Within the framework of the Diller Teen Fellows program, a group of 20 young people from Pittsburgh visited Israel during a three-week period from July 17-August 7th, for the program's Israel Summer Seminar. The Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows were hosted by 19 of their Israeli counterparts, all of whom are 10th grade students from Karmiel and Misgav high schools. Diller Teen Fellows operates internationally within the framework of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh's and the Jewish Agency for Israel's Partnership2Gether communities, Pittsburgh-Karmiel-Misgav, and locally in Pittsburgh is a partnership between the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the Agency for Jewish Learning, and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. The program is generously funded by the Helen Diller Family Foundation, based in San Francisco, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and the Fine Foundation, a local foundation in Pittsburgh.Part of the activities for the Israel Summer Seminar were sponsored by "Mifgashim" program of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).

During the school year, the project includes a series of meetings in which activities are conducted surrounding issues such as Israeli-Jewish Identity, leadership, current events and community service. During the Passover vacation, the Israeli group attended the program's North American Seminar held in Pittsburgh. Both the North American Seminar and the Israel Summer Seminar are an opportunity for the youth from our Partnership communities to engage and interact with each other around topics of Jewish identity, Jewish study, leadership, and community service.

The Israel Summer Seminar was an opportunity for the Israeli Diller Teen Fellows to host the Americans in their homes. The weeklong visit by the Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows in Karmiel and Misgav (July 31- August 7) was fascinating for both the Israelis and the Americans, and included many shared experiences, such as "The Great Race" to become better acquainted with both Karmiel and Misgav and a tour of the Golan Heights that centered on the importance of the IDF in daily Israeli life. One of the emphases of the program centers on the self-management of the young people and the responsibility they take concerning various contextual and organizational aspects of the hospitality program.
For example, they decided to volunteer in the community and dedicated 2 days to painting at "the Golden age home" and cleaning Farod stream.
Before their weeklong visit to the area, the young people travelled to Givat Haviva where they participated in an International Youth Congress with approximately 300 other Diller program participants from Israel and North America. 
 

At the conclusion of the program, each young person is required to participate in a social service project on behalf of his/her community.
At the beginning of September, a call will be issued to recruit a new group of 10th grade students from Karmiel and Misgav who will participate in the program during the coming school year. The new cohort in Pittsburgh is already in Place and had their first group Shabbaton over Labor Day weekend.

More pictures at Facebook:

Community week

International Youth Congress