As part of its mission to support students pursuing careers in ideas, politics, journalism and public affairs, the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought鈥檚 Impact Office awarded competitive grants to several YU students. Rikki Zagelbaum (SCW 鈥26), a media studies major, is one such recipient. This past summer, she worked at two think tanks鈥攖he Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) in Israel and the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) in Washington, D.C.鈥攄eveloping research, media and policy skills while contributing to the public understanding of critical issues affecting Israel and the region.
This past summer took Rikki Zagelbaum across continents and into the heart of critical policy research. At the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), she worked as a research intern, managing the full research process鈥攕etting objectives, analyzing government documents and databases, and drafting and publishing reports.
鈥淚 produced two reports that brought previously unreported information to light,鈥 she recalls. One analyzed U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) through a discreet State Department account, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). This became especially urgent after a terror attack outside a Gush Etzion shopping center involved members of the PASF. Her second report traced the United States鈥 77-year history of funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), including year-by-year contributions and how the funds were used.
In Washington, D.C., Rikki pivoted to communications work with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). There, she summarized lengthy research into digestible social media and press content, drafted media pitches and coordinated briefings with journalists. 鈥淢y role began where the research ended,鈥 she explains. She highlighted key developments such as the Suwayda crisis in Syria and U.S. air defense performance during Israel鈥檚 12-day war with Iran in June.
Both internships strengthened her practical skills and deepened her understanding of policy and media. 鈥淎t the JCFA, I learned to navigate government documents and translate complex data into reports with infographics and recommendations. At JINSA, I honed my ability to communicate concisely for a broad audience and to manage press correspondence under tight deadlines.鈥
鈥淢y greatest accomplishments this summer were the two reports I published at the JCFA, both with my byline!鈥 she shares. (.) 鈥淚t was exhilarating to uncover information that had previously gone unreported and to be the first to bring it to public attention.鈥
One moment in particular stood out: just as she was completing her piece on U.S. funding to the PASF, 22-year-old Shalev Zvuluny was tragically murdered in a terror attack outside a Gush Etzion shopping center. 鈥淲hen it emerged that the terrorists were both members of the PA police, we rushed the report to publication. It became crucial to demonstrate how, directly or indirectly, U.S. funding to the PASF had contributed to this tragedy.鈥
鈥淲orking in think tanks showed me how principled, diligent research can influence government decision-making in Jerusalem and Washington,鈥 she reflects. 鈥淲hile research can be painstaking, the results are tangible鈥攈elping ensure policies and strategies affecting Israel and the Jewish people are informed by facts and careful analysis.鈥
Rikki credits Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch of the JCFA and Blake Johnson of JINSA for their guidance and mentorship, and encourages other students to pursue similar opportunities to experience the real-world impact of research and public affairs.
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