The Impact Office at the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought supports students across Yeshiva University pursuing internships in public policy, national security and public service. This summer, Benjamin Winters (SB ’27), a Yeshiva University Leadership Scholar through the Sacks-Herenstein Center, pivoted from an internship in Israel to a hands-on experience with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). He reflects on his research on U.S.–Israel relations, the Druze community in Syria and the evolving challenges of communicating policy in real time. 

Benjamin Winters had planned to spend his summer at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Israel, researching the U.S.–Israel security relationship amid a turbulent regional landscape. “Just as I was about to begin, the Iran–Israel war broke out,” he recalls. “With Israel effectively shutting down, I suddenly had no flight, no internship, no plan for the summer.” ​

A timely connection with Ari Cicurel at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) offered a new path. Benjamin quickly immersed himself in rapidly evolving developments in the Middle East, contributing directly to policy research and public outreach. “From the moment I joined, I was drafting memos, researching China’s Belt and Road Initiative, writing Twitter threads to highlight JINSA’s work and taking detailed notes during webinars,” he says. “Each task required absorbing complex information quickly and presenting it clearly.” ​

One major focus of his research was the Druze community in Syria. Benjamin studied how the community’s treatment under former president Bashar Hafez al-Assad compared to that under Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the current leader of the country, providing context for a forthcoming JINSA paper on the future outlook for the Druze in Suwayda. ​

“It was an opportunity to strengthen my skills,” he reflects. “I became faster at connecting older news reports to current events and learned to write concise one-page policy memos that still captured the complexity of the situation.” ​ 

Benjamin also explored new ways to communicate policy research. He cites a X (formerly Twitter) thread he produced that garnered significant engagement as a highlight of the summer. “It showed me that short-form content can reach new audiences and convey complex ideas in a digestible way,” he notes. ​ 

Exposure to speakers like Noah Hacker, who discussed Israel’s wartime economy, and an American Druze leader advocating for his community, broadened his understanding of the economic, political and cultural layers shaping regional dynamics. “These conversations reminded me how much human lives intersect with policy decisions,” Benjamin says. ​ 

Being a Sacks-Herenstein Scholar added additional meaning to his work. “I wanted to represent Yeshiva University with the same passion I brought to the work itself—showing up prepared, producing strong research and helping wherever I could,” he explains. “The fellowship gave me the chance to be inside the debates that matter, rather than observing from afar.” ​ 

By the end of the internship, Benjamin came away convinced of the importance of real-time policy work. “When events move quickly, and headlines rarely tell the full story, it’s essential to be a conscious observer and contributor—connecting the dots and considering all the ramifications,” he says. “Experiences like this are invaluable not just for professional growth, but for the deeper awareness they bring of how policy, security and human lives intersect.” 

He expressed his deep gratitude to the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought for their support of his quickly redesigned summer, and encouraged students to pursue internships in policy areas that spark their interest.

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