Student Israelity

Jacob Lewis

Jacob is a senior studying Political Science and Israel at American University. He loves to write, edit, cook, play guitar and violin, and do community service. He is an intern for J Street's Midwest region and teaches a Jewish cooking class at Washington Hebrew Congregation. Jacob is an avid follower and analyst of Israeli politics and elections.

Kayla Benjamin

An avid news follower and lover of international food, Kayla is an undergraduate student majoring in journalism and political science. Her lifelong involvement with the Jewish community led to her interest in learning about Israeli society, culture, and politics. She has a passion for copyediting to help others express ideas clearly and engagingly. 

Barbie Goldstein

Barbie is a sophomore at American University. She majors in international affairs in SIS and plans to double minor. She is very involved in the Jewish community as a Hillel intern and a teacher at the Washington Hebrew Congregation. Barbie loves to read, cook, and always has a latte in her hand!

Evan DeWitt

Evan is a Junior studying international relations with a focus on peace and conflict in the Middle East. He closely follows the Israel/Palestine conflict, both abroad and at AU, and hopes to do diplomacy work in the region. Evan is currently a program intern at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, as well as a long time barista currently working at the Dav on campus.

Dr. Guy Ziv

Professor Guy Ziv mentors the blog's student team in management and teamwork as well as helps to brainstorm interesting topics about Israel to explore. In addition, he leads biweekly discussions about Israeli current events as part of programming by the Center for Israel Studies, which sponsors the Student Israelity blog. As an assistant professor in the School of International Service's U.S. Foreign Policy Program, Professor Ziv teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses on U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East, and international negotiations.