Michael Freund (activist)

Michael Freund
Born	United States
Occupation(s)	Political activist, non-profit leader, columnist, feature writer
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	Founder of Shavei Israel

Michael Freund () is an Israeli political activist and non-profit leader, originally from the United States, who champions the cause of individuals and communities claiming Jewish heritage. This includes groups such as descendants of the Lost tribes of Israel, crypto-Jews, hidden Jews, and those assimilated during Communist regimes. In 2004, he established Shavei Israel to assist these populations in reconnecting with their Jewish identity. Freund is also a seasoned columnist and feature writer for The Jerusalem Post.

Childhood and education

Raised in Manhattan's Upper East Side, Freund attended the Ramaz School before enrolling at Princeton University. After completing his studies, he spent a year in Israel studying at a yeshiva while simultaneously working part-time for David Bar-Illan, a concert pianist and journalist who was then the Oped Editor of the Jerusalem Post. Upon returning to New York, at age 23, Freund served as speechwriter and assistant to the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations. He later earned an MBA from Columbia University.

Freund embraced religious observance at 16 and made aliyah to Israel in 1995.

He is the son of Harry Freund, co-founder of Balfour Investors, a merchant-banking firm, and the grandson of Miriam Freund-Rosenthal, who once served as President of the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America.

Early career

Freund began his professional journey with Peace Watch, a center-right NGO focused on monitoring the Oslo Accords. After its closure, he briefly worked at Sapanut Bank in Tel Aviv, a position he found unfulfilling. At 28, in 1996, he was appointed Deputy Director of Communications & Policy Planning under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Following Netanyahu’s defeat by Ehud Barak in 1999, Freund joined the Jerusalem-based PR firm Ruder Finn before eventually leaving public relations to dedicate himself to aiding "lost" Jewish communities in reconnecting with Israel.

Shavei Israel

Freund’s involvement with the Bnei Menashe community from eastern India—who assert descent from the lost tribe of Menashe and sought to immigrate to Israel—significantly influenced his career. He played a key role in facilitating their aliyah through official government channels.

He worked alongside Rabbi Eliyahu Avichail of Amishav, an organization founded in 1975 to assist "lost" Jews returning to Israel. Subsequently, Freund founded Shavei Israel in 2002 and became its principal financial supporter.

Freund stresses that embracing communities like the Bnei Menashe is crucial for preserving Jewish continuity. He argues that expanding the global Jewish population is necessary for sustaining the community’s future vitality.

In recognition of his leadership at Shavei Israel, Freund has been honored with awards such as the Moskowitz Prize and the Jerusalem Prize.

Shavei Israel encountered legal disputes when Freund’s former wife, Sarah Green, filed a lawsuit against the organization following their acrimonious divorce. Green’s father, Pincus Green, was a business partner with billionaire commodities trader Marc Rich, who faced indictment for tax evasion and was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 2001.