MEET THE FELLOWS

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SAID ABAHIG

Bahij resides in Washington, D.C where he is currently a triple major studying Arabic, Persian, and International Affairs. In his free time he enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.


Samantha Abdoo


Raihaana Adira

Raihaana Adira is an undergraduate student at McGill University, majoring in International Development and Islamic Studies. As a Muslim and dedicated ally to the Jewish community, Raihaana was one of the students who filed the injunction against the pro-hate encampment at McGill backed by foreign adversaries. She actively stands against anti-Semitism, promotes peaceful coexistence, and advocates for creating safe and inclusive spaces on campus, drawing from her personal experiences.


Isaac Babus

Photographer and Advocate


JASON DIEBNER

I’m currently a senior in college looking to graduate with an economics degree. I have been to Israel 4 times since the war started, and I’m passionate about furthering my education. I’m from Houston, Texas, and I’m currently in school at the University of Texas at Austin 


Miles IsaacS

Undergraduate at King’s College London, President of King’s Geopolitics Forum, Assistant at RUSI


ORI JOSELL


Aden Kosoi

Aden Kosoi is an Anthropology major at Moorpark College. He plans to transfer into the University of California system upon completion of all prerequisites. He was previously the Founder and Co-Director of EndJewHatred’s California chapter. In these roles, he led a group of 100+ people along with the director of mobilization to plan events and create outreach among activists in California. Cold-calling, writing emails, as well as a lot of social media outreach are important tasks he completed in these roles. He is also the Founder and former President of SSI at Hofstra and he is a member of the Tikvah Collegiate Forum.


YOSSI MOFF

a sophomore at Yale majoring in Statistics & Data Science, grew up in an observant family in the SF Bay Area. After high school, he spent a transformative year in Israel with the Hartman Institute’s Hevruta gap year program, where he explored Jewish peoplehood, culture, geopolitics, Zionism, and religion. At Yale, Yossi is a leader of the egalitarian minyan and is on the Hillel Student Board, serving as the Community Building chair. He is also on the board of Yale Friends of Israel. His academic pursuits include research in a kidney cancer research lab at the Yale School of Medicine, and he has contributed as a staff writer and copy editor for the Yale Scientific Magazine. Currently, he is a fellow in the The Peace & Dialogue Leadership Initiative, a program that brings Yale and West Point students together to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The geopolitics of the Middle East has always been of particular interest to Yossi, and he is really looking forward to the ITME fellowship.


BEN MONROE

Benjamin Monroe, age 22, is from Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Day School, Ben was selected to participate in the international Kivunim gap year program. Ben lived and studied in Israel, Morocco, Greece, and Berlin during that time.  Ben is majoring in Arabic and Hebrew at The Ohio State University. During his summer breaks in college, Ben interns at the global headquarters of Cisoexecnet. The internship provided hands-on experience developing marketing campaigns, conducting market research, managing digital content, and CEO-to-CEO messaging. Following college graduation, scheduled for May 2025, Ben plans to live overseas in locations where he can fully use his foreign language expertise and hopes to pursue graduate school. When he is not working or studying, Ben enjoys cooking, basketball, music, rock climbing, and traveling.


ILAI RABINOWITZ


Miranda Ruzinsky


Sammy Shiff

I’m dedicated to spreading knowledge and understanding about Israel’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary significance. Currently pursuing a major in Elementary Education at Drexel University, I am deeply passionate about empowering young minds. Beyond academia, I actively engage with organizations such as SSI (Students Supporting Israel), Hillel, Chabad , Meor ILN (Israel Leadership Network), JNF (Jewish National Fund), and Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. Through these affiliations, I foster education, cultural exchange, and community building.


BROOKLYN TORY

Brooklyn is in her final year of undergraduate studies in psychology, cognitive science, and international development at McGill University, where her special interest has been ethnically adaptive trauma coping. She has been an advocate for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ equity issues in academic settings, as well as work to improve Title IX consent education in schools. Brooklyn’s leadership experience includes an array of vital roles in Model UN conferences in Montreal and the Bay Area, and in 2021 she founded and acted as President for a Bay Area community initiative to improve civil and political discourse among students. As part of her participation with ITME, Brooklyn hopes to foster thoughtful dialogue between students in Montreal, a city that has seen dramatic rise in antisemitism and racial-ethnic violence since 10/7.


TamaR Sarah Weiss


Aliya Zigman

Aliya Zigman is a senior at the University of Denver, studying psychology and philosophy. Passionate about trauma-informed care and somatic health, Aliya plans to make Aliyah to Israel after graduation to pursue a career as a therapist specializing in these areas. She is a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and serves as the Director of Strategy and Education for the University of Denver’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI). From 2023 to 2024, Aliya spent a gap year in Israel, volunteering in Kibbutz Harduf. There, she taught English to Arab children in neighbouring villages and worked alongside individuals with mental disabilities. Aliya’s experiences have deepened her connection to Judaism, inspired her commitment to Israel, and shaped her vision for a career dedicated to helping others heal.


