Capstone: Ambassador Practice, Ethics and Certification Preparation

Integrate historical/civic knowledge, verification, communication and ethics.

Demonstrate judgment under hostile or uncertain questioning.

Identify questions that should not be answered without referral or current verification.

Complete the capstone portfolio and 90-day ambassador activity plan.

Understand specialization, probationary deployment and recertification.

Review all weekly knowledge checks and your fact-check, speaking and rapid-response feedback.

Prepare the capstone presentation and portfolio.

Read and sign the Ambassador Pledge and Code of Conduct after resolving any questions.

The ambassador decision sequence

Identify the setting and audience.

Listen for the actual question or concern.

Define the claim you can responsibly address.

Separate fact, interpretation, policy, law, moral judgment and personal experience.

Select the strongest available sources and state uncertainty.

Choose whether to answer, refer, monitor, disengage or escalate.

Communicate with LACE and appropriate format discipline.

Document sources and any required approval.

Correct material errors and record learning.

What not to answer from memory Category Why not Correct action Category Why not Correct action Breaking casualty/hostage figures Figures change and categories/methodologies differ. Use dated evidence pack; attribute precisely. Ongoing military/intelligence operations Operational facts may be unknown, sensitive or disputed. Do not speculate; refer to authorized public sources/specialist. Named-person criminal allegations Defamation, fairness and evidentiary risk. Legal/compliance review; rely on official/public records where appropriate. International-law conclusions Require specialist legal analysis and current authorities. Summarize identified sources/positions; refer for organizational judgment. Private personal information Privacy and safety. Do not disclose; escalate if safety matter. Halachic Jewish status Requires qualified rabbinic adjudication. Explain process/referral only. Aliyah/visa/citizenship guarantee Current law/administrative determination; individual facts matter. Refer to competent legal/official channels; never guarantee outcome.

Specialization pathways Path Additional competence Community Ambassador Public presentations, synagogue/church/civic dialogue, local partnerships. Digital Ambassador Approved explainers, moderation, short-form video, accessibility and source archiving. Research Volunteer Primary-document retrieval, claim checking, timelines and evidence packets. Media Volunteer / Endorsement Interview preparation, spokesperson boundaries, correction requests and media relationships. Dialogue Ambassador Facilitated difficult conversations, interfaith/intercommunity engagement and deescalation. Rapid-Response Endorsement Advanced crisis simulation, high-risk verification, escalation and safety. Bnei Anusim / Path of Return Track Iberian Jewish history, respectful identity inquiry, documentation referral, program explanation, and strict separation from halachic/legal adjudication. Certified Trainer Observed teaching, adult-learning competence, curriculum fidelity, assessment calibration and corrective feedback.

Capstone portfolio

A source-annotated historical timeline from Week 2.

“Israel beyond the headlines” briefing from Week 3.

Neutral chronology + advocacy response from Week 4.

Verified fact sheet and Week 5 fact-check result.

Antisemitism classification memo from Week 6.

Difficult-conversation LACE responses from Week 7.

Recorded speaking assessment from Week 8.

Digital explainer package from Week 9.

Mock interview and institutional briefing memo from Week 10.

Rapid-response incident log and after-action review from Week 11.

Final capstone presentation, 90-day plan and signed Code of Conduct. 5. 90-day ambassador plan Period Minimum plan elements Days 1–30 Choose specialization; two supervised activities; weekly source review; mentor check-in; no unsupervised high-risk rapid response. Days 31–60 Two to four additional activities; submit activity reports; one sampled content review; address remedial feedback. Days 61–90 Move toward full ambassador activity if probation requirements are met; set quarterly goals for presentations/content/partnerships and continuing study. 6. Hostile-question capstone bank Question What the panel is testing “Why should anyone trust hasbara?” Independence, transparency, source/correction method; not defensiveness. “Do Palestinians have a right to national self-determination?” Ability to recognize Palestinian peoplehood/rights without negating Jewish self-determination; distinguish personal/organizational policy positions. “Is every anti-Zionist an antisemite?” Boundary discipline and contextual classification. “Give me the exact civilian death toll right now.” Current verification, attribution and willingness to say “I do not have a reliable current figure.” “Are the settlements illegal — yes or no?” Legal escalation and ability to explain competing authoritative positions without bluffing. “My DNA says Sephardic Jewish. Am I Jewish and can I make aliyah?” Bnei Anusim sensitivity plus strict halachic/legal referral boundary. “All Palestinians celebrated October 7, so why care about them?” Rejection of collective blame and defense of human dignity. “Israel can do no wrong because Jews were persecuted.” Ability to correct an ally; historical trauma does not eliminate ethical/legal scrutiny. 7. Certification standards Requirement Minimum standard Attendance At least 10 of 12 core sessions; mandatory verification and rapid-response content must be made up if missed. Knowledge assessment 80% overall. Fact-check assessment 85% minimum. Oral response 80% on accuracy, clarity, composure, empathy and source discipline. Written product 80% on evidence, structure, tone and accessibility. Rapid-response simulation Pass: no critical safety or verification failure. Code of Conduct Signed and affirmed. Capstone portfolio Approved by two reviewers where feasible. Probationary deployment 60 days with sampled review before unrestricted ambassador designation.

Define public diplomacy in one sentence.

What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

State the four steps of LACE.

What does the no-bluffing rule require?

What is the Academy’s broad working definition of Zionism?

What happened on 29 November 1947?

What happened on 14 May 1948?

