Hey there, I’m Liran! I’m an attorney living in Washington, DC and a graduate of the George Washington University Law School. When people meet me it doesn’t take them long to realize that I am a loud, bubbly person and that I'm Jewish. But on top of that, I am Israeli.

I grew up as a dual citizen in California – my parents moved to the US after getting married and all my extended family still lives in Israel. Israel has always been extremely special to me and a core piece of my identity. As I got older I wanted to find a way to share the wondrous place with others. Some could say it was kismet that I got involved with itrek.

Itrek is a secular, non-profit organization that focuses on bringing future leaders and young professionals to Israel. Itrek is unique in many ways but because it is a secular organization, many non-Jewish people attend the treks as well, allowing them to visit and engage with a place they might have never gone to without itrek. All the trips are peer-planned and peer-led, so no two trips are alike. Indeed, each trip is infused with the unique flare of whoever is leading it. 

Before October 7th, itrek’s main focus was sending grad students to Israel on treks filtered through their respective professional lenses. For example, in 2022 I led a group of my peers from GW Law on a legal trek to Israel where we did a combination of tourist and legal activities. We went ATVing on the Syrian border, visited the Dead Sea, spoke with an Israeli Supreme Court Justice, toured the Knesset, visited the West Bank, went to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, and so much more. Though this was a “Law Trek”, the organization works with top grad programs around the world sending STEM, Policy, Business, and Law students on treks to Israel.

Since October 7th itrek’s mission has stayed the same, but their way of achieving it has expanded. This past June, I had the honor and privilege to lead another group on an Israel Trek but this time, we gathered about 20 young professionals from around the world (U.S., Ghana, Germany, the UK, Slovenia, Ireland, and Columbia). We spent a jam-packed five days learning and speaking to many people nationwide. We spoke to journalists, military personnel, lawyers, a minister of the Knesset, podcasters, business professionals, multiple survivors of October 7th, a member of a hostage family; the list goes on and on. Our speakers came from a wide variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds (Jews, Druze, Arabs, Israelis, Palestinians etc.) We also visited the site of the Nova Festival, a Kibbutz that was attacked, and Hostage Square. We asked thoughtful and sometimes challenging questions of our speakers and gained insights and perspectives that we may not have been able to achieve before. Self-education is essential, but it is no substitute for getting your boots on the ground and experiencing a geo-political situation first-hand. It was undoubtedly a tough trip, but an incredibly important one.

This brings me to itrek’s annual fundraising campaign and its importance. Without donors, itrek and its mission cannot survive. Now more than ever, it is crucial to get people to Israel so they can see and learn for themselves what is going on. The narratives spun online are biased and selective. Itrek facilitates a safe way for open-minded individuals willing to learn and talk to people, get to Israel, and form their own opinions. Those participants return to their homes and tell people in their circles about what they experienced on their treks. 

Itrek has given me some of my life's most meaningful and thought-provoking experiences. I will donate again this year, and I hope you will donate too. 

With love,

Liran