Despite repeated flare-ups across the Middle East – including two separate escalations with Iran in July alone – a delegation of Jewish influencers and content creators from the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina, and beyond made their way to Israel as part of Masa's Makers program, bringing with them a combined following of millions across social media platforms.
The content creators – among them some who have made aliyah and chosen to settle in the country – arrived for a week of tours, volunteer activities, and meetings with local communities to experience Israeli culture and society up close, in a way that differs sharply from the hasbara or diplomatic messaging more commonly encountered online. Among the week's many activities, delegation members got to know Israel perhaps the best way anyone can – through their stomachs.
As part of the most Israeli experience imaginable – a tour of Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv under the blazing sun – Nicole Bendayan, a Canadian-Jewish content creator focused on women's health, explained why this kind of content is the most effective.
"How I navigate with my content now is Kiddush Hashem – I'm giving information to people that they are finding value in, by getting help and support, and also I'm Jewish," she explained. "That negative stereotype about Jewish people – it can confront that bias. I do think if I continuously made Hasbara my whole page, I would've lost people easily."
The importance of weaving her Jewish identity into her professional content took on new meaning following her deep disappointment at the world's reaction to the events of October 7th.
"I was naive to think I built this following of compassionate, understanding women, who would understand that mass murdering Jews, or anybody, is unacceptable. On Oct. 8, I posted something and just got flooded with horrible messages. It rewired my understanding of the world. I lost 7000 followers within a week," she said, adding, "within three weeks, I gained that back plus 30,000. It was all Israelis and Jewish people who sent me messages thanking me for speaking up."
For Joel Solomon, an Australian-Jewish runner who represented Australia at the Maccabiah Games (the international Jewish Olympics, held in Israel) last month and has now joined Masa's content creator delegation, the Bondi Beach terror attack upended everything.
"It was a re-awakening to my Judaism, how important it is to be proud to be Jewish," he said. "I never grew up super connected to my Judaism or to Israel, so Bondi was my Oct. 7. Ever since then, I want to make a strong connection with every Jewish person that comes into my life and with the land of Israel," he emphasized.
"I hid my whole life that I was Jewish – I didn't know a Jewish person that wasn't my cousin until six months ago," he shared. "When I arrived in Israel, I shared a coming-out post, and I got comments from teammates and friends saying, 'I didn't know you supported genocide,' 'What happened to the fun Aussie Joel that I know?' just because I'm Jewish in Israel."
"I've got friends who unfollowed me and got some bad comments, but I also gained tons of positive comments and messages. My goal is to continue educating myself on facts and connecting with Israel more," he said, concluding with an even bigger goal: "Maybe in a few years I'll be living here, and running for Israel."
For Jake Wisotsky and Matt Schkolnick, New York-based co-founders of Foody Stars, the Levinsky Market tour hit close to home on two fronts – their Jewish identity and their work.
"Food, at its core, is what brings people together," Matt said. "It's all about experiencing different cultures; it's a very human experience. Israeli food is such a blend of different cultures, and that's what makes it special – no matter what your religion or nationality is, we can all relate to a delicious meal.
"Every restaurant has its own story. It probably goes back generations, with recipes being passed down, and you can taste the love, and it has been very special. That's what we're trying to do with our content – tell stories," he said.
"What I'll take home isn't just recipes or restaurant recommendations – it's the reminder that Israel's story is best told through its people," Jake, who is also the Director of Content and Career Recruitment at Masa, said. "You see that in every market, every family recipe, and every meal. The participants' jobs on Masa Makers are to capture those moments through their niche, unique lens in a way that makes someone smile first, learn something second, and maybe rethink a preconceived notion they had before, but ultimately to come to Israel and experience the real deal," he emphasized.
"Masa has been connecting young Jews from the diaspora to Israel through personal, direct, and meaningful experiences for over 20 years," Meir Holtz, CEO of Masa, said. "Now we are bringing that connection into the digital space as well, enabling content creators to get to know Israel up close and share with millions of people what they encountered here firsthand. Especially at a time when social media largely shapes the way Israel is perceived around the world, Jewish creators from the diaspora have real power to change the conversation through personal and authentic experience."
