See a totally different side of Israel
A nine-day trip to Israel in July to meet with local social justice and human rights activists anchors the New Israel Fund Australia’s Naomi ChazanFellowship.
The group meets with Israel Religious Action Centre Executive Director Anat Hoffman [pink]
Understanding Israel in 2020 is a challenging task and the Naomi Chazan Fellowship equips emerging leaders in Australia’s Jewish community with the knowledge and tools necessary to make sense of what’s going on.
In addition, fellows are part of a unique annual New Gen ‘round table’ event, as well as an introductory seminar in June and regular events with other Fellowship alumni.
With residents of the Israel-Palestinian town of Shfar’am
In Israel, the Australian group will be joined by their counterparts from the UK, the US and Canada, providing a shared international learning opportunity. The program develops leaders in their 20s and 30s and is primarily aimed at those who have already visited or spent time in Israel.
The fellowship program has 27 Australian alumni who have been deeply affected by what they saw and learned during their Israel experience.
“I really enjoyed the trip. It allowed me to learn about things that I really care for but just didn’t have the knowledge about,” said Tamar Hoffman, one of last year’s fellows.
Another recent fellow, Rachael, said: “This was an excellent trip. I particularly appreciated the broad range of organisations and activists we met and the mix of tours. It was really great that we got to see what was happening on the ground. I liked that there was a focus on the occupation and that we met with both Palestinian and Jewish Israeli activists.”
“This Fellowship is not a regular ‘Israel 101’ program. It allows emerging Jewish leaders from across the English speaking world to meet with each other, and with a diverse range of Israelis, who are working to further the values of freedom and democracy ingrained in the Declaration of Independence,” said NIF Australia program manager Sharon Berger.
“The Fellowship is a chance to meet the people impacted by today’s headlines, including those who’ll be affected by the Trump plan, such as Palestinians inside Israel who may lose their citizenship, or in the West Bank who face the prospect of widespread annexation. The program will meet refugees from Eritrea and Sudan, advocates for gender equality, those working to end discrimination and many more,” she added.
The Fellowship attracts candidates from across Australia. Some work as lawyers, teachers, or health professionals. Some have experience as leaders in the Zionist youth movements, on campus with AUJS, in their shules or with social justice organisations.
This year’s Fellowship trip to Israel is from 7-15 July. The cost of the program is $1,900 which includes flights and accommodation while in Israel. NIF Australia is grateful to our donors for funding the program to make it accessible and affordable.
Applications are now open for the 2020-21 Naomi Chazan Fellowship. The deadline for applications is March 23, 2020. For more details and to apply visit http://www.nif.org.au/fellowship
