In between their junior and senior year of high school, Bronfman Fellows immerse themselves in an exciting, all-expenses-paid summer in Israel and the U.S. The Fellowship summer starts in the U.S., where Fellows build their community at a retreat center in Maryland and encounter leading Jewish thinkers and changemakers in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The Fellows then travel to Israel, where they explore the diversity of Jewish life in that country and meet with the Israeli Fellows, the Amitim. Afterwards, they continue their Fellowship year with a wide range of mind-expanding programming and intellectually adventurous activities.
Here’s a glimpse into a day in the life of a Bronfman Fellow during their summer in Israel! (Note: This is just a sample; the actual schedule changes from year to year.)
8:00 am: Breakfast. In Jerusalem, we stay on a campus shared with a couple other programs – there are tennis courts, basketball courts, open spaces, a synagogue, and a communal cafeteria where we have our meals.
9:00 am: Opening Circle. We open the morning with two fellows leading an activity (a game, a text, a story). The Manchim (Facilitators) then frame the day, and together we read and analyze the poem “Tourists” by Yehuda Amichai and consider our position as visitors with various relationships to Israel.
9:30 am: Guest speaker – Leora Levian. Fellows meet journalist and public policy academic Leora Levian who shares her views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, her support of the war in Gaza and her vision for the future.
10:45 am: Break. Grab a snack, take a quick walk, chat with a faculty member or hang out with some other Fellows on the lawn.
11:00 am: Guest speaker – Mahmoud Muna. Fellows meet Mahmoud Muna, an activist and book shop owner from East Jerusalem, and learn about his experience as an East Jerusalemite and his vision for coexistence.
12:15 pm: Lunch at the Shuk. We travel to the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, and have lunch in small groups.
2 pm: Israel Museum of Art. Fellows have a short tour of the museum’s permanent collection, which gives them a richer understanding of modern Israeli culture, as well as the history of the region. They then visit different exhibitions in small groups with staff members, and finally meet in the museum’s sculpture garden to sing some Niggunim (tunes) together.
5 pm: Tour in the Old City of Jerusalem. Fellows travel to the Old City and follow a tour guide through points of interest to better understand the history of the city and its connection to current events.
7 pm: Dinner in the Old City. We have falafel together in the Old City.
8:30 pm: Processing the day with the Manchim. After traveling back to our campus, the Manchim lead a processing session where fellows share their feelings and impressions from the day and learn about each others’ experiences.
9:30 pm: Closing Circle. The Manchim go over the schedule for tomorrow and close the day with a short activity.
10:00 pm: Catch the Flag. After a long and meaningful day, fellows enjoy a few rounds of Catch the Flag and spend some time together in our Mo’adon (common room).
11:00 pm: Quiet. Bedtime for some, while conversations between others continue into the night.
