‘My mother always told me, ‘You don’t know what antisemitism is. You don’t understand the importance of Zionism,’” says Maya Vorobyov, the executive director of TalkIsrael, a nonprofit based in Israel and the US dedicated to empowering English-speaking emerging content creators to shape the conversation about Israel on social media.
Through engaging content highlighting Israel’s rich culture, music, food, art, and lifestyle, TalkIsrael connects with Gen Z audiences who may not yet know much about Israel. Born in 1993 to Russian immigrants living in Ramle, Vorobyov was raised by her Holocaust survivor grandparents.
She says that growing up in Israel, she did not experience the same strong feelings about Zionism that her parents and grandparents had brought from Russia. “I grew up in a very different space, in a very secular situation. We didn’t even observe Shabbat, and I didn’t understand why they [my family] were so obsessed with Zionism and why it was so important to them,” she says.
“As someone born in Israel, I never understood why I was forced to speak a foreign language [Russian] while all my classmates spoke Hebrew. However, my grandparents insisted on it, believing that language is power, so if I ever had to flee, I would have another language under my belt. My grandpa gave me $1 for each page I struggled to read in Russian, which encouraged me to keep learning,” she recounts.
“I took Zionism and Judaism for granted. I never imagined that I could be targeted because of my identity. I still remember, even in high school, when a history teacher pointed at me and said, ‘You wouldn’t have experienced what your grandparents went through during the Holocaust because of the way you look.’”
After high school, Vorobyov initially applied to serve in the IDF as an elite dancer – a prestigious designation awarded to outstanding individuals in fields like sports, music, and dance. The IDF recognizes this status as highly meaningful, acknowledging both the individual’s lifelong dedication to his/her craft and his/her contribution to the State of Israel.
However, an injury changed her path. Instead, she applied to be a producer and choreographer for the IDF Band. After being accepted, she took on a leadership role, where she worked with soldiers on special events, ceremonies, and delegations to the US. She helped lift morale and bring moments of joy during operations – a mission that strongly shaped who she is today.
“It was the first time I actually had any experience with the Jewish communities here in the US,” she recalls. “I realized how they [Americans] support Israel financially, morally, and physically, and I was shocked. I couldn’t understand why they did that.”
WITHOUT THAT change, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to connect with the Jewish Diaspora, something that became one of the most meaningful parts of her IDF service. “Looking back,” says Vorobyov, “I truly believe everything happened for a reason.”
When her partner accompanied one of the delegations to Orange County in southern California, he was amazed by the level of support he had seen for Israel among the Jewish community, and he urged Vorobyov to visit the US. When she was 21, shortly after completing her IDF service, she traveled to San Diego and was similarly impressed. “I knew I wanted to continue exploring this situation, but I didn’t know how.”
Returning to Israel, Vorobyov studied at Reichman University, earning a BA in communications and political marketing. She continued her studies there, receiving a master’s degree in government, diplomacy, and strategy. In 2019, she was appointed by The Jewish Agency as the Israel Fellow at the Hillel Foundation of Orange County. There, she engaged students in discussions about Israel, combated antisemitism, and supported pro-Israel groups on campus.
Vorobyov says that even before Oct. 7, she experienced antisemitism in her position. “Those four years were not easy, with all the things that happened on campus,” she says. “It stemmed from decades of misconceptions and hate about Israel. It didn’t start after Oct. 7 or after Operation Guardian of the Walls [the IDF response to Hamas rockets in May 2021]. It’s been there for many, many years.”
Her first experience of antisemitism occurred when she was sitting in a coffee shop on campus with several Jewish students. A group of students from Students for Justice in Palestine approached the Jewish group, began uttering expletives, and started a melee.
Recalling the attack from the Palestinian students, she says, “We weren’t even talking about Israel or Zionism. I went back home, and I told my partner, ‘Now I understand.’” While the original term of her work was for one year, Vorobyov remained in California for four years.
During her tenure, Vorobyov produced pro-Israel events on campus, strengthening the connection between students and Israel. “It was really important for me to show them what’s going on in Israel and show them that Israel has much more to offer besides the conflict. It’s not only a war zone. It’s not black and white. There are real people who live there. It was very meaningful for me.”
