Israel Education Center Staff Spotlight

Emily Briskman, Director of JUF’s Israel Education Center  

Emily is currently the Director of the Jewish United Fund’s Israel Education Center. She oversees 7 major initiatives focused on connecting Jews and non-Jews with Israel through education and advocacy. Emily is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Prior to the Israel Education Center, Emily piloted the Reach Across Illinois Campuses for Israel project. She also served as the Program Director at Hillels Around Chicago: Multi Campus Center. Emily’s portfolio included cultivating Jewish campus life, and developing relationships and trust with administration, faculty and students. 

 Laura Cusack, Program Associate of JUF’s Israel Education Center

As Program Associate, Laura develops and executes programming for JUF’s Israel Education Center’s 7 major initiatives focused on connecting Jews and non-Jews with Israel through education and advocacy. As a non-Jewish young adult, Laura works with the Israel Education Center in order to stand in support of Israel. She is a graduate of North Park University with a B.A. in Political Science, where she completed an internship with Reach Across Illinois Campuses for Israel. This program gave her the opportunity to advocate for Israel on campus, join delegations with the Jewish United Fund to Washington D.C., and travel to Israel for the first time.

Brian Horwitz, Coordinator of JUF's Israel Education Center

As IEC Coordinator, Brian takes care of all event funding as well as program coordination for Write On For Israel, our high school Israel advocacy program. Prior to joining the JUF staff, Brian elected to take a “year on” and participate in Young Judaea’s Year Course. In the nine month span, Brian studied in Jerusalem, worked at a sports center for disabled Israelis in Ramat Gan, and taught English to fourth grade students in Holon. Upon his return to the states, Brian spent the next few years at Miami University (in Ohio) and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Some of his experience in college includes his internship at the Hillel there as the Social Action/Community Service Programmer. After graduation, Brian became an event coordinator before officially joining us in September 2011.