A few weeks ago, I posted about Code Pinker Ariel Vegosen, who seemed to be hiding her anti-Israel activities to get gigs within the Jewish community.
Since then, I’ve done a little more digging, and discovered she is part of the ROI community, which is
an international network of over 1,300 Jewish activists, entrepreneurs and innovators in their 20s and 30s who are enhancing Jewish engagement and fostering positive social change globally. ROI members are proven leaders in diverse fields who are committed to making the world a better place and are driven by Jewish values.
As you can see from her ROI page, there is once again absolutely no mention of her involvement with Code Pink or BDS activities.
As a member of ROI, Vegosen would be eligible to receive funding.
ROI is an initiative of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, which by all indications is really Zionist. For instance:
Jewish lives today are born of inspiration, not obligation. So how do we inspire? By empowering young Jews to engage in meaningful Jewish experiences, build inclusive Jewish communities, connect to the State of Israel and repair the world.
But there’s more:
In particular, many of our investments seek to ensure Israel’s central role in the Jewish narrative by expanding opportunities for young people to engage with and explore modern Israel, its rich history, diverse society and fertile cultural landscape.
Ensuring an enduring connection between young Jews and the State of Israel is intimately tied to our broader investments in strengthening the social fabric of Israeli society, including working toward the renewal of Jerusalem as her modern, open capital. Learn more about our work in Israel.
Ok, I’ve saved the best for last:
We are committed to building deeper knowledge, appreciation of and connection to Israel and to strengthening the social fabric of this incredibly diverse and entrepreneurial nation.
Our love for Israel has figured strongly in our philanthropy since the earliest days of our foundation. Despite the many challenges it faces, Israel continues to be a source of inspiration for all who know its history and appreciate the principles that continue to guide it today: democracy, freedom of expression and progress through innovation.
From our first major grant to the Israel Arts and Sciences Academy to our recent launch of the non-partisan Israel Institute to advance the study of modern Israel, we have devoted substantial resources to strengthening Israel both at home and abroad.
Together with our partners, we are developing a multi-faceted field of Israel studies and supporting programs that open gateways for greater connection with Israel through first-hand experience, academia, arts and culture, and business and entrepreneurship.
Through this work, we believe we will see a time when a strong State of Israel fulfills its birthright as a light unto the nations and is welcomed and accepted as the Jewish homeland and a legitimate member of the family of nations.
In the U.S. and internationally, we help to build understanding of and connections to Israel in four primary ways:
- Engagement: Ensuring access to sophisticated opportunities for a wide range of people—from young adults to global academics—to visit Israel and explore the history, land, people and culture in all of their richness and complexity;
- Education: Broadening and deepening the quality of formal and informal Israel education at universities across the U.S. and in K-12 settings;
- Advocacy: Supporting efforts to identify, mentor and train student leaders to support Israel and advocate for strong U.S.-Israel relations; and
- Arts and Culture: Exposing both Jewish communities and the general public to the vibrant, creative face of modern Israel through the lens of its arts and culture. Learn more about our work in Arts and Culture.
In 2006, we established the Schusterman Foundation-Israel (SFI) as our philanthropic arm in Israel. Our investments in Israel are targeted toward helping Israelis meet the demands of its growing and increasingly diverse society by transforming the treatment and prevention of child abuse and working toward the renewal of Jerusalem as a modern, open capital through its vibrant cultural landscape. Learn more about our local work in Israel.
It is rather clear ROI and the Schusterman Foundation stands for everything Code Pink and other BDS-holes detest. And I am sure those in charge would be mortified someone like Vegosen, actively working to undermine Israel, is part of the ROI family. It also points to her hypocrisy that she is totally fine taking money from a Zionist foundation.
I will be contacting the Schusterman Foundation to inform them about Vegosen. Feel free to join me.
