Lachan, the new Jewish Agency Israel fellow based at CU Boulder Hillel, has hardly had a moment to catch his breath since he arrived in Colorado on December 5.
And that’s exactly the way he likes it.
Within days after unpacking his bags in Boulder, he left for the Hillel International Conference in Boston. He squeezed in a vacation trip to Las Vegas over winter break. Back in Boulder, he prepared for more travel, this time to lead a group of 11 students on a Maccabee Task Force Perspectives Trip to Israel. He returned to Boulder just in time for the second semester to begin.
By January 31, he was working on his first official CU Boulder Hillel program, an Israel-themed Shabbat dinner with dancing, fun activities, and traditional food—lots of food. The event drew 75 students, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Ask Lachan how he managed to lead such a successful Shabbat after such a short time in this new position, and he answers with a laugh.
“Because I am Lachan,” he says matter-of-factly, without a hint of self-aggrandizement. “I talked to people, and I said, ‘See you on Friday.’ I made sure the food, the decorations, and the activities were great. I created a genuine Israeli experience.”
In his first weeks at Boulder, Lachan also had a genuine American experience.
“For the first time, I saw snow falling from the sky,” he says. “I looked around and thought it was wonderful that I am living in this location.”
“With Lachan’s presence and talent on our team, we are not only able to engage more students in our Jewish herd, but we are also able to support students’ learning about Israel and love for their Jewish identity,” says Elyana Funk, Executive Director of CU Boulder Hillel. “His contributions have helped our programming really come to life.”
The impact that Lachan is already having at CU Boulder would not have been possible without the support of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the investment of generous Colorado donors.
‘What’s it going to take?’
It was the second week of September 2024 and Jackie Sprinces Wong was sitting at a board retreat for the Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council (JAFINA). The discussion turned to the Jewish Agency’s intent to expand its corps of Shlichim (emissaries) to include Israel Fellows—young Israeli adults placed on college campuses to educate students about Israel and to support Jewish students.
As a CU Boulder alum and a member of Boulder’s Jewish community, Sprinces Wong was intrigued by the possibility of making this connection between Boulder and Israel.
“I thought it was an awesome idea, so I asked, ‘What’s it going to take?’” she says. “There was the need to raise $50,000 to bring an Israel fellow here, and I piped up and said, ‘I will do it.’”
Before she took action, Sprinces Wong called Elyana Funk to ask if having an Israel fellow would be an asset to CU Boulder and helpful for students. With an enthusiastic green light from Funk, Sprinces Wong made a generous personal donation and set out to raise the funding that ultimately helped bring Lachan to Boulder.
“Because of the high amount of antisemitism permeating campuses and communities, this Israel fellow can give students the language, tools, and resources to be able to speak up for themselves,” Sprinces Wong says. “This project spoke to me because I believe an Israel campus fellow builds bridges, making a person-to-person connection between the Boulder campus and life in Israel.”
‘I love the programming we can do with students’
Lachan brings to CU Boulder wide-ranging and interesting experience. He attended college at the same time he served in the IDF, so he finished his degree, which is in Business Management and Finance, ahead of his fellow students. He followed a cousin who had served as a Shinshinim in Cincinnati and took a summer camp position at Camp Livingston in Cincinnati. He enjoyed the work so much in 2022 that he returned for the next two summers.
“Summer camp was an adventure that I wanted to have after the army,” he says. “I really enjoy doing programming that explains Judaism and what I love about Israel.”
After the camp season in 2024, he took an extended trip throughout South America.
“The war was in the news at that time, so whenever I had an opportunity—whether it was in line for a restaurant or staying in a hostel—I tried to explain Israel’s position and give people a perspective that was different from what they might be getting on social media,” he says. “I tried to change their mind in five minutes of discussion, and it worked!”
Lachan was in Guatemala when he received a call from JAFI asking if he would be interested in serving as a Fellow on an American college campus. He didn’t hesitate and immediately began the interview process virtually while still on his South American adventure—which is how he found himself in Nicaragua trying to find a computer with a camera and a Hebrew keyboard to do an interview.
From friends at camp, he knew about the turmoil that occurred after October 7 on college campuses. Undaunted, he saw an opportunity to tell Israel’s story.
“I am a person who loves people,” he says. “I love the programming we can do with students.”
On the Perspectives Trip, he traveled with 11 CU Boulder students who are Jewish and non-Jewish. The non-Jewish students, who were chosen through a highly competitive process, are all influential student leaders.
“I could see them changing their minds on the trip because they could see things with their own eyes,” Lachan says. “They understood both sides of the conflict more deeply and their perspective moved more to the middle.”
Officially, Lachan’s fellowship at CU Boulder ends June 30, but CU Boulder Hillel would love to have him stay for another two years if they can raise funding from members of the community who want to support Israel’s presence on campus. Jackie Sprinces Wong is already on board, with a generous donation and a promise to continue fundraising.
“Our students are drawn to Lachan’s understanding of Israeli culture and his magnetic energy,” Funk says. “We are profoundly grateful for the community’s support to make this fellowship come to fruition because it has increased our capacity for Israel education and new engaging community programming at Hillel.”
Lachan is willing to put his business management career on hold for now because he finds the work he is doing to be important and fulfilling.
“I am really enjoying this chance to teach about Israel—first in camp, then in South America, and now at CU Boulder,” he says. “I will feel successful when my students will think critically about what they read on social media, when they are not afraid to defend Israel, and when they actually come and see Israel with their own eyes.”
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