Fletcher students sitting at table in a cafe eating lunch.
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Fletcher MIB’s Leading The Israel Trek, The First Since The Start of the Pandemic

Sarah Foote

On May 29, 2022, Fletcher students will participate in an 8-day whirlwind tour of Israel and Palestinian territories as part of the 2022 Fletcher Israel Trek, led and designed by Fletcher students Alfred Sogja, Evan Fontana, Katya Mayerson, Juliana Rordorf, and Frank Sobcak. The aim of the trek is to introduce students to Israel and Palestinian territories, and the range of voices and perspectives within them.

Group of Fletcher School students holding an orange and white Fletcher School flag at the Noah Kinarti Observation Point.
Pictured above is located at the Noah Kinarti Observation Point, discussing water security from EcoPeace representative. From L to R: Israeli fellow Omer Moar, Alfred Sogja F’22 (below), speaker Adam Waddell, Mary Menzemer F’22, Chris Pumford F’21, Bryan Tudor F’21, Evan Fontana F’22 (below), Drew Waddington F’22, and Frank Sobcak, PhD.

Participants will have the chance to visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and more, and meet with various thought-leaders, industry experts, activists, and policymakers. Trek leaders will coordinate meetings with decision-makers and influencers in Israeli politics, regional security, and intelligence, consider the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, learn about the nuances of a religious democracy, and spend time with major business leaders and tech entrepreneurs. In between, participants will also get to experience the amazing weather, food, beaches, and nightlife.

This will be the first Fletcher Israel Trek approved by Fletcher Student Affairs in conjunction with the Fletcher COVID team since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. In August 2021, 8 students from The Fletcher School participated in an independently organized trek, alongside 20 students from Texas Law, Harvard Law, Emory Law and UCLA Law.

Group of the threee Fletcher School students sitting at an outdoor cafe at night.
MIB candidates from the Class of 2022

The group met with speakers including Amal Jadou, Fletcher alum and current Deputy Chief of Mission of the Palestinian Authority, Ronen Hoffman, current Israel Ambassador to Canada, Charles Freilich, Fletcher Professor Emeritus, Shai Hadad, Director of Business Operations at MassChallenge Israel, and Rina Quint, holocaust survivor, among many other speakers. For a closer look at what this 2021 August Trek looked like, here’s a photo album.

If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming trip, please contact Alfred Sogja, the trip point of contact, at Alfred.Sogja@tufts.edu.