Mishelanu, which started in the Bay Area three years ago, has gone national.
The organization’s mission is to help U.S. college students — those born in Israel and those born in the United States to Israeli immigrants — navigate the tricky waters of identity and their connection to Israel.
Founded in 2012 as one chapter in the South Bay, Mishelanu (Hebrew for “one of us”) has grown to include 350 student members. It also has joined the Israeli American Council, a national organization that serves the Israeli American community in the United States.
Recently, Mishelanu held its first national conference, with 149 students from more than 30 North American campuses attending a three-day event subtitled “Meet Your Past, Shape Your Future.”
Held in Los Angeles, the conference featured prominent speakers such as philanthropists Sheldon Adelson and Adam Millstein, Israel American Council board chair Shawn Evanheim and Israel’s L.A.-based consul general David Siegel.
The event included workshops in combatting the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, and maintaining Israeli identity while living in the United States. Sessions were conducted in English and Hebrew. For more information, visit www.mishelanu.org.