For many local Jewish educators, it’s a uniquely challenging time to teach their communities about modern-day Israel. With anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism at an all-time high, the conversation around the Jewish state is complex, especially amidst the ongoing war.
Jewish community leaders across Greater Philadelphia are grappling with the emotional weight of antisemitism — the fear, anxiety and grief surrounding their communities — and the need to navigate disinformation, all while supporting students and families. Further, many educators in the region do not have access to the necessary resources to support conversations around such a dynamic, complex and multifaceted country in a nuanced way.
Jewish Learning Venture’s Israel Fellowship program bridges that gap, opening the gates to a deeper, more authentic exploration of Israel and its people. And the program’s third trip couldn’t come at a better time.
“We want our fellows to grasp the layered vitality of Israel and the Jewish people, to explore the complexity between Jews and Palestinians, and to embrace the identity of an Israel educator — both personally and professionally,” said Debbie Leon, Venture Israel Fellowship director. “In our three years running this program, we have found that the idea of storytelling around Israel is a powerful foundational entry point for understanding.”
Supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Venture Israel Fellowship is a deep dive into Israel’s people, social and cultural realities through the lens of Jewish identity. It includes rigorous seminars, ongoing collaboration among participants and an immersive trip to Israel.
This year’s cohort of seven fellows representing various organizations — from synagogues, Hillels, communal organizations and early childhood centers — participated in an intensive, seven-day trip to Israel from Feb. 5 to 11. During the mission, participants were exposed to different perspectives and voices, including secular and Orthodox Jews, Russian immigrants, Arabs and Palestinians, a Mizrahi poet of Yemini descent, children in the Jewish Federation’s partnership region of Sdot Negev which borders Gaza, and more.
“One can read news articles, learn in a classroom and watch videos, but nothing compares to experiencing a country firsthand,” shared Venture Israel Fellow Amanda Graff, engagement manager for Tribe 12 — an organization which also receives funding from the Jewish Federation to connect people in their 20s and 30s to Jewish life in Philadelphia. “With so much misinformation, this is especially true for Israel education.”
The program also challenges participants to confront the painful realities of Oct. 7 and the rise of antisemitism, while fostering conversations that are respectful and inclusive of multiple voices.
"I'll be thinking about the speakers we heard from for a long time," Graff continued. “I really appreciated how much of the trip was ‘people-to-people’ and allowed us to meet so many individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives. It also allowed me to get a better understanding of daily life in Israel post Oct. 7 and during the war.”
The trip is one component of the 13-month intensive. Participants are also expected to attend seven virtual sessions and two, in-person seminars to develop a new approach towards strategic Israel programming for their organizations.
“There is no other complete, immersive program like the Venture Israel Fellowship that we are aware of in North America,” noted Leon. “Our fellows are running towards Israel education. They want to build bridges, explore, uncover and be challenged by the content. They don’t want to oversimplify the challenges that the Israeli people are facing.”
The fellowship’s impact reaches far beyond the participants themselves. As they return home, the fellows become ambassadors to promote a new, more nuanced understanding of the Jewish state in an effort to reshape how Israel is discussed in synagogues, Hillels, and community organizations. According to Leon, this creates a ripple effect — one that transforms the way Israel is perceived across multiple generations and demographics.
Participants also gain a network of community leaders and educators through the fellowship. Over the past three years, Jewish Learning Venture has developed a cohort of 26 fellows from 22 different institutions in the Philadelphia Jewish community, located in the Kehillot – the Jewish Federation’s neighborhood groups. The bonds formed through the trip and the year-long programming are not temporary — they are enduring, providing an ongoing support system for professional collaboration and personal growth.
“Each person is doing something different in their own institutions, but now we are giving them opportunities to co-plan, co-create and co-think,” added Leon. “Three of the institutions now have full teams of educators who have participated.”
The fellowship has flourished thanks to its partnership with the Jewish Federation and its funding that has supported the program’s three years of operation.
"We are proud to support the Venture Israel Fellowship,” said Jeff Lasday, the Jewish Federation’s senior chief of external affairs. “At a time when misinformation and rising antisemitism make these discussions more challenging than ever, the program empowers educators to present Israel in all its complexity, fostering understanding, connection and engagement across generations.”