Israeli teens and American Jewish students talk shop in New York City
June 10, 2026
By Jewish National Fund-USA, Tzofim North America for JNS.
As debates over Israel, antisemitism and Jewish identity continue to shape Jewish life around the world, a group of Israeli and North American teenagers gathered in New York City this week to tackle a question that will define the next generation: What does it mean to be Jewish and connected to Israel in 2026? The conversation took place at Jewish National Fund-USA’s headquarters as members of the 2026 Tzofim Friendship Caravan met with alumni of Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss), creating a rare opportunity for Israeli and North American teens to engage directly with one another before the Friendship Caravan embarks on its nationwide summer tour. The gathering brought together two groups whose lives have been shaped by Israel in very different ways. The Israeli teens, selected through a highly competitive process to serve as ambassadors of Israeli society, have grown up amid war, national service and the realities of daily life in Israel.
