A great organization with dedicated people who one at a time are positively raising Jewish Pride, public awareness, and my appreciation with their efforts.
I recently became a member of Fuel For Truth after completing the ten week “Boot Camp” program. During this program I learned about the history of Israel, current events shaping the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in America and Israel, and how the Organization itself was run. While participating in the Boot Camp program I assisted in the Organization in hosting a lecture event being given by Steven Emerson, the author of ‘American Jihad’, during this event Steven discussed the current state of terrorism right here in America. Soon after graduating from the Fuel For Truth, I attended and assisted with a “Casino Night” event, which was Fuel For Truth’s first ever event with its primary goal being fundraising for the Organization. People who attended the event enjoyed cocktails, hors’ devours, the Casino Night experience of playing craps, black jack, and roulette for fun prizes, and network with members of the Organization and other participants, all while raising money for a great cause. I am currently involved with assisting to administer and teach the next “Boot Camp” class, as we hope to prepare a new class to be members of the Organization and Israel advocates amongst their family, friends, and colleagues. I got involved with the Organization as a result of a business colleague having a discussion with me about Organization and inviting me to get involved. I read about the Organization on their website fuelfortruth.org and due to my own personal experiences and reasons got involved as Israel is definitely a cause I felt worthy of supporting. The personal reasons I had for getting involved centered around two trips I have taken in my life one to Israel via Birth Right Israel and one to Germany with my father and grandfather for the 60th anniversary of the freeing of Dachau. The reasons I have stayed involved in the Organization are the amazing people I have met through the Organization, the knowledge I have learned and continue to learn from the Organization about Israel history and the current state of affairs, and the belief that if we teach enough Israel advocates we will reaching a tipping point that will keep America as an Israel ally despite the % of the Jewish population in America consistently being a smaller % of the American population just about every year.
FFT is a well-needed breath of fresh air for the Jewish community. For too long stuffy, aristocratic organizations have focused on most everything except reaching out to young American Jews. Doing that puts our people's future in jeopardy. But FFT has it right. They have the right mission and they know how to achieve it. This is the single most important organization in the Jewish community today.
As one of the founding members of FFT, I was called into action by the chairman Jon Loew. He called me for help in fighting "the world" to secure our future, the Jewish future inside and in the Diaspora. Although I am not as involved in the organization as I once was, I get to the main events to support newer members and show that we are still here and are not going away. This is an organization close to my heart and I am glad to be a part of it.
involved for well over a year now, FFT is the only organization that has successfully reached out to young people to educate them on the facts regarding Israel, and the middle east. Always ahead of the curve FFT created many of the events and programs that are duplicated by other groups today. In a time when support of Israel is at an all time low, FFT has become a vital organization by successfully creating supporters within the target demographic of 18-35yr olds, which has proved so elusive for others.
I was always the type of person who stayed far away from Jewish organizations. I got a call one evening from Meredith, a colleague of mine in real estate inviting me to an event. She promised me this wouldnt be like every other organizational event and there was no way I would be bored or out of my element. I bought two tix, took my buddy with me. We had an excellent time and I developed much respect for Fuel For Truth. I have been to a few of their events since.
the organization is the only of its kind. truly gave me an outlet to learn and grow. moreso, fully completes its mission to help young professionals inform others of the accurate informatuons about israel.
I was first introduced to Fuel For Truth back in 2008, when I attended one of their mega events hosted in NYC. Having never even heard of the organization before, I was looking forward to new faces, open bar, and maybe learning a thing or two about Israel. What I took away from the event, though, was so much more. I learned that the non-profit is an almost completely volunteer run organization that trains young professionals on how to advocate for Israel in a unique and fun, but also meaningul way. We travel to college campuses, host mega events, lectures, and fundraisers in NYC, and run a 10 week bootcamp every season to train a group of 20 volunteers to run the organization's committees. After attending that one mega event, I decided I would apply for bootcamp, and recently completed the 10 week training. Never have I ever participated in such important discussions about religion, politics, history, and current events in such an intimate settings. FFT brings in research fellows, politcal polsters, military officers,and journalists who openly engage in conversations with our volunteers, chairmen, and founders. It is an incredible experience and one I highly recommend to anyone looking to become active in a non-profit that is and will continue to make a difference. FFT allowed me to learn more about Israel and its current affairs, equipped me with the fundamental skills I need to advodate, and introduced me to a giant pool of people who are passionate about generating the message on the importance of Israel. I am proud to be a member of FFT!
Yo.....this is the first group that got me turned onto Israel. I was president of my fraternity (PIKE) at college when they came up to visit and put on one of the biggest events I've seen on campus...and it was all about Israel. See, I never cared at home about being Jewish (who from LI really does) and when I got to college i felt it bother me. But i wasn't going to Hillel or anything...no one does. So after 3 years of doing nothng about it...I met the guys and girls from FFT. They made me feel comfortable with who I was and the fact that i really didn't know much. After i graduated, i went to one of their events in NYC and was blown away. I applied for the Membership Boot Camp program and after 2 interviews I got in. Now I'm a member. I know how to talk about Israel. I'm proud to be a Jew (and not afraid to say it anymore) and I even went to temple on Yom Kippur (which made my parents the happiest people ever)
FFT is an absolutely incredible organization and an essential element to the survival of the Jewish people. FFT is the only organization of its kind- one that is able to not only spread the truth, but to spread it to the younger generation. It is the first Jewish organization I have been involved with that is actually making a difference. I finally feel as though there are people who feel as strongly as I do about the truth, about the existence and success of the State of Israel, and about the future of Jews throughout the world. It's also the only organization taking steps to actively involve and empower young people with the skills necessary to speak the truth.
Amaaaaaazing organization. Ive never been involved in a Jewish group before. FFT has been the only successful organization to attract me and my friends to the cause. Ive learned so much as a volunteer and have changed the opinions of many of my previously anti-Israel friends and co-workers.
Growing up I was overly involved with Israel Advocacy, Activism and Jewish Communal organizations. I was one of few from my generation who was affiliated, possessing a strong identity. Eventually I became involved with leadership and realized no matter which organization, they were all preaching to the choir. The harsh realization in my mind was, traditional methods of outreach were a failure and our community was unable to break through to the younger generations. Because of their own failures, most organizations "wrote off" the unaffiliated and the apathetic. Potentially resulting in the loss of entire generations in this country. Back in 2005 I stumbled upon Fuel For Truth due to a "buzz" I was hearing within my circles. In my following up with the organization I was shocked to see an organization successfully connecting with the same demographic everyone had written off...my demographic. Deciding to become a volunteer with FFT I then saw firsthand this was the only group in the United States not only experiencing success with the "untouchable" demographic, but truly making a difference with those being affiliated and reconnected. I decided to dedicate my time solely to Fuel For Truth so as not to spread myself to thin volunteering with various organizations. because of this I have been fortunate enough to see the group blossom with growth. While being a non-profit organization in these tough times is not easy, Fuel For Truth has not only kept her head above water but has managed to continue the great success with outreach to young adults and college students on a budget so tight, no other group would have kept their doors open.