Lielle, 26, grew up in Ra’anana as a first-generation Israeli. Her parents made Aliyah as teenagers – her mom from South Africa her father from Morroco – and with family living around the world, Lielle cultivated a strong appreciation for connections between Jews globally. When she heard about the opportunity to work with college students in the U.S. as a Jewish Agency Campus Israel Fellow, helping students connect with Israel through building relationships and sharing her own experiences, she knew she wanted to do it.
Every year, The Jewish Agency, in partnership with Hillel, brings Israeli young adults who have completed their IDF army service and university to college campuses worldwide to serve as Campus Israel Fellows. Israel Fellows help substitute education for ignorance when it comes to student opinions about Israel, creating safe spaces for tolerance and diversity, and give students the opportunity to develop a lasting connection with an Israeli. They also help support student efforts to counter antisemitism on campus.
“As an Israel Fellow, I was excited to play a role in fostering connections and sharing my personal Israel story while creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome,” explained Lielle. “I want students to feel comfortable discussing anything with me, including asking difficult questions and expressing emotions related to the current conflict.”
After two years serving as an Israel Fellow in Ohio, Lielle is now serving as the first-ever Israel Fellow at a university in New York. On a weekly basis, her activities range from meeting students at various Hillel events, overseeing various Israel clubs on campus and helping them organize events, running Hebrew sessions, and teaching a Jewish Learning Fellowship and an Israel Learning Fellowship, where participants engage in discussions on various topics using Jewish texts as a foundation.
After the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, Lielle sprang into action, texting students to ask how they were doing while still reeling herself and trying to understand what was happening to friends and family in Israel, some of whom were killed or kidnapped at the Nova Festival, or called up for reserved duty in the IDF.
“What kept me going was coming to work every day and feeling like I was doing something important, and what gave me strength was the students themselves,” Lielle shared. “Seeing so many of them coming to Hillel looking for community and finding comfort in sitting and talking to me, including so many new faces…I feel like it was a mutual thing of me strengthening them by being there for them every day, while their passion and their caring for Israel strengthened me.”
In the last year, Lielle has been even more determined to be the go-to person students can come to, whether it be to talk about their feelings, ask questions, provide resources, and more.
“It has been crucial for students to have a safe space to seek clarity, especially given the misinformation they were exposed to on social media,” stated Lielle. “Creating a space for students to come together and connect with other Jewish peers was particularly important as many were losing friends who didn’t support them during this time. Building a community and helping them make new Jewish friends has been essential for their well-being.”
