Elisheva Kupferman serves as the Interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Mosaic United, where she leads transformative initiatives to deepen Jewish engagement and strengthen global Jewish connections. As the director of global initiatives, she has been instrumental in launching programs that empower Jewish students, foster leadership, and build vibrant Jewish communities.
In partnership with the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, Kupferman has spearheaded a $1 million emergency initiative aimed at supporting Jewish students around the world in the wake of heightened antisemitism and the events of October 7.
Jewish students face rising antisemitism
(Video: Yaron Brenner)
Meeting the challenges of a global crisis
The initiative was launched in response to the rising challenges faced by Jewish students globally, particularly on college campuses, Kupferman said in an interview with Ynetnews. “Everyone has seen the images that came out of Jewish communities, cities around the world, and definitely college campuses everywhere,” Kupferman explained. emphasising how the initiative aimed to empower students by providing them with tools, training, and safe spaces to express their Jewish identity.
“This project specifically targeted Jewish students in Europe, Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries,” she said, adding that it was designed to “help empower them, give them more information, more tools, training, a place to be themselves and to feel safe.”
Kupferman highlighted an unexpected silver lining amid challenges: a surge in interest in Jewish life.
“Maybe it's the antisemitism, maybe it's the shock around what happened on October 7, but students are showing up interested. They're looking for a place where they can be themselves, where they don’t have to explain themselves or fit into someone else’s assumptions of what it is to be a good person,” she explained.
Providing support and building identity
The emergency initiative goes beyond addressing immediate challenges. It focuses on leadership development, Jewish identity and connection to Israel.
“We’ve been funding leadership development programs, making sure students have information, skills, and the ability to take responsibility for themselves and their fellow Jewish students,” Kupferman said. She also underscored the importance of fostering a strong Jewish identity: “Our bread and butter is really Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish homeland. We want to make sure that every single student can really dig into that and feel that they own it completely.”
However, she acknowledged the challenges of reaching students who lack strong Jewish educational backgrounds. “Unfortunately, the majority of students around the world weren’t ready for this. Many of them have very weak Jewish backgrounds, and most didn’t go to Jewish schools or have a strong Jewish education,” she admitted. “We’re playing catch-up and doing the best we can given this crazy situation.”
A growing interest in Jewish life
Despite the challenges, Kupferman has observed a growing interest in Jewish life across all demographics. “We’re seeing that not just for university students; we’re seeing it for teens, we’re seeing it for adults. Something about the moment is causing people to show up in bigger numbers than they have before,” she said.
She noted that this trend extends to progressive Jewish individuals, particularly in North America, who are feeling increasingly alienated in non-Jewish spaces. “Now they’re looking for a place where they feel welcome, where they feel that they don’t have to choose one of their identities, where they can be their whole selves,” she explained.
The Ila program: A new initiative
Beyond the emergency initiative, Mosaic United is launching a new program called Ila, which aims to deepen the connection between Jewish families and Israel. “Ila is a wonderful program that reaches Jewish families around the world. We bring them to Israel on trips,” Kupferman said. The program offers participants an authentic experience of Israeli life, taking them to communities rather than traditional tourist sites.
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For the first time, the program will include a volunteer component in partnership with Mosaic United. “Israel is not just a place to visit, it’s a place where we need everyone. It’s a place where you can make a difference,” Kupferman explained passionately.
Since the war, over 11,000 Jewish volunteers have come to Israel, many experiencing rocket fire for the first time. “They’re showing up and saying, ‘You guys aren’t alone here,’” she said.
Kupferman stressed the importance of providing meaningful opportunities for engagement: “We need to make sure that the educational opportunities here are ready to capture that interest.” The volunteer component of Ila reflects a broader message: that Jews everywhere have a role to play in Israel, even if they don’t live there.
A vision for the future
Elisheva Kupferman’s work reflects her deep commitment to strengthening Jewish identity and ensuring that Jewish students and families feel empowered, safe, and connected to their heritage. As she put it, “We’re making sure that there’s not a single student looking for a place where they can be Jewish, learn more about their Jewish identity, and connect to the Jewish homeland whose needs aren’t being met.”
Through initiatives like the emergency fund and the Ila program, Kupferman is building a global network of vibrant, resilient Jewish communities prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. As she concluded, “It's a place where you can make a difference and I think that message that Jews everywhere have a role to play in Israel even if they don't live here, it's something we are saying and it's something that we're hearing, together with our partners.”