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The David Project, an Israel advocacy organization based in Boston, wants to help Birthright Israel attendees retain their newfound knowledge about Israel and turn it into productive activism.

"Birthright does their trips really well and they get students really excited about Israel," Ari Applbaum, an educator and a marketing and communications manager with The David Project, told The Jewish State. "What they're struggling with is how they turn that into something ongoing."

Birthright realized they needed to provide sources to help participants integrate their new experience in Israel into their daily life. To fill this need, Birthright split into two groups four years ago: Taglit Birthright, to send qualified young adults on their first trip to Israel; and Birthright NEXT, dedicated to post-trip programming that gives guidance and structure to the new knowledge Birthright attendees acquire on the trip.

"Whether it's through Shabbat meals or seminars on different Jewish topics, they partner with different organizations to help them with it," Applbaum said.

The David Project began a yearly seminar in conjunction with Birthright NEXT the same year it was established. The seminar usually covers the basics of the Arab-Israeli conflict, involves guest speakers, and lets participants mock debate each other to strengthen their knowledge and skills. However, this year is a more intense seminar not meant for the beginner Israel activist.

"Our main focus is to provide them the context to understand a lot of the main issues," said Todd Young, an educator and Middle East analyst with The David Project. "They try to get a wider perspective so they're in a better position to answer questions from colleagues, friends, whoever about the conflict, and we want them to articulate the meaning of Israel -- why Jewish people deserve the state."

Young said that the three-day Boston seminar, June 28-30, concentrated heavily on crucial issues facing Israel today, including the changing U.S.-Israel relationship that came with the change in leadership in both countries; Iran; Gaza; West Bank settlements; and the appropriate response to anti-Israel propaganda particularly aggravated by the December 2008 Gaza war. This is the first year The David Project is doing a master's level activism course that involves ramping up the content of a regular seminar.

"This particular [seminar] is exploring hot issues on a higher level, using case studies and the like," Young said. "This year, we'll spend some time analyzing the ideological assault against Israel. There will also be a security analysis. A security expert will describe security concerns from the Israeli point of view, the worries, and where there can be breakthrough. There will be a speaker to talk about the U.S.-Israel relationship, which is obviously a hot issue right now. We are going through all the issues on a higher level."

Birthright alumni who attended the latest seminar were not allowed to jump in feet-first; only students who attended a previous seminar hosted by The David Project were allowed to apply because of the course's advanced material. Applbaum said that applicants needed to be serious about their desire to get further involved in Israel advocacy. Therefore, participants are required to run an Israeli event or educational program after completing the seminar.

Applbaum said that many students from past seminars chose to create an on-campus event about Israel, and many of those focus on current events or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Young hopes that David Saranga, Israeli Consul for media and public affairs in the United States and a guest speaker at the last seminar, will inspire the last batch of students to create a program about Israel that concentrates on the positive, much like Saranga is trying to do in the U.S.

"Focus groups of people's perceptions on Israel revealed [that] people don't know much," Young said. "They associate it with conflict, deserts, and violence instead of associating Israel with democracy, technology, and beautiful landscapes that people want to visit. These are aspects that Saranga wants the general American community to learn about... [and] for activists to be outspoken about Israel from that perspective instead of about the conflict. Advocacy is about why Jewish people have the state, what our goals are. I hope that can help refute claims about Israel."