Network Personnel Placement Investigation

Personnel Network Intelligence Dossier: The Vine & Fig Tree Policy Procurement and Allied Talent Pipelines Financial Topology and Capital Integration The systematic placement of ideologically curated personnel into key administrative, diplomatic, and executive nodes within the United States government relies on a sophisticated upstream financial architecture. At the apex of this network is the Vine & Fig Tree funding apparatus, which functions as a relationship-based, invitation-only grantmaker. It operates through two primary legal entities: the Vine & Fig Tree Institute I Inc. and the Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc.. The Vine & Fig Tree Institute I Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation established in New York and led by a tight board of directors. It generated $3,001,041 in total revenue in the fiscal year ending December 2024, of which $850,000 was disbursed as a single foundational grant to its sister organization, the Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc., which secured its tax-exempt status in February 2025. [span_2](start_span)[span_2](end_span)[span_4](start_span)[span_4](end_span)[span_6](start _span)[span_6](end_span)+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Vine & Fig Tree Institute I Inc | | Revenue: $3,001,041 (FY 2024) [span_11](start_span)[span_11](end_span) | | Officers: Michael Davis (President), Ari Gontownik [span_12](start_span)[span_12](end_span) | +------------------------------+------------------------------+ | | Disburses $850,000 v (Dec 2024) [span_13](start_span)[span_13](end_span) +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc | | Tax-Exempt Status: Feb 2025 [span_15](start_span)[span_15](end_span) | +------------------------------+------------------------------+ | +---------------------+---------------------+ | Grants $100,000 | Grants $100,000 | (2024) [span_16](start_span)[span_16](end_span) | (2024) [span_34](start_span)[span_34](end_span) v v +------------------------------+ +--------------------------------+ | The Philos Project | | Merona Leadership Foundation | | Acting CEO: Luke Moon | | Total Assets: Multi-Million | +------------------------------+ +---------------+----------------+ | | Disburses Grants v [span_35](start_span)[span_35](end_span) +--------------------------------+ | - Central Fund of Israel | | - JINSA | | - Zachor Legal Institute | | - Defending Education | +--------------------------------+ This capital is strategically combined with funding from conservative and pro-Israel private foundations to finance downstream execution networks, primarily the Philos Project and the Merona Leadership Foundation. In 2024, the Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc. distributed general operating grants of $100,000 to the Philos Project and $100,000 to the Merona Leadership Foundation. The Merona Leadership Foundation acts as a vital clearinghouse, distributing its capital to hardline policy, legal, and educational organizations. Between 2020 and 2024, Merona directed substantial grants to the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), the Central Fund of Israel, the Zachor Legal Institute, Defending Education, and the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation. This distribution network ensures that parallel legal and strategic operations are fully funded to protect the pipeline's interests. The multi-year upstream capital flows that sustain the Philos Project's operations are detailed below: Grantmaker / Institutional Funder Year Amount Received Dedicated Program / Purpose National Philanthropic Trust 2023 $6,029,901 Culture, Arts, and Public Benefit National Philanthropic Trust 2024 $3,600,000 Core Educational Programs The Marcus Foundation 2023 $1,000,000 Support of Exempt Purposes The Marcus Foundation 2024 $1,000,000 Support of Exempt Purposes Donors Trust Inc. 2022 $600,000 General Operations Donors Trust Inc. 2023 $350,250 General Operations Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation 2021 $250,000 Philos Leadership Institute (PLI) Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation 2022 $250,000 Philos Leadership Institute (PLI) Helen Diller Family Foundation 2022 $100,000 General Operating Support Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston 2022 $180,000 Near East Advocacy Initiatives The Snider Foundation 2023 $115,000 Core Operations and Outreach The Philos Project, in turn, acts as a grantmaker, distributing targeted funds to downstream allies that reinforce its policy priorities. This includes multi-year disbursements to the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) ($100,000 in 2020 and $252,000 in 2018), King’s College ($200,000 in 2020 and $92,001 in 2022) to educate students in" Hebraic thought, " and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. These strategic disbursements are designed to build a unified theological and political front that supports the network's long-term placement strategy. The Talent Pipeline Matrix To secure direct influence over policy procurement, the funding network utilizes three core educational and fellowship pipelines. These programs recruit, train, and place ideologically aligned personnel into specific administrative nodes: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | THE PIPELINE PLACEMENT FLOW | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 1. RECRUITMENT & EDUCATION -> 2. FINISHING SCHOOLS | | Passages America Israel and The Hertog Foundation provides intensive | | Hebraic thought programs identify fellowships in war studies and political | | promising students.