Lead boldly. Connect globally. Repair the world.

View from above of 500 teenagers sitting side by side and clapping together.

Program Overview

Each year, an exceptional group of Jewish 10th and 11th graders is selected to participate in the shared experience of Diller Teen Fellows, a program designed to cultivate and connect an emerging generation of leaders in 32 communities around the world. The program is a commitment for the entire Fellowship year and includes a partnership model, which pairs each Diller community outside of Israel with a community in Israel. Most programming takes place in your local community, and culminates with a three-week seminar in Israel in July for all Fellows. Below you can read about each program component, however, the details differ slightly by community. Be sure to check your local community page to learn more about how it might look for you.

Find your community

Eligibility Requirements

The Fellowship is open to Jewish 10th and/or 11th graders in the communities listed on the program application page. (See your community page for local age requirements.) Each of the 32 communities selects a cohort of up to 20 Fellows. Interested teens should review their community’s local Diller program page for more information and to apply.

How to Apply

Find your local community on the map or list of participating communities here
Select your community to learn more about Diller Teen Fellows where you live.
Visit your community’s local Diller program page to learn more about specific eligibility requirements and apply.

Sometimes the program brings Fellows across town. Other times, across the world.

Gather monthly in local workshops.

Fellows meet monthly in their communities for experiential workshops (“mifgashim”) that explore Jewish identity, leadership, and social action. Local programming is led by Diller Coordinators and supported by two outstanding alumni selected each year to mentor the next cohort of Fellows.

Embark on weekend retreats.

Each cohort will host three weekend retreats (“shabbatonim”) over the course of the year, where local Fellows spend a Shabbat together to deepen their connections and further explore topics introduced in local workshops.

Participate in a peer exchange.

A cornerstone of the program is the partnership model, which pairs each Diller community outside of Israel with a community in Israel. The two cohorts connect and work together throughout the year. During a weeklong exchange called Jewish Community Mifgash (JCM), Israeli Fellows travel to their partnership community to deepen their understanding of Jewish life outside of Israel and form long-lasting personal relationships with their peers, who, in turn, experience hosting and seeing their community through the eyes of another.

Experience a transformative summer in Israel.

In July, Fellows from all 32 Diller communities join together in Israel for an immersive, and transformative, three-week Israel Summer Seminar (ISS). While ISS technically marks the beginning of the end of the Fellowship, for most Fellows it is just the beginning of a lifelong connection to global friends, Jewish peoplehood, and an ongoing quest to make a difference.

Helen Diller Family Foundation

Since 1998, Diller Teen Fellows has been cultivating new generations of Jewish leaders. The program is the vision of Helen Diller, who believed in the power and creativity of young people to change the world and is supported by the Helen Diller Family Foundation.

Rotem W., Tel Aviv, 2008

"There's no doubt in my mind that Diller played a large part in my choice to pursue social activism. It has strengthened my connection with the Jewish People, my love for Israel, and opened my eyes to tikkun olam—the value that guides me today."

Fellows come from diverse Jewish backgrounds, and are united by a shared desire to make meaningful connections and expand their worldviews.

Meet a few Fellows

Noa R.

Opening my mind to Judaism in all its forms.

Shoham | 2022

Adan M.

Israel Summer Seminar (ISS) brought so many new experiences and cultures.

Buenos Aires | 2022

“Israel Summer Seminar (ISS) is an unforgettable experience, from the incredible local workshops we participate in, to connecting with hundreds of young people from all over the world.”

Eitan F., Buenos Aires Fellow 2022

Eitan F.