Joshua Henderson

After IGF, I moved back to DC and worked at a political consultancy. In 2017, I started graduate school at Johns Hopkins SAIS. At SAIS, I was the President of the Israel Club and led an annual trip for Graduate students to Israel to learn more about its culture, history, political/geostrategic position, tech and energy sectors. The trip had a lasting impact on many participants who said they were likely to revisit the country, and had gained a more positive impression of Israel. Nearly all of the participants were not Jewish and many came from non-Western countries such as China, Japan, and Thailand. I was also the student body president at SAIS.

After graduation in 2019, I moved to NYC to work at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where I am currently working.

 

IGF created a stronger relationship between myself and Israel. Spending a year in Israel gave me a first-hand experience to understand the day-to-day reality. The issues Israelis face became less abstract, and I saw how they deal with the complexities of the region and sustain a thriving nation. IGF also made me think more deeply about my Jewish identity, and how diaspora Jews relate to one another and Israel. I became a lot more willing to explore a part of my Judaism that I would not have otherwise considered. Most importantly, the IGF experience gave me the knowledge to lead graduate students to learn more about Israel and appreciate how it faces its many challenges.

 

I know of no other opportunity that exposes young professionals of a foreign country to the highest levels of government. IGF is an invaluable experience, and will teach you more about Israel than you could be exposed to anywhere else.