[span_55](start_span)[span_55](end_span)[span_56](start_span)[span_56](end_span) philosophy to build strategic depth.[span_57](start_span)[span_57](end_span)| +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | v | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 3. INTELLECTUAL ALIGNMENT -> 4. PLACEMENT & INJECTION | | The Philos Leadership Institute Personnel are placed into State Dept, NSC, | | (PLI) provides theological and and speechwriting desks to integrate policy | | security training.[span_58](start_span)[span_58](end_span)[span_59](start_span)[span_59](end_span) memoranda directly into gov.[span_60](start_span)[span_60](end_span)[span_61](start_span)[span_61](end_span) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ 1. Passages America Israel Founded in 2016 by Robert Nicholson and Netanyahu advisor Rivka Kidron, Passages operates as a highly subsidized" Christian Birthright" program. Funded by Paul Singer, Steve Green (Hobby Lobby), and the Philos Project, Passages has brought more than 10,000 Christian college students to Israel. The program focuses on" strengthening Christian faith" while systematically connecting participants with modern Israel, cultivating them to become an" informed voice" in government and public policy. 2. The Philos Leadership Institute (PLI) and Pathfinder Program The PLI, directed by Isaac Woodward—who has a background in congressional campaigns and tech election teams—serves as the primary theological and political training ground. It offers the Pathfinder Leadership Program, a four-month intensive apprentice curriculum. This program integrates classical realist geopolitics with" Hebraic Tradition" theology, teaching that American national security is fundamentally linked to a strong, hawkish U. S. posture in the Middle East. 3. The Hertog Foundation Roger Hertog’s educational foundation provides intensive fellowships in political studies, constitutional law, and war studies. Led by Cheryl Miller, a former White House speechwriting researcher, Hertog acts as an elite finishing school. It teaches coursework on the" Persuasion and Power" of rhetoric, classical military strategy, and statecraft. This curriculum prepares fellows to assume highly technical communications, speechwriting, and planning roles within the executive branch. Comprehensive Personnel Roster The following roster documents key individuals who have transitioned from these specific funded fellowship and leadership pipelines into executive, legislative, and allied policy roles. Name Pipeline Association Target Administrative Node Placement Trajectory & Key Institutional Affiliations Andrew Doran Philos Project Senior Fellow U. S. State Department (Policy Planning Staff) Senior Advisor on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff (2018–2021); Co-founder of IDC; former Director of Crossroads Inc.; U. S. Army veteran. Peter Burns Philos Leadership Institute Alumnus U. S. State Department (Office of IRF) Special Assistant to the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; former Policy Analyst for Gov. Sam Brownback; Government Relations Director at IDC. Phillip Dolitsky Philos Project Strategic Advisor U. S. Senate (Office of Sen. Jim Banks) Appointed Senate Speechwriter in November 2025; extensive writer on military strategy and classical realism in Parameters and Providence. Cheryl Miller Hertog Foundation Executive Director White House Office of Presidential Served as Deputy Director of Research in Name Pipeline Association Target Administrative Node Placement Trajectory & Key Institutional Affiliations Speechwriting the Office of Presidential Speechwriting; research assistant to David Brooks. Stefan Johnson Hertog Political Studies Alumnus White House staff Placed directly into the White House; 2013 Truman Scholar; current Deputy CFO of the Philadelphia City Council. Alexandra Jackson Hertog War Studies Alumna U. S. State Department Active State Department official; former researcher at FDD and Brookings Institution. Ashley Muse Philos Leadership Institute (2017 Alumna) U. S. Congress (Legislative Staff) Active congressional staffer; serves concurrently as the President of the Philos Project's Washington, D. C., chapter. Andrea Arellano Philos Leadership Institute Alumna Public Interest Fellowship / Legal Policy Node Research Associate at Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC; former researcher at Charlotte Lozier Institute and Susan