The 2025-26 Winter Perspectives Group volunteers with Save a Child’s Heart in Holon. Courtesy: Jordenne Parker & Matan Weitz

By Jordenne Parker & Matan Weitz

During UT’s winter break, Texas Hillel brought 21 student leaders to Israel and the West Bank as part of its annual Perspectives Campus Leadership Trip. The trip is an immersive, ten-day geopolitical experience, designed to deepen understanding of one of the world’s most complex regions and cultivate thoughtful, empathetic campus leadership.

Staffed by Matan Weitz, Texas Hillel’s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, and Jordenne Parker, Associate Director at Texas Hillel, Perspectives brought together five Jewish student leaders with extensive Israel experience and 16 student leaders from diverse backgrounds, none of whom had been to Israel before. Student leaders engaged directly with government officials, journalists, activists, community and religious leaders, military personnel, and survivors of October 7, gaining firsthand insight into the lived realities of people on the ground.

Over the course of the journey, students traveled throughout Israel and the West Bank, including visits to the Syrian and Lebanese borders, northern Israel, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, the Gaza Envelope, and Tel Aviv. Rather than looking at the conflict from afar and through the lens of social media and headlines, students encountered peoples’ lived realities directly.

“This was not just a trip; it was a chance to begin knowing,” shared one participant. “To understand what is happening beyond my regular routine. To sit in uncomfortable conversations instead of avoiding them. And in the process, to learn more about the world, and about myself.”

Acceptance into the Perspectives Trip is highly competitive. After a thorough application and interview process, selected students spend two months preparing together through orientations, student-led presentations, and speaker sessions that build shared language, historical grounding, and trust. By the time they arrive in Israel, they are ready not only to learn, but to grapple with complexity as a cohort.

Another participant reflected on the intellectual rigor of the experience: “The most impactful and educational experience of my trip was the geopolitical tours we partook in. The speakers were phenomenal – having the opportunity to hear from writers from The Wall Street Journal, news reporters, political activists, and more immersed me into learning about the region, the context, and background of what is going on in the area.”

Beyond geopolitics, the trip also introduces students to the religious and cultural diversity of the region. They learned about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as minority religions, while visiting holy sites across the country. The group balanced intense learning with moments of connection and joy, including volunteering with Save a Child’s Heart, floating in the Dead Sea, and cruising the Sea of Galilee.

Student leaders consistently described the experience as transformative. “Know that you will be challenged intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally,” one participant advised future cohorts. “But you will leave with something lasting – a deeper capacity to listen, a stronger sense of self, and the confidence to lead with empathy wherever you go.”

The Perspectives Trip is made possible through Texas Hillel’s partnership with Maccabee Task Force, whose support allows student leaders to engage deeply with the region and return to campus better equipped to lead nuanced, informed conversations, not only about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but about other difficult and controversial issues facing their communities.

As students return to campus, the impact of the trip continues. Participants leave with a greater appreciation for the complexity of the region, a deeper understanding of the people who call it home, and a renewed commitment to leading with curiosity, courage, and compassion.