Press release October 21, 2020: The Bronfman Fellowship to Hold Summer 2021 Program in Berkshires
We are planning to host our 2021 Summer program in-person at Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in Connecticut. This one-time decision to hold our summer experience in the U.S. instead of Israel was made in close consultation with public health experts, in response to the pandemic. Safety is of paramount concern to the Fellowship. Locating the program domestically in 2021 offers the greatest possible opportunity to safely bring our group together for the summer and continue our tradition of immersive in-person learning and community-building.
Learn more about the plan for Summer 2021 and the rest of the Fellowship year.
Our 2020 Fellows have completed the summer portion of their Bronfman Fellowship year, and they’re still buzzing with excitement from their virtual immersive experience. They formed deep friendships, took part in intense intellectual debates, talked late into the night with their “roommates,” sang together, bonded over movie nights and virtual sleepovers, engaged with challenging speakers and educators, and delved deeply into a rich tapestry of Jewish ideas and perspectives. In many ways, it was a typical (as in, “typically extraordinary”) Fellowship summer!
Programming highlights:
Fellows will continue their Fellowship-year experience after the summer.
Our Programming and Education Director, Jake Marmer, has written about how we’re creating an immersive educational community online.
The health and safety of our Fellows and staff has always been our top priority. It is our hope and plan that the 2021 Fellows will meet in person. In proceeding with domestic in-person programming for 2021, we are following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Camping Association (ACA), Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC), and state departments of health.
COVID Safety Guidelines:
*We will be updating this page as the Fellowship year progresses, so please check back.