The URJ Teen Israel Organizing Fellowship is an immersive nine-month fellowship for North American high school students (ages 14-18) to learn about the society and culture of Israel and learn how to organize within their communities. For the first four months of the fellowship, Teen Israel Organizing Fellows will travel to Israel and attend Heller High during the Fall 2023 semester. While there, t
hey will learn about Israel's past and present; travel around the country to meet community organizers and experience various social issues up close; and hone their leadership and community organizing skills. Upon returning home from Israel in the Winter of 2024 — and under the guidance of a supportive mentor — Teen Israel Organizing Fellows will spearhead an organizing project in their local communities. In partnership with their peers, Fellows will explore what they are passionate about in Israel, decide how they want to organize their communities, and then put their ideas into action! Our understanding of organizing is intentionally broad and we're hoping to bring in a diverse group of fellows with a variety of interests and skillsets. Teen Israel Organizing Fellows can be activists, artists, athletes, and more. They can have different political perspectives and different levels of exposure to Israel. In other words, all are welcome to apply! Teen Israel Organizing Fellows will finish this program empowered and prepared to lead their peers on the issues they care most deeply about. They will have developed a deeper and more nuanced understanding of Israel; they will be able to lead community actions, events, discussions, and more within their community; and they will have the tools they need to work for social change in Israel, at home, and elsewhere.
