Jul 5, 2018
Miami Diller Teens Experience Israel
The Miami Diller Teens Fellows are exploring Israel and solidifying their bonds with their fellow Diller participants from Federation’s partnership city of Yerucham, as part of the Jewish Communities’ Mifgash (meeting). Their three-week journey included a busy week in the Negev, where the teens enjoyed home hospitality with the families of their Diller counterparts. While there, they met with Yerucham Deputy Mayor Tal Ohana, participated in an interactive cooking experience with the Culinary Queens of Yerucham, visited David Ben-Gurion’s home where they studied his life as a leader and intellectual, and of course, celebrated Shabbat with their host families. Diller Teen Fellow Ilan Alcalay said, “These events have really incorporated tradition and culture in ways that I am not used to seeing.”
In addition to their time in Yerucham, the fellows also joined 15 other Diller communities from around the world for the 2018 International Shabbaton in Jerusalem. There, hundreds of fellows, junior counselors and coordinators gathered to spend a memorable Shabbat in the Holy Land. Miami junior counselor Megan Orlanski said, “The experience created meaningful bonds and encouraged everyone to explore how Jews today live in the diaspora while conveying the importance of maintaining a connection to one another.”
The Miami Diller cohort also had the opportunity to gather with 700 other Fellows from around the world for a Global Congress, where they discussed Jewish identity and pluralism.
Diller Teen Fellows is an international, immersive leadership program. Participants attend a variety of meaningful and educational events, including Sunday workshops, thought-provoking weekend retreats and an inspiring three-week seminar in Israel. Diller is operated in Miami by Federation’s subsidiary agency, the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE). For more information, click here.
