‘We are all one big Jewish people’
'After almost a year, I feel inspired, empowered and equipped with important tools to help make the world a better place.'
A GROUP of 20 teenagers from Melbourne have just returned home after a three-week seminar in Israel as part of the year-long Diller Teen Fellowship .
The Australian students joined 350 other Jewish teens from 16 global communities.
The Diller Teen Fellows program is one of the world’s leading global leadership opportunities for Jewish teenagers. Participants are self-identified Jewish year 10 and 11 students selected to participate for their leadership potential and encouraged to apply for this international program.
The Diller Teen Fellows program has been cultivating new generations of Jewish leaders since 1998. It started when philanthropist Helen Diller observed the effectiveness of existing leadership programs for young professionals and saw the need to reach potential leaders much earlier, when they are in the critical teenage years. Today, there are more than 6500 Diller alumni worldwide.
Jen Smith, executive director of the Helen Diller Family Foundation Programs, says, “At a time when our world can feel more fractured and divided than ever before, Diller Teen Fellows from across the globe are uniting to build understanding, create connections and help repair the world.”
Smith added, “Diller serves as a foundational year that can impact the lifetime of a teen, as they explore their Jewish identity and the good they want to do in the world as a leader.”
After arriving in Israel, the teens travel and learn about the country, experience a Shabbaton retreat experience and participate in a community week with teens from their Israel-partnership communities, including Upper Galilee, Rishon Lezion, Karmiel/Misgav, Be’er Sheva, Haifa and more.
Throughout the year-long program, all teen fellows across the globe participate in local workshops in Hebrew where they learn about the diversity of their local Jewish community and peers, and have hands-on opportunities to lead tikkun olam initiatives.
The participants also have the opportunity to attend local weekend retreats as part of the fellowship.
Jade Miller, who is a year 10 student at Leibler Yavneh College, said, “After almost a year, I feel inspired, empowered and equipped with important tools to help make the world a better place.”
She added, “Connecting with teens from around the world has provided me with the opportunity to explore different opinions and be reminded that ultimately, we are all one big Jewish people.”
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