Global Israel Fellowship

The Global Israel Fellowship a unique, fully funded opportunity that provides a constructive space for young teen leaders from around the world to learn about, grapple with, explore, and engage with Israel. This exclusive group will navigate the country’s many complexities, its challenges and triumphs—inclusive of different perspectives—and survey the ever-changing relationship between the Jewish State and community worldwide. Through tailored educational content, specialized facilitation trainings, and a comprehensive emphasis on practical application, we aim to develop a cadre of knowledgeable teen facilitators, capable of respectful dialogue and nuanced and effective programming.

The tragedy of October 7 and the unfolding events following it reminded us how significant Israel is to our Jewish identity and how complex and fragile is our relationship with it. This year in particular, the Global Israel Fellowship will be adjusted to the changing reality in Israel and will continue to be a safe space for teens to learn, question, and grapple with their relationship with the Jewish state.

• Fall 2024 Grades: 10–12

• Cost: No cost, by application

• Stipend: Completion of Fellowship includes up to $1,000 programming grant for your home community and $1,000 merit scholarship or 8 points towards your RootOne travel voucher towards ILSI, ILTC, or International Kallah for summer 2025 only.

• Location: Virtual, we meet on Zoom

• Application Deadline: Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
  *Apply through the International Leadership Network (click on "Cohorts" and scroll to "Global Israel Fellowship").

Fellowship Dates

FAQs

What does the Fellowship entail?

• Virtual sessions throughout the fall semester

• Commitment to run at least one follow-up program in your local community with mentorship

• Opportunity to be part of an amazing cohort of global teen leaders

• Up to $1,000 stipend to run Israel programming in your home community

• $1,000 or 8 points towards RootOne travel voucher towards ILSI, ILTC, or International Kallah in summer 2025

• Exclusive swag

• Learning from some of the best and brightest thinkers and influencers on Israel, Palestine, and beyond

Tell me more about what I’ll be learning.
Our curriculum focuses on the makeup of Israel—its history, politics, people, and land, while also emphasizing development of core facilitation skills. The program opens with an intensive seminar that frames the importance of constructive deliberation and facilitation, followed by a series of in-depth experiential classes on Israel’s history and modern landscape.

The Fellowship also includes a guided mentorship program, which will pair you with an experienced educator and a small cohort group. The mentorship experience will provide support for building your own program, extra learning based on your individual interests, and more.

Who can apply for the Fellowship?
The Fellowship is open to current 10th through 12th graders from around the world. Ideal candidates are mature and creative thinkers with strong interpersonal skills, an interest in global learning, and the capacity to disagree respectfully.

Do I need to know a lot about Israel to apply? Do I have to think a certain way?
We welcome all teens who are interested in learning—no prior experience necessary! We are not prescriptive in our approach and we strive to make sure our cohort represents a plurality of voices and views on Israel.

Who have some of your speakers been?
Past sessions have included meetings with Ali Abu Awad, noted Palestinian activist; Adi Keissar, Israeli political poet; Eylon Levy, Knesset journalist; Yochi Rapoport, Executive Director of Women of the Wall; and more.

What is the application process like?
Applications for the Fall 2024 Cohort consist of:

• Some basic information

• A short video of yourself

• Name of a BBYO staff member or advisor to serve as reference

Finalists will be notified if they have been selected to participate in the Fellowship on or around September 1, 2024.

More questions? Email Noam Dahary, BBYO Director of Israel Enrichment, at [email protected].

Meet the Mentors

Lauren Cohen Fisher

Lauren Cohen Fisher is the Assoc. Director of Israel Education for Hillel International, where she currently directs Masterclass: Israel, a training fellowship for Hillel Professionals across North America. She has taught about the Israeli landscape for global, national, and regional audiences (including BBYO's IC) for the last 7 years. Her approach integrates history with narrative, seeking to unpack complexity and explore values in tension. In her previous role as the Director of Israel Education at Harvard Hillel, Lauren crafted the institution's strategic vision for Israel education. Lauren received her BA in Government from Colby College and her MA in Political Science from Tel Aviv University. A summer camp counselor at heart, Lauren's favorite pastime is finding the right ice breaker for the moment and reminiscing on her memories at the Cohen Camps, where she spent nearly 15 summers.

Joey Eisman

Joey Eisman is a professional experiential educator and currently a PhD student in Educational Psychology at Temple University. He received a B.S. from the University of Michigan, an M.A. from Columbia University, and is a graduate of the M2 Senior Educators Cohort. He served as the Senior Program Manager for Global Engagement at BBYO, where he managed BBYO’s global expansion strategy, reaching Jewish teens in over 40 countries. During his tenure at BBYO he also oversaw the Israel programming and led ILSI for 6 summers! Joey loves Israel and has been almost 20 times. In fact,Israel is such an important part of him that it is his middle name!

Kevin Levin

Kevin Levin is a sociologist and Jewish Educator born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has an MA in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies from Columbia University and has published articles related to Israel and the Middle East for academic and media outlets. He currently serves as academic director of Martin Buber High School in Buenos Aires and is a volunteer at different community organizations

Jonathan Posner

Jonathan Posner is a Chef, educator, and Rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He has been involved with BBYO as a Jewish Enrichment Consultant since 2018, has worked with regions across North America, and has spent time at Perlman Camp as an educator for ILTC and Kallah. In addition to cooking and keeping his knives sharp, Jonathan loves coffee shops, playing bass, writing poetry, and learning languages.

Jill Rosenberg

Jill Rosenberg is a facilitator, trainer, and learning and development professional. She has spent nearly two decades serving the Jewish community in Montreal, Canada where she is originally from, in the San Francisco Bay Area where she has lived for the past thirteen years, and now globally as her consulting practice supports clients working with remote workforce, talent development, and virtual events. She is a mission-driven person, bringing both humor and passion to everything she does, including cooking, baking, and eating great food!

Chaim Steinberg

Chaim Steinberg has been working in Jewish Formal and Informal education for over 20 years. Currently he is a Middle School Social Studies teacher in Pittsburgh, PA, likes to read comics and play video games with his two sons, and has been baking up a storm over the past few months.

Marissa Tait

Marissa Tait has been an educator in the Pittsburgh Jewish community since 2014, working with all ages, from preschool through high school. She is currently the Director of Youth Programming at Congregation Beth Shalom as well as Senior Youth Group Advisor at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Marissa is passionate about empowering Jewish teens to explore their identity, pursue social justice causes, and to create and lead their own programs that help build and strengthen their community. Marissa uses experiential learning to create an open and honest dialogue where students ask tough questions of themselves and their community.

Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath

Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath is a Jewish educator and lifelong learner. A native Long Islander, Samantha is a true 'wandering Jew' and has lived in Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Israel, and Washington, DC, and is currently at home in Cleveland, Ohio. Samantha works for the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, where she oversees teen engagement, and is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and recently received her doctorate from Gratz College. Samantha can usually be found reading, knitting, cooking, and finding ways to work dogs into every conversation that she has. She lives with her husband and two rescue pups in the Cleveland suburbs.