When air raid sirens echoed across northern Israel this week following the escalation with Iran, Jacob Wilson found himself experiencing a reality he had spent years defending from afar.
Wilson, a Hillel ambassador from Colorado, arrived in Israel for his seventh visit as part of a weeklong leadership seminar organized by the International School at the University of Haifa. The program brought together 15 young academics and campus leaders, ages 25 to 40, from the United States, Canada and Europe to explore leadership, Zionism and the growing challenge of antisemitism on university campuses.
Jacob Wilson University of Haifa International Leadership Semina
(Video: Ori Davidovich)
What began as an intensive educational program quickly became something much more personal.
“I was a little scared,” Wilson admitted. “I’ve been in a few missile situations before, but this was definitely the most intense. The sirens kept going over and over again and my head was spiraling. How long am I going to be here? Is everyone going to be okay? Is the war starting again?”
The seminar, designed for pro-Israel student leaders and advocates affiliated with organizations such as Hillel, combines academic learning at the University of Haifa with field trips and experiential activities across the country. Following the missile attacks, organizers adapted the program and moved activities into protected spaces at the participants’ hotel in Haifa, ensuring the seminar could continue despite the security situation.
Rather than returning home, the participants chose to stay.
For Wilson, the experience provided a deeper understanding of everyday Israeli life. “It really opened my eyes to what Israelis have to experience every single day, sometimes every single day of their lives,” he said. “As scary as it was, a part of me was honored to share the experience, as terrible as it was.”
His decision to remain in Israel was supported by his family back home. “My parents trust me a lot,” he said. “If I feel safe and I tell them I feel safe, then everything’s good.”
The seminar’s mission has taken on greater urgency since October 7, as Jewish and pro-Israel students across North America have reported rising hostility on campuses. Wilson, who has spent the last three years leading Taglit-Birthright Israel trips and has brought more than 100 Americans to Israel, said the training has equipped him with practical tools for navigating increasingly difficult conversations.
“The program has been amazing,” he said. “It’s given me tools that I can bring back to my university to help combat the rise of antisemitism on campuses all over the United States.”
Among the most valuable lessons, he said, was learning how to engage people who are not initially willing to listen.
“One conversation that stands out was about moving someone from a ‘no’ to a ‘maybe,’” Wilson explained. “When people are confronted with emotionally charged topics, especially when they’re not well educated on them, they often shut down or walk away. The seminar gave me strategies for having real conversations with people who do not support Israel whatsoever.”
While Wilson says his personal relationships have largely strengthened since taking a public pro-Israel stance, professionally the environment has become more challenging.
“It has been very difficult to get Americans to go on my Taglit-Birthright trips since October 7,” he said. “But I’m going back with new tools and new strategies. They’re invaluable, and I’m excited to see if I can change minds and encourage people to experience Israel for themselves.”
That firsthand experience, he believes, is essential.
“Back in the United States, a lot of people only see Israel through social media and think it’s just a war zone,” Wilson said. “That’s far from the truth. This place is full of beautiful landscapes, amazing food and incredible people. I want people to see Israel as it actually is.”
For Wilson, whose connection to Israel began at age 19 through a Birthright trip, each visit has strengthened his bond with the country. Asked whether he plans to make aliyah one day, he smiled.
“That’s a big question,” he said. “But every time I visit, the pull gets stronger and stronger. I do see myself making aliyah in the next few years. I can’t stay away.”
As the seminar continues under extraordinary circumstances, participants say the experience has reinforced exactly why they came: not only to learn about Israel, but to stand with it.
And in a week defined by uncertainty, that commitment has remained unwavering.