‘Leadership,” said organizational scholar Warren Bennis, “is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Masa Israel Journey, founded by the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel, has helped bring vision to life by bringing some 10,000 young Jews annually from 60 countries to long-term programs in Israel, enabling them to engage deeply with Israeli society, culture, and heritage.
“At Masa, we see our programs as more than just a bridge to Israel – they are a launchpad for leadership,” says Masa CEO Meir Holtz. “Again and again, we see our Fellows take what they’ve learned here and use it to lead, to act, and to make a difference in the world.”
To celebrate the impact of its 220,000 alumni, Masa has launched its Changemakers List for 2025, featuring 10 distinguished alumni selected from its vast global network. Reading their stories provides a vivid look at how Masa’s graduates continue to shape Jewish life around the world.
FOR SHABBOS KESTENBAUM, a Harvard student turned national Jewish advocate, his Masa Jewish Studies experience provided him the intellectual and spiritual foundation to articulate his connection to Israel. In 2024, as antisemitism surged across American campuses, he filed a landmark lawsuit against Harvard for failing to protect Jewish students – an act of courage that catapulted him into the national spotlight.
“Before Oct. 7, I never even thought about antisemitism. I wore a kippah like I’d put on pants – automatically. But after the massacre, everything changed,” he says.
He was shocked by how many of his classmates perceived Israel and Hamas to be morally equivalent.
“There’s a saying – ‘Where there are no men, strive to be a man.’ I felt a responsibility to my community to make sure our story wasn’t written by others.”
The case made Kestenbaum one of the most sought-after public voices for Israel and Jewish rights. Now based in Los Angeles, he has joined forces with PragerU to produce a new media project. Recently elected to the World Zionist Congress, Kestenbaum also maintains close ties with US policy-makers.
“We can’t outnumber the voices against us,” he says, “but we can empower more young Jews to speak up – and that gives me hope.”
Another Masa alum who encountered the anti-Israel sentiment and demonstrations of antisemitism on college campuses is Tessa Veksler.
Originally from California and now living in New York, the 23-year-old Veksler – a UC Santa Barbara graduate and former student body president – turned personal adversity into activism. She faced harassment and threats after Oct. 7 for her open support of Israel. When her peers tried to remove her from office, Veksler fought back and began documenting campus antisemitism online under the hashtag #We’reNotGoingAnywhere.
Her posts went viral, turning her into one of North America’s strongest voices against campus hate. Veksler has since spoken before the United Nations and appeared in the documentary October 8, which exposed rising antisemitism in academia.
“It turned into a meaningful and urgent career choice,” she says. “I’ll keep speaking out. Antisemitism on campus won’t disappear, even if the war ends.
“I can’t say what will happen next, but I have a lot of hope. My advice to Jewish students is to be brave and to fight for what’s right. My hope is that the silent majority will finally wake up – because we’re a minority, and we can’t do this alone.”
Masa Fellows participate in a wide range of programs, such as Masa Israel Teaching Fellows, where English-speaking Fellows teach conversational English in Israeli schools for a year; Masa Career, offering Fellows internships with Israeli companies across various industries; and Masa Doctors, designed for medical professionals to prepare for licensing exams in Israel while learning Hebrew and familiarizing themselves with the country. Other programs include Masa Volunteers, Masa Academia, Masa Gap, and Masa Jewish Studies.
Flavio Valle transformed a Masa Onward-Hillel internship into a political journey that redefined Jewish leadership in Brazil. After interning in Rio de Janeiro’s finance department, Valle became, at just 22, the youngest deputy mayor in Rio’s history and, later, its youngest city council member.
Recalling his Masa experience in Israel, he says, “It was an amazing time. When you’re in Israel for an extended program, you build a real daily routine – you go to work, shop for groceries, and really live like a local. You learn what it means to take responsibility.”
Valle, 28, is now the only Jewish elected city council member in all of Brazil and has used his platform to protect his community and promote inclusion. Among his key initiatives was leading the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism in Rio, paving the way for 13 other cities in Brazil to follow.
