The work of Yale Friends of Israel are made possible through the efforts of many members, and anyone with an interest in Israel is encouraged to participate. The organization is led by a seven-member executive board, consisting of two co-Presidents and five Vice Presidents. The board is elected yearly.
(All members below can be contacted by email at firstname.lastname@yale.edu.)
The Co-Presidents are in charge of the overall running of Y-FI, from the weekly emails and meetings, to bringing speakers, scholars, and performers. This involves coordinating with the vice presidents on their events and ensuring everything is properly planned. Co-presidents are also in charge of networking with other organizations for planning and co-sponsoring events. Also, the Y-FI presidents are the go-to people for anything Israel related on campus—they often coordinate with the Hebrew Department, the Slifka Center, as well as many outside groups and individuals if they have concerns relating to Israel and Yale.
The Vice President of Political Affairs is in charge of planning events related to Israeli politics and America’s relationship with Israel. He works to facilitate political discussions at discussion meetings. The Vice President’s duties include working with various Yale and non-Yale organizations to find relevant speakers. He coordinates with the New York Consulate and informs them of our ongoing activities.
The Vice President of Cultural Affairs is responsible for planning events related to Israeli culture. These typically include lectures by Israeli artists or authors, screenings of Israeli films, and performances by Israeli entertainers. The Vice President is in charge of one large concert with a popular Israeli band — in past years, we have hosted Coolooloosh, David Broza, and HaDag Nachash — which can draw a few hundred Yalies and local community members. She also oversees Y-FI's social activities, like happy hours and meals.
The Vice President of and Public Affairs is responsible for communication with Yale and local newspapers (when applicable) and for questions/comments directed to Y-FI from the community. In addition to promoting coverage of Y-FI events, this means coordinating and assisting in the writing of op-eds and other articles relating to Israel in the Yale papers.
The Vice President of Education is responsible for planning all events related to better educating Yale students about Israel. This usually includes organizing Israel advocacy presentations and coordinating with the Vice President of Political Affairs to facilitate discussion meetings.
The Vice President of Technology is responsible for divulging information about the organization. Most importantly, this involves the maintenance of this web site.