https://alphapartners.com/blog/alpha-in-israel-strengthening-ties-and-finding-opportunity-among-adversity/). [^16]: _Kevin Ryan Israel Tech Mission Itinerary_, _itrek_, November 10–13, 2024, [https://itrek.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kevin-Ryan-Israel-Tech-Mission-Itinerary.pdf](https://itrek.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kevin-Ryan-Israel-Tech-Mission-Itinerary.pdf). [^17]: “Danna Azrieli,” Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danna_Azrieli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danna_Azrieli). [^18]: “Yossi Klein Halevi,” Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossi_Klein_Halevi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossi_Klein_Halevi). [^19]: Gil Galanos, “What Does Israel Education Look Like Post-Oct. 7?,” _eJewishPhilanthropy_, January 30, 2024, [https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/what-does-israel-education-look-like-post-oct-7/](https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/what-does-israel-education-look-like-post-oct-7/).