B. Anthony List. Rebecca Gonzales Philos Leadership Institute Alumna Philos Project (Constituent Relations Director) Director of Constituent Relations for Philos; former researcher at the Charlotte Lozier Institute; founder of Network of Enlightened Women. Mariam Hertog Political Science Fellow FDD / In Defense of Christians (IDC) Former Associate Director of Advocacy at Philos Project; Tikvah Fund Journalism Fellow; Policy Associate at IDC. Jimmy Lewis Philos Leadership Institute Alumnus IRD / FIRE Visiting Fellow at the Institute on Religion and Democracy; Name Pipeline Association Target Administrative Node Placement Trajectory & Key Institutional Affiliations Washington Examiner Constitutional Fellow; works with FIRE. Mattie Harris Philos Leadership Institute Fellow Journal of School Choice / Academic Nodes Researcher on education-based initiatives addressing antisemitism; EdChoice Academy participant. George Goss Philos Leadership Institute Alumnus Philos Project (Communications Associate) Communications associate at Philos; graduated from Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. Isaac Woodward Philos Leadership Institute Director Political Campaigns / Tech Election Teams Directs PLI recruitment; background on Google and Facebook election teams and Capitol Hill staff. Susanna Hoffman Passages Alumna Philos Project (Social Media Director) Social Media Director for Philos Project; graduate of Patrick Henry College; active in Abraham's Missing Child Initiative in Athens. Mechanism of Domestic Coalition Laundering The strategic deployment of the Vine & Fig Tree Fund’s capital relies on a sophisticated" domestic laundering" loop. This mechanism is designed to transform targeted foreign policy alignment into seemingly organic, grass-roots domestic pressure. Rather than lobbying directly as representatives of a foreign state, the network uses tax-exempt nonprofit structures to build, fund, and mobilize domestic religious and ethnic coalitions. +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Vine & Fig Tree Institute I Inc | | (Michael Davis, Ari Gontownik) | +---------------------------+---------------------------+ | v ($850K Grant) +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc | +---------------------------+---------------------------+ | +---------------+---------------+ | ($100K) | ($100K) v v +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ | The Philos Project | | Merona Leadership | | (Luke Moon, CEO) | | Foundation | +-----------+-----------[span_14](start_span)[span_14](end_span)+ +-----------+-----------+ | | +------+------+ +-----+-----+ | | | | v v v [span_29](start_span)[span_29](end_span) v +-----[span_39](start_span)[span_39](end_span)-----+ +-----------+ +----------+ +----------+ | Philos | | Philos | | JINSA | | Zachor | | Black | | Latino | | | | Legal | | | | [span_174](start_span)[span_174](end_span) | +----------+ | | +---[span_40](start_span)[span_40](end_span)-------+ +-----------+ +----------+ The execution of this laundering mechanism operates through four distinct phases: 1. Capital Dispersal and Structural Isolation Upstream capital from the Vine & Fig Tree Institute I Inc. is transferred to the Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc., which distributes it to the Philos Project and the Merona Leadership Foundation. This structure isolates the primary donors (such as Paul Singer and Steve Green) from the direct execution of political actions, protecting them from public scrutiny. 2. Demographic and Ethnic Coalition Mobilization Rather than conducting general advocacy, the Philos Project uses its multi-million dollar budget to build specialized coalitions that target key domestic demographics: ● Philos Latino: Philos provides significant grants to Hombres de Palabra ($171,000 in 2024) to mobilize Hispanic pastor alliances. It also funds the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference ($200,000 in 2016) to build a pro-Israel constituency within the rapidly growing Hispanic Christian demographic. ● Philos Black: This initiative is designed to identify, train, and fund the next generation of African-American Christian leaders, introducing them to the" Hebraic Tradition" to counter pro-Palestinian sentiments within historic Black churches. ● Abraham’s Missing Child Initiative: This program works directly with minority communities in the Near East. By bringing representatives to international summits (such as the Athens summit), the network presents its foreign policy agenda as a humanitarian mission to protect religious minorities. 