Beginning in January of this year, Aaron Poris joined the Jewish Federation of Detroit as Senior Associate in the Israel & Overseas Department. His portfolio centers around overseeing JFD Missions abroad, educational and internship programs like “Get There” and “Onward” and planning annual community events for Yom HaAtmaut and Yom Hazikaron. Through programs, partnerships and missions, his work focuses on building meaningful, people-to-people relationships—something he sees as the foundation of any strong community.
Aaron is especially passionate about helping people experience Israel firsthand. He believes that real understanding doesn’t come from a distance, but through direct engagement—with the people, the culture and the complexity of the country itself. His goal is to help participants walk away with a clearer, more nuanced perspective of Israel as it truly is: incredible, strong, diverse, dynamic, imperfect and often misunderstood.
That perspective comes from his own lived experiences.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit to an Israeli mother and American father, Aaron grew up with a strong connection to both communities. After graduating from Wayne State University with a degree in Art Education, he began his career as a K–12 fine arts teacher; and art continues to play an important role in his life today. Aaron works across multiple mediums, including drawing, painting, jewelry, printmaking and ceramics… and he continues to teach ceramics at the Farmington Civic Center (The Hawk).
In 2015, Aaron moved to Israel, a decision rooted in his personal values and desire to more deeply engage with the Jewish state and his heritage. What began as a life transition evolved into a media career. He joined ILTV English News in September 2015, starting in behind-the-scenes editing and going on to eventually become the Lead Anchor and Chief Editor—helping deliver Israeli news and stories to English-speaking audiences around the world.
Then, moving from ILTV to The Media Line news in early 2023, Aaron continued to cover a wide range of stories—spanning culture, society, politics and major regional events including the horrors of October 7, 2023. His work also appeared in outlets such as YNET, JPost and the Jewish Journal.
After nearly a decade in Israel, Aaron returned to Detroit with his wife and daughter—bringing with him both professional experience and a deeper sense of what it means to belong.
