The Fellowship Year

The Bronfman Fellowship is a transformative, year-long experience for a cohort of 26 intellectually adventurous young people who want to see the world through a lens broader than their own. An opportunity unlike any other, it’s a space where Fellows can give free rein to their curiosity and explore issues with depth, candor, and joy, all while having fun and forming friendships to last a lifetime. It begins with:

• An immersive summer in Israel and the U.S. – In between their junior and senior years of high school, Fellows encounter the land and people of Israel, study major issues in contemporary Jewish life, and meet with some of today’s most influential figures. Inspired by a diverse faculty of Rabbis, educators, and artists, the pluralistic group of Fellows have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a wide range of Jewish texts – from classic religious documents to contemporary Israeli and American voices – as well as artistic workshops, using them to spark conversations, engage with stimulating existential questions, and achieve a deeper understanding of themselves and one another. Read more about what Fellows learn, how they get to know their Israeli peers, and a day in the life of the summer Fellowship.

Although the Fellows did not go to Israel in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, they still had a meaningful and transformative experience – read more here.

After the Fellows return home, they continue their Fellowship year with programming that’s immersive, fun, and meaningful. By bringing the experience to North America, Fellows are encouraged to integrate ideas and values learned over the summer into their daily life, to deepen their friendships, to explore American Jewish identity outside of Israel, and to learn how to channel their interests and passions to make a significant impact on the world.

In recent years, the post-summer experience has included: 

• Monthly virtual meetings – Opportunities for reflection, deep dialogue, and processing with the same small group of Fellows and faculty members. 
• Winter Seminar – Several days when the Fellows and faculty meet to reconnect and continue to learn and grow together.
• Spring Context Seminar – A retreat in a Northeastern U.S. city – generally NYC or Washington D.C. – to meet up with the Israeli Fellows who visit the U.S. at this time.
• Beyond Bronfman process – Fellows choose a question, topic, or idea from their Fellowship summer that they would like to explore further. When they return home, they embark on a process of deep exploration with the help of alumni, staff, and faculty.  As the last step in their Fellowship year journey, they present the results of their exploration to the other Fellows. 

Upon completion of the Fellowship year, Fellows join an extraordinarily active 1,400+ member alumni community. College-age alumni are encouraged to attend our yearly collegiate gatherings, which typically take place in the Northeastern U.S. Read more about alumni life here.