Four Community College Presidents Return from Educational Mission to Israel

Dr. Edward Bonahue Four community college presidents have returned from a week-long educational delegation to Israel, marking the first ti...

Dr. Edward BonahueFour community college presidents have returned from a week-long educational delegation to Israel, marking the first time the American Jewish Committee's Project Interchange program has been tailored specifically for two-year college leaders.

The delegation included South Texas College President Dr. Ricardo Solis, Rockland Community College President Dr. William Mullaney, Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue, and Tidewater Community College President Dr. Marcia Conston. During their visit, the presidents engaged with Israeli higher education professionals and explored the country's academic landscape through meetings at Tel Aviv University, Sapir College, ORT Academic College Tel Aviv, and the Council for Higher Education in Israel.

"Our American two-year colleges expand access to educational and economic opportunity, and we foster democratic values and civic engagement for students from all backgrounds," said Bonahue. "AJC Project Interchange's program showed us we have colleagues and partners in Israel working toward the same goals amidst even more complex circumstances."

Beyond academic institutions, the presidents heard diverse perspectives from local leaders, including Rabbi Ishay Kibeda, who founded the first pre-military prep school for Ethiopia's immigrant community, and Palestinian political activist Samer Sinijlawi, chair of the Jerusalem Development Fund.

The delegation also visited sites impacted by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, including Kibbutz Be'eri and the Re'im Nova Music Festival location, where they heard firsthand accounts from survivors and first responders.

The trip was organized through AJC's Project Interchange, which has brought more than 6,300 influential figures from over 120 countries to Israel over four decades, and the organization's Center for Education Advocacy, established in 2024 to address rising antisemitic incidents on college campuses.

The presidents said that the experience highlighted shared challenges and goals between American community colleges and Israeli higher education institutions in promoting access, democratic values, and civic engagement among diverse student populations.

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