Taglit ready for second cohort of Fellows

TaglitJERUSALEM (Press Release)– As the first graduates of the Taglit Fellows program begin staffing Winter 2014/2015 trips and look to positively affect the Jewish journeys of their trip participants, the Taglit-Birthright Israel organization is preparing to host its second cohort of 100 Taglit Fellows at a training seminar in late January due to the already overwhelmingly positive response to the organization’s latest initiative.

The Taglit Fellows program was launched in 2014, as an educational intensive for exceptional Jewish leaders, and aspiring Jewish educators, looking to staff Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. The semi-annual program includes a four-day in-person training session led by master Israel educators, and online learning and workshops in experiential Jewish education. Taglit Fellow participants gain a nationwide network of colleagues and increase their expertise in leadership and teaching practices as well as their knowledge of Israel and the worldwide Jewish community.

Taglit Fellows accepts one hundred participants, aged 22 and above, into the program every six months. January graduates of the program will have the opportunity to staff Taglit-Birthright Israel buses throughout the Summer 2015 session and beyond.

“We are thrilled that the first round of our Taglit Fellow program graduates are on the ground with the Winter 2014/2015 Taglit-Birthright Israel participants,” said Taglit-Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark. “The Taglit Fellows join the trips with significant educational tools and resources to enrich participants’ experiences.”

The Taglit Fellows program is funded by the Maimonides Fund through a $4 million grant over the next 6 years through a partnership with the iCenter.

“This initiative provides us with a terrific opportunity to simultaneously improve the educational quality of the trips as well as dramatically increasing our capacity for effective follow up,” said Maimonides Fund President Mark Charendoff. “It is strong evidence that Birthright Israel is committed not just to increasing numbers but to constantly rethinking how to best engage the young people who participate, on both sides of the ocean.”

Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent more than 400,000 young Jewish adults to Israel from more than 66 countries and from all 50 U.S. states, including students from nearly 1,000 North American college campuses accompanied by more than 70,000 Israelis.

Taglit Fellows seeks to enhance both Taglit-Birthright Israel experiences, as well as the broader field of Israel and Jewish education by cultivating emerging Jewish professionals as role models and educators. Taglit-Birthright Israel has a unique, historical and innovative partnership with the Government of Israel, thousands of individual donors and private philanthropists, and Jewish communities around the world through Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod and the Jewish Agency of Israel.  Visit www.BirthrightIsrael.com.

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Preceding provided by Taglit/ Birthright