The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced more than $11.3 million in grants to support Israel. These grants are in addition to the $9.6 million granted to Israeli institutions in October, 2014, and are part of a continuing effort to strategically invest in Israel’s leading institutions and critical initiatives toward the goal of strengthening Israel as a successful and secure nation.

Since the Helmsley Charitable Trust began awarding grants to Israel in 2009, it has committed over $140 million to a wide range of charitable organizations in Israel.

In addition to providing various grants to the medical/scientific/research communities, over $1.3 million was allocated to 8 organizations for educational trips to Israel:

Academic Exchange: Trip for more than 20 international law faculty members from elite schools throughout the world, who will gain firsthand insight into the legal and security aspects of life in Israel.

Christians United for Israel (CUFI): Trip to Israel for 35 millennial Evangelical influencers to inform these young leaders about Israel’s story and counter anti-Israel movements within the Evangelical Christian community.

The David Project: Thirty-nine students to participate in the David Project’s Israel Uncovered: Campus Leaders Mission, which advances understanding of Israel by forging connections between Jewish and non-Jewish student leaders who will impact the current campus conversation on Israel and influence the future of American discussions on Israel.

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD): Educational trip to Israel for 20 rising national security professionals with a focus on understanding Israel’s cutting edge approach to security and protecting against terrorism.

Israel & Co: Trip for 25 faculty members from the world’s leading business schools to educate professors about Israel who can then implement case studies from that country into their classrooms, and to build faculty support that will encourage additional student trips to Israel from their campuses.

Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA): Funding for the JCPA’s Partners for Peace program to bring approximately 60 U.S. Christian clergy leaders to Israel to meet with their Jewish peers.

Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA): Fact-finding visit for retired Generals and Admirals dedicated to learning about Israel’s military Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

Vibe Israel: Three trips for influential international bloggers concentrating on women’s entrepreneurship, physical and mental disabilities issues and architecture.