“Changing the world starts at home,” he says. “You begin with your street, then your city, and one day – maybe your country.”
Anna Staroselski, from Germany, also chose the political arena as a platform to create change for her community.
Born to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, she arrived in Israel through Masa to explore her roots. That experience inspired her to dedicate her career to Jewish advocacy and public policy. After returning to Germany, she rose to become president of the Union of Jewish Students in Germany (JSUD), where she led initiatives to create safer spaces for Jewish students and combat antisemitism across universities.
Under her leadership, JSUD partnered with the German government to craft a national strategy against antisemitism and promoted legislation to secure funding for Jewish school and synagogue security. Later, as a spokesperson for a Jewish NGO, Values Initiative, she expanded its reach to the broader public, reframing the conversation: “Fighting antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish issue,” she explains. “It’s a fight for democracy itself.
“There can be a future for Jews in Europe,” she insists. “But it will take both courage and partnership – from within our community and from society as a whole.”
While some Masa Fellows choose to make aliyah at the end of their program, most return to their home countries with a deep understanding of Israel and Israeli society. Many describe their Masa experience as transformative, often inspiring them to pursue careers in the Jewish world or become passionate advocates for Israel in various capacities.
In Australia, human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky took a leap of faith when he left a prestigious Sydney law firm to join Masa Career in 2009. That decision, he says, changed everything.
“For me, it wasn’t only the incredible professional opportunity but an aliyah trial run. After barely one week, I knew I would be moving. It was truly a transformative experience,” he says.
In the past five years, Ostrovsky served as CEO of the International Legal Forum, leading a global network of lawyers defending Israel and combating antisemitism worldwide.
Since Oct. 7, his work has led him to make the case for Israel before the United Nations, the US Congress, the House of Lords, and beyond, including at the international courts in The Hague, against the malicious charges of genocide leveled at Israel. Ostrovsky has also been involved in a number of groundbreaking lawsuits against Hamas supporters, on behalf of hostage families and Oct. 7 victims.
His work has been recognized by the Knesset’s Voices of Iron Award and by The Jerusalem Post’s “50 Most Influential Jewish Leaders.” Recently, Ostrovsky returned to Sydney to head the Australia-Israel & Jewish Affairs Council office, continuing his lifelong mission.
“My fight is for truth and justice,” he says. “That’s what I’ve always done – now from a new front.”
In New York, comedian and journalist Eitan Levine channels humor as a form of resilience. After battling childhood cancer, his first stand-up performance – arranged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation – set him on a path to blend laughter with meaning. His Masa Jewish Studies experience in Jerusalem strengthened his Jewish identity and inspired his unique brand of social comedy.
Levine’s viral sketches, such as “Jewish or Antisemitic?” and “That’s So Jewish!” have reached countless views worldwide. Following Oct. 7, “My content stayed funny, but suddenly it had a deeper meaning,” he says. “Before, people recognized me but just whispered about me. After Oct. 7, people came up to me in the street to thank me for what I do.”
Levine recently co-created “When Can We Eat?” with Manischewitz, exploring Jewish food culture across America. The project inspired him to found Tribe NIL Sports, a network supporting 180 Jewish college athletes with financial and emotional resources.
EACH OF these individuals represents a different face of leadership, but all share one common thread: the transformative experience of living in Israel through Masa. Whether through advocacy, politics, law, media, or art, they embody the essence of global Jewish peoplehood.
“As our world changes, so does the nature of Jewish leadership,” says Masa CEO Holtz. “Our Fellows don’t just visit Israel – they experience it, internalize it, and bring it home. That’s how we build the next generation of Jewish leaders.”
From Rio to Berlin, Sydney to New York, and everywhere in between, Masa alumni are turning vision into action – and, in doing so, shaping the Jewish future.
Visit the website to see the complete list of Masa’s Change Makers 2025: www.masaisrael.org/go/masas-change-makers-2025/
This article was written in cooperation with Masa Israel Journey.