By the fall of 2023, she was preparing to take on a new position after the High Holy Days. On Oct. 7, everything changed. “I was sitting in my living room watching TV and, like all the Israelis, I was shaking,” she recounts.Vorobyov wasn’t sure if she should return to Israel immediately or remain in the US. She decided that if she was going to stay in the US, she would have to do something immediately. “I’m not going to wait another week,” she told her partner. “I physically can’t.”
A FEW days after the war started, Vorobyov began working at TalkIsrael as director of operations. She quickly realized this was the second battlefield Israel was fighting – online. TalkIsrael, explains Vorobyov, highlights the positive and beautiful aspects of Israel, covering Israeli culture, art, music, and the overall vibe of daily life.
“The entire mission of TalkIsrael is how we can positively change the online conversation about Israel in a non-political, very authentic and personal way, but in a positive sense,” she explains. Vorobyov admits that it was difficult to focus on these aspects once the war began.
“How can you talk about Israel – whether it’s hi-tech or cherry tomatoes – when people are dying? It’s almost impossible. We had to find different strategies and different ideas, and it was a challenge, but it felt very meaningful.”
Since Vorobyov arrived at TalkIsrael, the organization has grown. In the past year, she has traveled to many college campuses and led workshops on tactics for posting pro-Israel content. TalkIsrael now has staff working in New York, Los Angeles, and Israel. Vorobyov was recently promoted to executive director of the organization and is partnering with other Jewish organizations to promote Israel.
“I’m trying to partner with almost any kind of organization that wants to support Israel,” she says, “such as the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, Hillel, the Jewish Agency, the Israel-American Council, the Israel on Campus Coalition, the Philos Project, Tamid – anyone who wants to learn how they can post about Israel in a non-political, positive, personal, very authentic way. I’m a big believer that we all fight the same fight, so we should fight together.”
Vorobyov explains that many people want to post positive messages about Israel but aren’t sure about the best way to do it. “Whenever you talk about your personal experience and personal story and personal connection to the land,” she says, “no one can argue with you about how you feel.
“I teach people how to share their experience. We give them specific tools. We teach them storytelling, how to speak in front of a camera, how to edit, and provide all the tools they need to become better creators. The real idea is to create an army of creators.”
While TalkIsrael also works with major media influencers, such as Nas Daily, Montana Tucker, Zach Margs, Chef Bae, and Zach Sage, the organization’s main activity is supporting new creators and providing them with the support and mentorship they need to improve their work.
Vorobyov says that TalkIsrael has opened five programs in the past year. One Israel-based program, Creator Lab, trains Israelis to post in English and teaches them to share their personal stories. TalkIsrael has also partnered with the International Schools at Reichman University and Tel Aviv University, teaching international students based in Israel how to create and post content.
The flagship program of TalkIsrael, Creator Council, trains creators from around the world on filming videos, building a community of followers, and partnerships with brands. Vorobyov adds that TalkIsrael also offers a podcast with influencers who share their tips about content creation and their own Jewish identity.
TalkIsrael has trained more than 3,000 students and young professionals over the past year, says Vorobyov, and currently more than 250 creators are posting Israel-positive content weekly. In 2024, the videos produced by members of the TalkIsrael team received more than 60 million views on their own accounts and the TalkIsrael account.
Growing up in Ramle and Holon, Vorobyov never thought she would end up in Orange County, but she says, “I knew that I wanted to do something big. I knew that I wanted to be meaningful. I knew that I wanted to help others and the State of Israel.”
She adds that her move to the US has enabled her to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of her Jewish identity, which she did not have in Israel. “I understood that you can’t really understand [it] until you live for a while outside of Israel. It wasn’t until I moved here that I recognized the importance of being part of a Jewish community and its traditions.”
Vorobyov is hard at work at TalkIsrael, working on fundraising, strategy, and management, doing whatever she can to support its mission, which she takes personally. “Our mission is important,” she says, “and I am a big believer in the mission.”
This article was written in cooperation with TalkIsrael.