Laureen Lipsky expands Israel education through Taking Back the Narrative

Laureen Lipsky, CEO and founder of Taking Back the Narrative, is building education programs, training and speaking engagements focused on Judean history, Israel and Zionism. Her work is aimed at countering antisemitism with historical context and source-backed materials.

Why it matters: - Laureen Lipsky is using education, not politics, to challenge antisemitism and misinformation about Israel. - Taking Back the Narrative aims to reach Jews and non-Jews with historical material that frames Judean history through empowerment rather than victimhood. - The company says its content is designed to help audiences understand Israel, Zionism and Judean history with sourced, vetted material.

What happened: - Laureen Lipsky is the CEO and founder of Taking Back the Narrative, a Zionism education company based at Taking Back the Narrative. - The company develops educational materials, educator training and speaking engagements focused on Israel and Judean history. - Influential Women featured Lipsky for her work in historical education and advocacy. - Lipsky also maintains a profile through Influential Women.

The details: - Lipsky says her background is unusual because she was anti-Israel for 20 years before becoming a Zionist in 2014. - She says CNN coverage in 2014 pushed her to research Israel, the Middle East and Judean history more deeply. - Her writing has appeared in The Federalist, American Thinker, Times of Israel, Washington Examiner, Algemeiner, Israel Hayom and JNS. - She also wrote “The Semantics of Antisemitism” for The Center for Security Policy. - Lipsky has appeared on podcasts and on JBS’ Eye on Israel with Shahar Azani. - Since 2014, she has used her social media accounts for Israel education. - She was a runner-up in the Jewish People’s Choice Awards for the “Defender of Israel” award in 2018. - Taking Back the Narrative launched at the end of 2021. - The company says all website materials have been triple-vetted by Middle East affairs experts and that topic pages include source materials. - Current offerings include The Zionist Corner newsletter, The Zionist Corner TBTN podcast, the Israel Explained: Through the Lens of History course series, client education partnerships, nationwide speaking engagements and education leadership training. - Her flagship course, Israel Explained: Through the Lens of History, is a six-week program covering events from ancient times through Israel’s liberation in 1948. - The course has reached participants from multiple backgrounds around the world. - Lipsky is fluent in English and Russian. - Her professional background includes finance, advertising, real estate, fundraising and nonprofit management. - She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a focus in Finance from American University. - She later completed a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. - Her earlier work included advertising and a pricing analyst role at Corcoran Sunshine. - She founded a fundraising events company called Charity Scene and spent six years in nonprofit management. - Lipsky says a major health challenge in 2019 led her to focus fully on Zionism education and to found Taking Back the Narrative. - She says her teenage babysitting business taught her leadership, determination and initiative. - By age 15, she was managing other workers in that business. - She advises young women to follow their passion, stay true to their principles and build a clear plan. - She says perseverance, integrity, hard work and relationship building guide her work and personal life. - She supports the American Sephardi Federation, ZAKA and Tunnels to Towers. - Outside work, she enjoys tennis, cultural experiences, reading and international travel.

Between the lines: - Lipsky’s pitch is broader than one organization’s advocacy; it is a deliberate effort to reframe Israel education as a history and terminology issue. - The focus on vetted sources and educator training suggests an attempt to build credibility in a highly contested information space. - Her story also reflects a common advocacy pattern: personal transformation becomes the foundation for public-facing educational work.

What’s next: - Taking Back the Narrative is continuing to expand through newsletters, podcasts, classes, partnerships and speaking engagements. - Lipsky is likely to keep targeting broader audiences, including educators and community groups, as she pushes for wider adoption of her historical framing. - The profile points to continued growth in public speaking and education leadership as core parts of her work.

The bottom line: - Laureen Lipsky is turning personal conviction into a structured education platform aimed at changing how audiences learn about Israel, Zionism and Judean history.