Carol and Joey Low

A devoted Zionist and generous philanthropist, Joey Low is improving Israel’s image around the world. His dedication to strengthening students’ commitment to Judaism and Israel has led him to become an enthusiastic friend of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

Born and raised in New York, Joey Low developed an appreciation for Judaism and demonstrated his dedication to Israel by serving as a volunteer during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. He then returned to the United States, where he and his wife Carol became active in the Jewish community.

When the Israel Defense Forces responded to a spate of horrific terror attacks with Operation Defensive Shield, it was met with almost universal condemnation. Frustrated by the disparity between the images of Israel he saw in the media and the vibrant country that he knows, Joey Low took action to change this in 2002, establishing the “Israel at Heart” organization to make the case for Israel. Motivated by a belief that face-to-face encounters with young, articulate Israelis who are IDF veterans would allow the public to form more accurate impressions of Israel, the organization has sent over 700 Israeli students to speak to their peers around the world. The organization has introduced contemporary Israeli culture to young Americans, arranging for athletes and musicians to perform in the United States.

“Israel at Heart” has demonstrated the diversity of Israeli society by including Ethiopian-Israelis in many delegations and sending a delegation of Ethiopian-Israeli lawyers and law students to visit American law schools and universities. Reichman University is honored that a significant number of its students have been included in “Israel at Heart” delegations.

Joey Low has expressed his concern for the next generation of Jewish and Israeli leaders by serving on the Board of Directors of the American Friends of Reichman University. He generously established the “Israel at Heart” Fellows program at Reichman University to provide scholarships to promising Ethiopian-Israeli students.

In 2010, Joey worked hard to initiate a similar program for refugees and asylum seekers in Israel to also attain an education at Reichman University. His uncompromising commitment to underserved populations and specifically to Ethiopian-Israeli students has had a major impact on many organizations, bringing to the forefront the need to raise a new generation of leaders.

Additionally, Carol and Joey Low took the initiative to transform the Hangar building on campus, which was originally used by the IDF to service their vehicles, into beautiful, state of-the-art facilities now named “The Carol and Joey Low Lecture Halls," along with the Low Family Promenade outside. Together they serve as a permanent reminder on campus of the good that the Low family has done for the Ethiopian community in Israel, for Reichman University, and for the State of Israel.