8/14/2019 Masa Israel Alumni Profile: Amy Oppenheimer

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Masa Israel Journey is a project o the Government o Israel and the Jewish Agency or Israel and is m

possible by the generous support o the Federations o North America and Keren Hayesod-

Israel. a Better stImulus Plan

 amY OPPenHeImer, unIVersItY OF HaIFa 

  www.aBetterstImulusPlan.Org

Amy Oppenheimer grew up in New Jersey and attended Johns Hopkins

University where she studied International Relations, Jewish Studies and

Arabic. With several semesters o Arabic courses behind her, Amy decided

to participate on Masa Israel’s program at the University o Haia during

her junior year. “I wanted to see another side o Israel than I had previously

seen and I knew that Haia was the location o coexistence,” says Amy.

At the University o Haia, Amy developed close riendships with Jewish

Israelis and Arab Christians. Through many discussions with her peers, Amy

learned about what it means to live in both a Jewish and democratic state.

She learned much o this through the lens o the marriage process. “Mar-riage strikes a chord within each o us and many Israelis and non-Israelis

have their rst encounter with the state Rabbinate during the marriage process,” says Amy. Interested by

the reactions the topic elicited in those around her, Amy set out or the Haia Mall to ask people about their

views on camera.

“I had never taken a lm class in my lie but I knew that i I really wanted to connect with people, I needed to

bring the voices to them through a lm,” says Amy.

Amy’s interviews evolved into a documentary, Faces o Israel: A Discussion About Marriage, State and Reli-

gion in the Jewish Homeland (www.acesthemovie.com). Faces o Israel eatures interviews o Israeli Jews

with diferent backgrounds and belies, and has been praised and endorsed by a wide spectrum o Jewish

leaders.

“I think all opinions have a certain weight and should be respected,” says Amy. “It was really important or

me to try to be neutral and to put aside any preconceived notions.”

In March 24, almost two years ater her semester at the University o Haia, Faces o Israel was released to the

public at the Riverdale Y. The lm is now being screened nationwide.

“Classically, you go to college and are exposed to viewpoints outside o the ones your community raised you

with,” says Amy. “Ater going back to Israel and spending a semester in Haia, my understanding o Israel andmy connection to Israel has deepened but also matured.”

Amy now works at Deloitte Consulting in New York City as a management consultant in the strategy and

operations practice. On the side, she runs Faces o Israel programs and events. She also works or a local

synagogue youth department, overseeing Shabbat programming.