A Country’s Reputation is Part of National Security

He should know. Aronoff, who teaches a course in non-product branding, was Israel’s longest serving ambassador, general counsel of New York. “Nation branding centers around measuring and managing the reputation of a country,” he says. “What is the perceived level of strength, esteem, relevance and knowledge consumers have about the place?”

He underscores that it’s not only what a nation represents but how that reality is communicated to the relevant audiences, particularly in this fraught and dangerous age of disinformation.

“One of the reasons Israel is having such difficulty now is because of the loss of people’s ability to process complexity and nuance and, frankly, because of the loss of objective truth,” he says. “Everyone has their own truth today. As we enter the post-truth era fueled by the merciless algorithm, I want to give students tools to accurately assess the stature of Israel’s brand, as well as other brands.”

Aronoff sees an opportunity for Touro to align with the spirit of Israel’s true character.

“My goal is to engage Touro with the Israeli ecosystem that goes beyond its prowess in technology,” Aronoff says. “I would like to enhance everything connected with Israel’s earned reputation for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. The Israeli ecosystem excels in solving problems as a way of life, and I would like to bring that to Touro.”

And in doing so, Aronoff hopes his students will be ready to participate in building a better future. “The skills I want my students to learn are how to come up with a vision, articulate it and galvanize people around it,” he says.

“That is the key to success in Jewish life and leadership. We are facing a difficult time, and we need a new generation of leaders. It is my hope that some of these leaders will come from the ranks of Touro University.”