Local fellows go to Birthright Excel Summit in Manhattan
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Local fellows go to Birthright Excel Summit in Manhattan

April 10, 2025, 10:59 am Edit
The crowd at the summit included, from left: Jonah Schachter of Teaneck, Adam Taylor of Tenafly, Jonathan Raport of Randolph, Sophia Yunaev of Woodcliff Lake, Arielle Levy of Tenafly, Ben Sherman of Fair Lawn, and Alex Schlessinger of River Vale. (Ohad Kab, Courtesy of Birthright Israel Excel)
The crowd at the summit included, from left: Jonah Schachter of Teaneck, Adam Taylor of Tenafly, Jonathan Raport of Randolph, Sophia Yunaev of Woodcliff Lake, Arielle Levy of Tenafly, Ben Sherman of Fair Lawn, and Alex Schlessinger of River Vale. (Ohad Kab, Courtesy of Birthright Israel Excel)

More than 400 Excel fellows from North America and around the world recently met in Battery Park City for the Birthright Israel Excelerate25 Summit. Participants came from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, the U.K., Spain, France, Italy, South Africa, and 30 delegates from Israel. The summit’s theme was “Building Bridges. Building Business. Building the Jewish Future.”

Excel, which is part of Birthright Israel, is a lifelong global business fellowship that identifies and brings together the next generation of Jewish business leaders. After completing a summer business or tech internship in Israel, the Excel community provides immersive opportunities in professional development, networking, personal growth, Israel engagement, and Jewish identity.

After their internships, Excel fellows have maximized their experiences by taking on positions at such top-tier companies as J.P. Morgan Chase, Bain & Company, Palantir, and Google, developing strategic partnerships with Israeli companies, and starting their own businesses, often hiring other fellows.

Throughout the weekend, participants engaged in global networking opportunities and attended peer-to-peer workshops on topics ranging from impact investing to climate tech, AI, and the evolution of venture capital. These panels were led by Excel fellows who are rising stars across a wide range of business and tech fields. Additional panels focused on business development, Jewish identity, and Israel engagement, with discussions also led by Excel fellows.

The speakers included Tom Nides, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who is vice chairman of strategy and client relations at Blackstone; Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital; and Gal Bukshpan, a Nova Festival survivor.

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