The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel (BYFI), a highly selective Jewish fellowship program , is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend. Founded under the vision and leadership of Edgar M. Bronfman, The Bronfman Fellowships began in 1987 as a leadership program for promising Jewish 17-year-olds representing a variety of Jewish backgrounds. “We were founded as the premier summer program for American teens,” says Rabbi Mishael Zion, a … [Read more...] about Bronfman Youth Fellowships Celebrates 25 Years
BYFI 25
The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel: Wise Investing in the Jewish Future
by Professor Joseph Reimer In January, 1987 I received a call from Rabbi Michael Paley asking if he could come to Brandeis University to consult on an idea he had for a new Israel program. Michael had been given the challenge by Edgar M. Bronfman to propose a bold new concept that they would consider funding. They had been funding a program called the Israel Friendship Camp, but were ready for a bolder step. … [Read more...] about The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel: Wise Investing in the Jewish Future
The Expert Within: Engaging Alumni in a Selection Process
by Dr. Shira Fishman The primary selection criterion for the Bronfman Fellowships (BYFI) is to identify “promising” Jewish leaders. How do you see, measure and judge “promise” of Jewish leadership amongst such a diverse pool of applicants, especially when candidates are still in high school? As a seasoned application reader who served on the admissions committee at Barnard College, I initially approached the task of reading applications for … [Read more...] about The Expert Within: Engaging Alumni in a Selection Process
The Alumni Advisory Board Model: Empowering the “Next Generation” Now
by Naamah Paley Our bi-annual meetings of the Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) of the Bronfman Fellowships in Israel (BYFI) start off like any other Board meeting: bagels and coffee around a large table with smiling faces, notepads, and assorted pens and flip-charts. But if you look closer at the faces, you’d notice that those sitting around the table are significantly younger and less, how shall I say, financially advantaged than those around most … [Read more...] about The Alumni Advisory Board Model: Empowering the “Next Generation” Now
Russian Heritage, Jewish Soul, American Future
by Ella Shteingart BYFI’s 25th Anniversary has particular significance for me. Twenty four years ago, I was a proud participant of the program. Though I attended a yeshiva for a couple of years as a young child and had been exposed to some Hebrew and Jewish studies, the Bronfman program introduced me to the full breadth of the Jewish experience. I was exposed for the first time to Shabbat, singing in Hebrew, reading and thinking about Jewish … [Read more...] about Russian Heritage, Jewish Soul, American Future
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