3. Coordinated Grassroots Pressure and Media Interventions When key foreign policy decisions are pending in Washington, these coalitions are mobilized to project unified domestic support. The Philos Action League coordinates rapid-response protests, prayer vigils before the White House, and marches designed to dominate national media coverage. These actions are presented to policymakers as spontaneous expressions of faith-based solidarity. This framing masks the strategic coordination of the network, which is led by figures like Rivka Kidron, a former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 4. Counter-Isolationism Operations To preserve the conservative consensus in the United States, the network actively polices the American right. During the May 2026 conservative rallying conferences, Philos Executive Director Luke Moon spearheaded a public campaign targeting prominent right-wing isolationists, including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes. Moon denounced their isolationist rhetoric as antisemitic, establishing a public pledge to serve as a" firewall" on the right. This defensive strategy protects the pipeline's policy alignment by casting any deviation from a hawkish, pro-Israel foreign policy as morally unacceptable. Faith-Based Public Liaison Offices and Foreign Policy Alignment The OPL has historically been used to build domestic coalitions that support the administration's policy goals. The Vine & Fig Tree network leverages this structural role by positioning its personnel as key intermediaries between faith communities and the executive branch. This strategy is illustrated by the career of Zach Bauer. Bauer moved directly from his role on Vice President Mike Pence's staff—where he helped coordinate outreach to conservative Christian organizations—to become the CEO of Passages. This transition allowed Passages to maintain direct, informal channels into the White House's faith-based liaison desks, ensuring that domestic religious engagement remained aligned with hawkish Middle East defense priorities. This alignment relies on a shared theological and political framework: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | THEOLOGICAL-POLICY ALIGNMENT MAP | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | -> Vine & Fig Tree / Paul Singer Foundation [span_198](start_span)[span_198](end_span)[span_199](start_span)[span_199](end_span) | | | | | v | | -> Hebraic Thought & Biblical Roots [span_200](start_span)[span_200](end_span)[span_201](start_span)[span_201](end_span)[spa n_202](start_span)[span_202](end_span) | | | | | v | | -> White House Office of Public Liaison [span_203](start_span)[span_203](end_span) | | | | | v | | -> Abraham Accords Normalization [span_204](start_span)[span_204](end_span) | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ By funding programs like the Hebraic thought curriculum at King’s College and Passages'" Christian Birthright" trips, the network establishes a unified vocabulary. When OPL staffers engage with domestic Christian organizations, they use this shared vocabulary to frame complex geopolitical objectives—such as the expansion of the Abraham Accords—as biblical mandates. This alignment allows the network to steer the OPL's domestic outreach. Under this model, the OPL does not just receive feedback from domestic constituencies; it actively produces pro-Israel advocacy, presenting the strategic objectives of the funding network as the authentic voice of the American faith community. Strategic Content and Memoranda Injection The ultimate objective of this talent placement strategy is the seamless, verbatim absorption of strategic content into official executive policy. This process is facilitated by placing pipeline alumni as writers and advisors who then" receive" and adopt policy briefs produced by their parent organizations. The primary vehicle for this narrative injection is Providence: A Journal of Christian Realism, published by the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD). The IRD is heavily funded by the Philos Project, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct grants. Providence acts as an intellectual clearinghouse where Philos fellows and administrative staffers publish strategic frameworks. A prominent example of this narrative injection is the policy blueprint co-authored by Philos Executive Director Luke Moon and Senate Speechwriter Phillip Dolitsky. This memorandum outlines five specific strategies designed for direct administrative adoption: 1. Unconditional Munitions and Intelligence Integration The blueprint demands that the White House bypass traditional diplomatic constraints by providing swift, unconditional munitions deliveries and integrating American intelligence directly with Israeli operations. This is framed not as a regional military strategy, but as a moral obligation to protect Western civilization. 2. Maximum Pressure and Direct Military Action Against Iran It advocates for the immediate restoration of the" maximum pressure" sanctions campaign against Iran. Crucially, the brief injects the recommendation that the administration must be prepared to conduct direct military strikes against Iranian nuclear assets. 3. Creation of a Domestic Antisemitism Envoy within the Department of Justice Recognizing that the State Department's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism is limited to foreign affairs, the brief proposes a brand-new administrative office. By creating a domestic envoy attached to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the network seeks to utilize federal law enforcement to monitor and prosecute domestic political speech. 