Inside the campus refuge that is building the next generation of Jewish leaders

Jonathan Davis, head of the Raphael Recanati International School at Reichman University, calls his campus “boot camp for future Jewish leaders.” For more than two decades, he has overseen the school’s transformation from a small experiment into one of Israel’s most important academic gateways for international students, producing graduates who are reshaping Jewish life both in Israel and abroad.

Born in London and raised in Southern California, Davis experienced antisemitism even as a teenager. “I was never embarrassed of my Jewishness, even way back then,” he recalled. In 1969, while studying at Columbia University, he came to Israel for a junior year abroad. The experience, especially visiting the newly reunified Old City of Jerusalem with his Israeli paratrooper roommate, was life-changing. He decided to stay, completing his studies at the Hebrew University and joining the paratroopers himself. Later, he served in a commando unit alongside future IDF chief of staff Shaul Mofaz.

These formative years laid the foundation for his lifelong dedication to Israel and the Jewish people.

In 2002, Reichman University’s founder, Professor Uriel Reichman, recruited Davis to establish a new international school in Herzliya. Starting with just 30 students, the program has grown to 2,400 students from 90 countries. Its alumni now number in the thousands, spread across the globe.

Many graduates choose to stay, with around 60% making Aliyah. Others return home, but Davis insists they remain connected. “If they don’t make Aliyah, they go back and become ambassadors for Israel,” he said. “They will be in Jewish Federations, leading synagogues, establishing organizations. And many will become philanthropists themselves.”

The ongoing war has underscored the school’s role as a refuge. Davis described how Jewish students abroad increasingly face harassment and hostility on campus. Some arrive at Reichman after traumatic experiences, from verbal abuse to false accusations.

One student, he recalled, was accused by her roommate of plotting to stab her with a kitchen knife because she was Jewish. “This young woman practically had to hire a lawyer,” Davis said. “It took me five seconds to solve the problem; our campus became her refuge.”

Davis likened the international school to “a city of academic refuge under fire,” providing a safe environment where Jewish identity is not a liability but a strength.

Davis sees an opportunity in the withdrawal of major Jewish donors from Ivy League schools over concerns about antisemitism. He believes this is the moment to redirect resources toward Israel. “This is the time to step up to the plate and create scholarship programs,” he said.

At Reichman, a full year of tuition and living expenses amounts to roughly $35,000—about a third of the cost at elite American universities. Davis envisions philanthropists funding hundreds of scholarships, giving students not just an education but years of immersion in Israeli life. “Three or four years here are life-changing. It's a boot camp for leadership.”

For Davis, the mission is straightforward: prepare the next generation of Jews to lead. Whether in Israel or abroad, he insists his graduates will carry Israel with them. “They will never forget where they came from,” he said. “And they will be the ones shaping Jewish life for decades to come.”