The Global Impact of TAU Alumna Tiffany Harris

26 November 2024

Harris speaking at a recent summit in New York City

Today, as Chief Program Officer for Moishe House, Tiffany Harris helps to create community for approximately 230,000 Jewish young adults around the world, including residence spaces for more than 60,000 people. While the work is very much an extension of her own background in international development, community building and diplomacy, Harris—who is an alumna of Tel Aviv University’s (TAU’s) MA in Security and Diplomacy program—wasn’t always so sure this path was her calling.

Leaving Fashion for Fulfillment

After completing her undergraduate at Seattle University in business, Harris first tried her hand in the fashion industry. “I was working as a clothing buyer because that’s what I thought was the direction of my career path, but I didn’t find it had meaning or purpose,” she said. She found herself thinking more and more about the meaningful time she had spent in Israel during Birthright, learning about the beautiful complexity of the country. It had been her first overseas trip, and she realized she wanted that sense of discovery again.

“I ended up quitting that job and I backpacked around the world for a year and then joined the Peace Corps, serving for two and a half years in a small Moroccan Village.”

There, she tackled community health initiatives, learned Arabic and explored the intricacies of Muslim-Jewish relations.

Harris at a conference in New York City last year.

For her, the period also solidified her interest in foreign policy and the Middle East, and so her sights turned towards graduate studies and TAU: “I was looking at all these different graduate programs and I just had this realization, that if I’m going to study Middle East policy, why not go and do it in the Middle East?”

Her time at TAU proved transformative. Surrounded by a diverse cohort of peers originally from India, Romania, Iran and beyond, Harris immersed herself in a rich intellectual environment. “It was fascinating,” she says.

“Israel is probably as complex as it gets, and studying there deepened my understanding of really complex global issues.”

Building a Career in Peacebuilding and Empowerment

Post-graduation, Harris remained in Israel to work with the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, where she helped implement peace-building initiatives, including virtual classrooms bringing Israeli, Palestinian and other Middle Eastern students together to study peace and good governance.

She found the key to success was “equipping changemakers with the tools to thrive and build equitable societies,” she recalls. Some participants in that program have since founded organizations promoting interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue.

Following her time with the Peres Center, Harris eventually moved back to Washington, DC. There she began working at the Peace Corps headquarters under the Obama administration, where she oversaw initiatives across Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, sending hundreds of volunteers into the field and travelling to many of those places herself. Subsequently, as part of the public affairs team, she began telling the transformative stories of the volunteers and program.

Harris on stage with others at the 2024 WIN Women's Leadership Summit.

During this time in Washington, Harris came to realize how much of an asset her TAU degree was. “I really do think it gave me a leg up,” she says.

Not only had the degree—accredited and equivalent to an American master’s degree—been the much more affordable option, but her international experience set her apart from many of her peers who had studied in the US.

Following the change in administration, Harris then decided to join Amazon’s corporate social responsibility arm, advancing workforce development initiatives in cloud computing for underserved communities worldwide. Helping people become computer and technology literacy helped to make a huge difference in many people’s lives:

“I worked in China, in India, in places with small emerging economies and in the former Soviet Union, giving people access to these courses and credentials that they could put on their resume and use to go get jobs.”

Harris elaborated that one of her favorite parts was hearing where her students ended up: “I would hear stories from students all the time … it was really, really amazing.”

Fostering Jewish Connection, Representation and Resilience

It was during the pandemic that Harris pivoted again; she herself had previously been a Moishe House resident in Washington, and so when she was approached about the position, she realized just how meaningful the role would be.

A permanent exhibition at the Capital Jewish Museum, called 'What is Jewish Washington,' features Harris and other local residents, as well as more well-known Washingtonians like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

After October 7, the organization’s function—in providing space for Jewish young-adults to connect and support one another—only became all-the-more important.

“A Jewish home and a place for joy are critical in challenging times.”

Harris also prioritizes supporting young Jewish leaders, equipping them with the tools they need to build and strengthen their own communities.

In the face of rising antisemitism post-October 7, Harris also finds herself reflecting a lot more on her own identity as both Black and Jewish—and the role she and other Jews of color can play in dispelling stereotypes and advocating for inclusivity.

“There’s this false narrative that Jews are a monolithic group, or that we all share the same history and experiences.”

“Being vocal and visible as a Black Jewish woman is my way of countering that and ensuring that future generations see themselves reflected in Jewish spaces,” Harris reflects. Emphasizing that this misrepresentation both silences important voices and fuels damaging narratives, Harris admits that she struggled with this misrepresentation when she was younger.

Harris’ first Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel, as a Security and Diplomacy student in 2013.

Growing up in a predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish community, she often felt disconnected from depictions of Jewish identity; her first trip to Israel on Birthright, however, proved transformative.

“It was the first time I saw the diversity of Jewish life—Ethiopian Jews, Yemeni Jews, Jews from all over the world.”

“It made me realize how important representation is,” she says.

Harris, moreover, credits her mother for instilling in her the confidence to be herself. “She always told me, ‘What other people think about me is none of my business,’” Harris says. “That advice freed me from worrying about external judgments and allowed me to live authentically.”

Advice for Future Leaders

As for Harris’ own advice to aspiring leaders interested in taking a similar path? Embrace immersive experiences, build cultural competencies, gain experience through education and practical opportunities like internships, and seek mentors.

“For me, studying at Tel Aviv University was this immersive learning experience and it really helped me develop my adaptability and empathy.”

“Those skills are essential for working in diverse communities, for working in any global business environment, and particularly if you’re working in public policy and diplomacy.”