4. Financial Penalization of Educational Institutions The memorandum outlines a mechanism to revoke the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status of American universities that fail to suppress anti-Israel student movements. This strategy directly links federal tax policy to the policing of campus speech. 5. Deployment of DHS Deportation Mechanisms It recommends that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) actively deport foreign students and faculty members on visas who participate in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, categorizing such participation as supporting terrorism. When pipeline alumni within speechwriting teams and policy shops draft executive communications, they draw directly from these pre-fabricated frameworks. The policy briefs are successfully absorbed into official administrative positions, effectively utilizing domestic national security, educational, and tax policies to serve a coordinated foreign policy agenda. Works cited 1. VINE & FIG TREE INSTITUTE I INC - 501(c)3 - Impala, https://app. impala. digital/profile/3224330/overview 2. Vine and Fig Tree Institute I | New York, NY | Cause IQ, https://www. causeiq. com/organizations/vine-and-fig-tree-institute-i,992090467/ 3. Vine & Fig Tree Fund Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica, https://projects. propublica. org/nonprofits/organizations/992100887 4. Philos Project - Influence Watch, https://www. influencewatch. org/non-profit/philos-project/ 5. Merona Leadership Foundation - Influence Watch, https://www. influencewatch. org/non-profit/merona-leadership-foundation/ 6. A Pilgrimage to Israel for $500 - Philanthropy Roundtable, https://www. philanthropyroundtable. org/magazine/a-pilgrimage-to-israel-for-500/ 7. Scores of US university students tour Israel on faith-based" Christian Birthright' trip, https://www. jns. org/feature/scores-of-us-university-students-tour-israel-on-faith-based-christian- birthright-trip 8. Paul Singer (businessman) - Wikipedia, https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paul_Singer_(businessman) 9. When Hobby Lobby Tours the Holy Land: The Back Story of Passages, Museum of the Bible's Christian Zionist Pilgrimage, https://bibleinterp. arizona. edu/articles/2017/09/cha418027 10. The Philos Project | New York, NY | Cause IQ, https://www. causeiq. com/organizations/the-philos-project,471182714/ 11. In Prayer for the People of Israel - Juicy Ecumenism, https://juicyecumenism. com/2023/10/13/prayer-people-israel/ 12. First Ever IPF Atid Group Departs for Israel, West Bank, https://israelpolicyforum. org/2019/07/14/first-ever-ipf-atid-group-departs-for-israel-west-bank/ 13. Meet Our Alumni - Hertog Foundation, https://hertogfoundation. org/meet-our-alumni 14. Roger Hertog - Wikipedia, https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Roger_Hertog 15. The Great Antidote: Cheryl Miller on Hertog and the Humanities | Adam Smith Works, https://www. adamsmithworks. org/podcasts/great-antidote-podcast-miller-hertog-humanities-dec ember-2023 16. Persuasion & Power - Hertog Foundation, https://hertogfoundation. org/courses/persuasion-power-2 17. Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric - Hertog Foundation, https://hertogfoundation. org/courses/aristotles-art-of-rhetoric 18. Hertog Foundation: Home, https://hertogfoundation. org/ 19. Alumna Highlight: how Susanna Hoffman helps foster unity in the Near East, https://www. phc. edu/news/alumna-spotlight-susanna-hoffman 20. Annual Report - Philos Project, https://philosproject. org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-Philos-Project-Annual-Report-2024. pd f 21. Conservatives rally against right-wing podcasters fueling antisemitism - Washington Times, https://www. washingtontimes. com/news/2026/may/21/conservatives-rally-right-wing-podcasters- fueling-antisemitism/ 22. At Trump's Right Hand | Harvard Divinity Bulletin, https://bulletin. hds. harvard. edu/at-trumps-right-hand/ 23. “Year of the Bible, 1983”. Reframing the U. S. as a Christian Nation, https://shs. cairn. info/article/ASSR_210_0027/pdf? lang=en 24. IDC and The Philos Project Applaud the Formation of the Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus - In Defense of Christians, https://indefenseofchristians. org/idc-and-the-philos-project-applaud-the-formation-of-the-congre ssional-abraham-accords-caucus/ 25. George Goss - Providence, https://providencemag. com/authors/george-goss/ 26. Peter Burns - Tikvah, https://tikvah. org/people/peter-burns/ 27. Phillip Dolitsky - Providence, https://providencemag. com/authors/phillip-dolitsky/ 28. Trump's Opportunity to Stabilize the Near East & Crush Antisemitism at Home - Providence, https://providencemag. com/2024/12/trumps-opportunity-to-stabilize-the-near-east-crush-antisem itism-at-home-1/ 29. Andrew Doran - | The European Conservative, https://europeanconservative. com/articles/author/andrew-doran/