Matthew Zivian


FELLOWSHIP RESOURCE LIBRARY

AVI MELAMED’S RESOURCES

The ITME Fellowship is an unparalleled, immersive, and interactive educational experience designed to equip motivated and passionate students with the knowledge, tools, and resources...

ABDULAZIZ ALKAHMIS’ RESOURCES

Abdulaziz AlKhamis is a seasoned Saudi journalist, media strategist, and political analyst with over four decades of experience in the Middle Eastern media landscape....

HAYVI BOUZO’S RESOURCES

The ITME Fellowship is an unparalleled, immersive, and interactive educational experience designed to equip motivated and passionate students with the knowledge, tools, and resources...

MEET THE EDUCATORS

LEAD EDUCATOR | AVI MELAMED Avi Melamed is a former Israeli Intelligence Official and Senior Official on Arab Affairs. In his public service,...

LEXICON

GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS

Al Badr Corp / Militia A Pro-Iranian Iraqi Shi’ite political party and militia headed by Hadi al-Amiri Al-Qaeda “The Base” or “The Foundation.” Al-Qaeda is a...

UNSCRs – UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS

UNSCR 1696 (2006) On July 31, 2006, the UNSC passed its first resolution regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions. UNSCR 1696 called on the regime to...

PLACES

Al-Aqsa Mosque The third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Al-Medina. The mosque is located in the Old City of Jerusalem on the...

ACCORDS & AGREEMENTS

The Abraham Accords The agreements signed by Bahrain, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States on September 15, 2020. The UAE signed...

AVI's LATEST ARTICLES

The end of Iran’s hegemonic vision will ripple across the Middle East in 2025 | USA TODAY

The end of Iran's hegemonic vision will ripple across the Middle East in 2025 | Avi Melamed special to the USA TODAY Network |...

Exempting Palestinians from accountability perpetuates a hopeless future | USA TODAY

Exempting Palestinians from accountability perpetuates a hopeless future | Avi Melamed special to the USA TODAY Network | This article has already published in...

By refusing to hold Hamas accountable, Western observers perpetuate despair for Palestinians and Israelis | JNS

By refusing to hold Hamas accountable, Western observers perpetuate despair for Palestinians and Israelis | an article by Avi Melamed published in The Jewish News Syndicate |...

Turkey’s support of Syrian rebels could spin out of control and impact the U.S. | USA TODAY

Turkey's support of Syrian rebels could spin out of control and impact the U.S. | Avi Melamed special to the USA TODAY Network |...

JOIN THE HUB Newsletter

LATEST FROM THE HUB

Why Arab nations may secretly approve of Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ proposal | NEW YORK POST

Why Arab nations may secretly approve of Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ proposal | Avi Melamed quoted in this article By Caitlin Doornbos and Ronny Reyes...

Many Palestinians would be ‘happy’ if US took over Gaza Strip: Fmr. intel officer | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Many Palestinians would be ‘happy’ if US took over Gaza Strip: Fmr. intel officer | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor),...

GAZA PLAN How Trump plan to ‘Make Gaza Great Again’ could work | SUN UK

GAZA PLAN How Trump plan to ‘Make Gaza Great Again’ could work – costing BILLIONS & taking 20 years to create ‘Mid East Riviera’...

MASS EXODUS Israeli military draws up plans to relocate Palestinians after Trump scheme to turn Gaza into ‘Middle East Riviera’ | SUN UK

MASS EXODUS Israeli military draws up plans to relocate Palestinians after Trump scheme to turn Gaza into ‘Middle East Riviera’ | Ex-Israeli intelligence official...

AVI MELAMED ON TV

Many Palestinians would be ‘happy’ if US took over Gaza Strip: Fmr. intel officer | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Many Palestinians would be ‘happy’ if US took over Gaza Strip: Fmr. intel officer | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor),...

Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ rankles America First conservatives, allies suggest negotiator-in-chief is at work | FOX NEWS

Trump's Gaza 'takeover' rankles America First conservatives, allies suggest negotiator-in-chief is at work | FOX NEWS | Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence quoted...

Netanyahu gives Trump a golden pager, reminiscent of covert Israeli operation | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Netanyahu gives Trump a golden pager, reminiscent of covert Israeli operation | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor), STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. Despite...

Understanding Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ Proposal | NTD NEWS

Understanding Trump's Gaza 'takeover' Proposal | NTD NEWS Evelyn Li with Geopolitical Analyst Avi Melamed | NTD NEWS TODAY https://youtu.be/S7E7wrHM0m8 Understanding Trump's Gaza 'takeover'...

Nearly 100 US Special Forces vets hired to operate key checkpoints in Gaza | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Nearly 100 US Special Forces vets hired to operate key checkpoints in Gaza | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor), William...

Why the Israel-Gaza ceasefire may be doomed | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Why the Israel-Gaza ceasefire may be doomed | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Reporter), STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. https://youtu.be/cOby2uLao7o The Israel–Hamas ceasefire in Gaza went...

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