Lee University professors Dr. Michaelia Black and Jaimme Preston pictured during a site visit to Tel Aviv University as part of an academic delegation to Israel
The U.S. academic delegation visits Ben-Gurion University, engaging with Israeli faculty and exploring research and innovation partnerships
he delegation gathers at Israel’s Council of Higher Education, pictured in front of the Albert Einstein statue during discussions on academic collaboration
Delegates hear firsthand from the founder of the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border, the first community that was attacked on October 7
Dr. Michaelia Black, assistant professor of accounting at Lee University, represented the university as part of an exclusive academic delegation to Israel, invited by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast U.S. The weeklong trip brought together academic leaders from across the region for an immersive look into Israeli society, democracy and innovation.
This invitation was the result of a relationship Dr. Black has developed with the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta since 2021. That partnership began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel restrictions and regional instability made it impossible to continue Lee’s Global Perspectives trip to Israel. In response, Dr. Black and retired business professor Dr. Mava Wilson reimagined the experience as a domestic Jewish Immersion trip in Atlanta, ensuring students could still engage deeply with Jewish culture and history.
Since its launch in Spring 2021, the Jewish Immersion trip has seen 294 students participate. Under Dr. Black’s leadership, the program now includes pre-trip orientations, a cultural session and Kosher meal at the Jewish Cultural Center in Chattanooga, and multiple days in Atlanta exploring Jewish life, Israeli culture, and interfaith connections. Key stops include the Breman Museum, Kennesaw State University’s Holocaust Education Center, Rina’s Kitchen, Beth Hallel Synagogue, and the Biblical History Center in LaGrange. Students also meet with leaders of the Israeli Consulate, including the deputy consul general and director of academic affairs.
This sustained engagement laid the foundation for Dr. Black’s selection to the delegation that traveled to Israel in early August. The itinerary included meetings with Israel’s Council of Higher Education and the Minister of Science and Technology, visits to universities like the Technion and Weizmann Institute, and time in southern Israel touring communities affected by the October 2023 attacks. Delegates also met with survivors, civic leaders, and researchers.
Dr. Black joined academic leaders from institutions including Vanderbilt University, Tuskegee University, Kennesaw State, the University of Georgia system, and Samford University. Through a last-minute change in availability, Jaimme Preston, assistant professor of business at Lee and the newest co-leader of the Jewish Immersion trip, was also able to participate.
“This delegation experience was deeply moving and professionally enriching,” Dr. Black said. “It not only strengthened Lee’s connection to Israel’s academic and cultural communities but affirmed the importance of what we’ve been doing with our students through the Jewish Immersion program. Our relationships with the consulate and Jewish community partners continue to open doors for cross-cultural understanding.”
Students who have taken part in the Jewish Immersion trip describe it as transformational. Davis Hale, a graduate of Lee’s MBA program, reflected: “The Jewish Immersion trip far exceeded my expectations. It gave me a new perspective on Jewish history and its connection to our faith and deepened my understanding of current global issues.”
Health care administration alumna Joy Douglass called the trip “life-changing,” noting that celebrating Jewish traditions helped her see the “Jewish foundations of our faith” in a new light. “Thanks to those immersive experiences, I still celebrate Hanukkah and follow the traditions I learned during that time,” said Ms. Douglass.
With a growing legacy of cross-cultural education and interfaith dialogue, Dr. Black and her colleagues hope the recent delegation to Israel will open additional opportunities for students and faculty in the years to come.
For more information about the Jewish Immersion Trip, contact mblack@leeuniversity.edu.