Mission Statement

The Center for Israel Studies supports research, conferences, publications, museum exhibitions, public programs and educational opportunities that enhance awareness and study of Israel in all of its complexities. In its short history, the center has already become a national and an international forum for engagement of the political, social, scientific, economic, historical, religious and cultural significance of Israel in the world community 

At Yeshiva University, Israel is the subject of spirited intellectual inquiry and rigorous research, the inspiration for innovative cultural programs and the motivation for the development of major global resources.

Yeshiva University is poised to be a world leader in the emerging field of Israel studies:

• Israel figures prominently in the research and scholarship of YU faculty in history, law, political science, economics, linguistics and other fields
• YU's faculty has established strong relationships with Israeli scholars and institutions
• Yeshiva University students possess a keen interest in Israeli history, culture and politics; proficiency in Semitic languages; and firsthand knowledge of life in Israel
• Yeshiva University Museum, a major center of Jewish art, history and culture, produces world-class Israel-themed exhibitions
• The Mendel Gottesman Library houses an exceptional archive of Israel-related source material
• YU's Israel Campus is home to the Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute, a premier institution of Jewish learning
• More than 3,000 YU alumni and former faculty live and work in Israel