Through an internship with the American Red Cross, Avraham Frohlich (YC ’25), a recent Yeshiva College Honors graduate and English major, explored international humanitarian law, cross-cultural cooperation, and the protection of journalists in conflict zones. His summer included research in New York and participation in an international Red Cross peace conference in Germany, where he represented the United States and the Jewish community in dialogue with peers from around the world. The Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought was proud to support his work.

This summer, Avraham Frohlich (YC ’25) found himself working at the intersection of humanitarian policy, international law and cross-cultural exchange. As an intern with the American Red Cross, he split his time between research-based work in New York and an international conference in Germany that brought together participants from across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

Avraham’s internship was based in the American Red Cross’s Service to the Armed Forces and International Services (SAF/IS) division, where he worked under the supervision of Robert Bernstein, the organization’s national lead for the dissemination of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and Lallita Maharaj, director of SAF/IS. Alongside other interns, he researched legal protections for journalists operating in conflict zones, conducting surveys and interviews with reporters who had covered conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans. The team’s findings are already being used to inform Red Cross training for lawyers working in IHL-related fields. 

“Speaking directly with journalists who have reported from war zones gave the research an immediacy and urgency,” Avraham said. One interview that left a particular impression was with Lina Chawaf, a Syrian journalist forced into exile after the Assad regime’s crackdown following the Arab Spring. “Her commitment to freedom of speech, despite enormous personal risk, was incredibly powerful.”

Midway through the summer, Avraham traveled to Vogelsang, Germany, to attend the International Peace Camp organized by the German Red Cross. The gathering brought together representatives from Red Cross national societies in countries including Turkey, Nepal, Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Lebanon, Croatia, Germany and the Ivory Coast. Avraham was the first American—and the first Jew—to participate in the program. 

The setting itself was striking: Vogelsang is the site of a former Nazi military training complex, largely preserved and now repurposed as a museum and Red Cross center. “Discussing peace, humanitarian crises and international cooperation in a place with that kind of history gave our conversations a real sense of gravity,” he reflected. 

Throughout the conference, participants collaborated on training related to migrant movements and engaged in sustained discussions about international law and humanitarian policy. For Avraham, one of the most meaningful aspects was the opportunity for cultural exchange. He spoke openly about Jewish traditions and American humanitarian involvement, and found genuine curiosity and respect in response. 

“One of the most memorable moments was making Havdalah at the end of Shabbat with people from all over the world,” he recalled. “One participant from Italy, who isn’t Jewish, even chose to keep their phone off for all of Shabbat as a way of honoring my tradition. It was a small gesture, but deeply touching.” 

Avraham credits his Yeshiva University education with helping prepare him for these encounters. He noted that the habits of inquiry and discussion fostered in his YU coursework—including a class he took with Straus Center faculty member Professor Shaina Trapedo—were invaluable. “Being able to listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions and engage respectfully across differences made all the difference,” he said. 

Reflecting on the summer as a whole, Avraham emphasized the importance of engagement over isolation. “When we remove ourselves from difficult conversations—international, cultural,or political—we lose our seat at the table,” he said. “Especially in a world of rising antisemitism, it’s essential to show up as thoughtful, principled participants.”

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