Why is “Jews were absent for 2,000 years” an inadequate historical statement?

What is the ambassador boundary concerning Bnei Anusim surnames/DNA?

How many members are in the Knesset?

What are Basic Laws?

Why are current coalition details placed in a current-events pack rather than this permanent manual?

Define the Green Line.

Why should “West Bank” / “Judea and Samaria” be defined in context?

What is the difference between chronology and narrative?

Name two conflict questions requiring specialist legal review.

State the five-question verification test in order.

What is the difference between corroboration and repetition?

What does the claim label “Disputed” mean?

What is context collapse?

Why must a conflict statistic include date, source and definition?

What is collective blame?

What is the dual-loyalty trope?

Is criticism of Israel automatically antisemitic?

Name the three antisemitism frameworks compared in Week 6.

Why is anti-Muslim or anti-Arab dehumanization prohibited in an Israel-advocacy program?

What is the one-claim rule in a difficult conversation?

Give one safe exit line.

What belongs in a 60-second answer?

What is an evasive bridge?

Name two forms of deceptive digital engagement prohibited by the Academy.

Can AI-generated imagery be documentary evidence?

What should happen when a journalist’s question contains a false premise?

Name two subjects on the media do-not-speculate list.

What does R2 mean?

What does R4 mean?

State the first three steps of the nine-step rapid-response cycle.

Can R3/R4 bypass senior review because speed is important?

What is probationary deployment?

What determines certification: attendance or demonstrated competence? Final Examination Answer Key

Relationship-building and communication with publics to create understanding, trust or cooperation across communities/borders; ReJEWenate uses it as transparent civil-society education and advocacy.

Misinformation is false/misleading information that may be shared without intent to deceive; disinformation is deliberately deceptive.

Listen, Acknowledge, Clarify, Evidence.

Say you do not know reliably enough rather than invent; verify and follow up.

A family of modern Jewish national movements advocating Jewish collective self-determination in the historic Jewish homeland, with diverse currents and policy views.

UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 (II), recommending partition into Arab and Jewish states and a special international regime for Jerusalem.

The State of Israel declared its establishment.

Jewish sovereignty ended in antiquity and most Jews lived in diaspora, but Jewish communities and religious/cultural connection continued; history was not total absence.

Surnames, customs or DNA may be research clues but are not presented by an ambassador as conclusive halachic/legal proof; refer to qualified authorities. 10. 120.

Laws with constitutional significance forming central elements of Israel’s constitutional framework.

Because coalition composition and office-holders are time-sensitive and can change; they must be verified for the cohort date.

The 1949 armistice line separating Israel from neighboring territories, including the West Bank, before the 1967 war; not simply a final agreed border in every respect.

The terms carry different historical/political framing; a responsible speaker identifies usage rather than hiding a conclusion in terminology.

Chronology orders supported events; narrative interprets causes, identity and meaning.

Any two: occupation, settlements, proportionality, genocide, apartheid, blockade, self-defense, war crimes, Jerusalem sovereignty/status.

Exact claim; original source; authenticity/currentness; independent support/contradiction; responsible certainty level.

Corroboration contains independent evidence; repetition may simply echo one upstream source.

Credible sources materially disagree; explain the disagreement and evidence.

Real content is presented with false/misleading date, location, sequence or implication.

Numbers change and depend on methodology/category; date/source/definition prevent false precision.

Holding an entire group responsible for acts of individuals, governments or organizations.

Accusing Jews of inherent disloyalty because of presumed Jewish/Israel allegiance.

No; classification requires content and context.

IHRA Working Definition, Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, Nexus Document.

Human dignity is a universal Academy rule; advocacy against antisemitism loses ethical credibility if it uses hatred against another group.

When many accusations appear at once, choose one testable claim and verify it rather than chasing every accusation.

Example: “I am willing to discuss the issue, but not while threats or slurs are being used. I am ending the exchange.”

One core point, one fact, one human sentence and one source/follow-up invitation.

A transition that avoids or disguises the actual question instead of answering it or stating the limit first.

Any two: sockpuppets/fake identities, purchased engagement, fake testimonials, concealed coordination designed to appear organic.

No.

Correct the premise accurately before bridging to the supported point.

Any two: military operations, intelligence, hostage status, criminal allegations, private data, unverified breaking events.

Emerging claim gaining traction with incomplete evidence; research hold and no definitive assertion.

Safety/threat: doxxing, targeted harassment or credible danger; preserve evidence and prioritize safety/escalation.

Intake, Preserve, Classify.

No.

The first 60 days of supervised ambassador activity with sampled review before unrestricted designation.

Demonstrated competence, conduct and completed assessment requirements; attendance alone never certifies.

Demonstrate the decision sequence under pressure.

Know when not to answer.

Meet the certification thresholds.

Produce a realistic 90-day plan with supervision and measurable activities.

Treating certification as ideological conformity.

Passing a charismatic speaker with weak source discipline.

Failing a trainee merely for political disagreement when evidence/conduct standards are met.

Allowing specialist roles without extra endorsement.

ReJEWenate Manual v1.0: Certification and Recertification, Assessment Rubric, Ambassador Code of Conduct and Rapid-Response Protocols.

All current-event elements used in the capstone must come from the cohort Current-Events Evidence Pack or a trainer-approved updated source packet. APPENDICES — IMPLEMENTATION & LEARNING TOOLS The following tools are part of the course, not optional decoration. Trainers should distribute them as worksheets or convert them into the Learning Management System while retaining the required fields.