Program Description

T’ruah is seeking six talented rabbinical or cantorial students to be Israel Fellows for the 2023-24 school year. The fellowship has two components: helping with implementation of the Year-in-Israel program and further development of the fellow’s rabbinic voice and leadership skills. T’ruah is investing in the fellows as current and future leaders who will be significant voices for human rights for all people in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The T’ruah Year-in-Israel Program is a non-denominational experiential learning program that trains rabbinical and cantorial students to develop their rabbinic voice on human rights issues pertaining to the occupation and Israeli society.  Through monthly excursions, processing sessions, and text study, the program helps participants to develop their voice as communal leaders, to frame human rights issues in the context of Jewish values and ethics, to discuss challenging topics confidently as religious leaders, and to move from reflection to action. Since 2011, T’ruah’s Year-in-Israel Program has engaged more than 400 rabbinical and cantorial students.

Applications are due March 13. HUC students who are admitted after that date may apply as late as April 16.

Responsibilities:

• Help to implement the Year-in-Israel Program by

  • attending all programs.

  • serving as liaisons between T’ruah staff and classmates at your school. This includes recruiting students to participate in T’ruah programs, serving as a sounding board for T’ruah staff about various program options, and helping the Truah staff understand the needs and prevailing mood among rabbinical and cantorial students in Israel.

  • being good “hosts” to your fellow students during T’ruah programs.

  • helping with program set-up and clean-up as needed.

• Participate in fellowship programming by attending monthly programs (on weekday evenings).

Organizational Context

T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights (http://www.truah.org) brings together rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism, together with all members of the Jewish community, to act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Staff Relationships:

The Fellows report directly to T’ruah’s Rabbinic Educator in Israel (Rabbi Ian Chesir-Teran) and Israel Program Manager (Neta Hamami Tabib), working with them to achieve a successful Year-in-Israel Program. At times, they will also work closely with T’ruah’s Director of Leadership and Learning (Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson). There will be opportunities during the year to meet other T'ruah leaders.

Time Commitment:

We anticipate a variable time commitment, not exceeding 15 hours per month, as follows:

• 6-8 hours on a tiyul one Friday per month

• 3 hours of fellows’ programming (one weeknight per month)

• 4 hours spent recruiting, writing, program planning, etc.

Compensation:

The stipend for this position is $750. Additionally, fellows will participate in Year-in-Israel trips free of charge. Some rabbinical/cantorial schools might give credit for this fellowship or recognize it as year-in-Israel volunteering.

Qualifications:

This fellowship is open to any North American rabbinical or cantorial student spending the entire academic year in Israel. We are especially interested in students with proven strength in peer leadership, curiosity about new experiences and openness to different opinions, interest and experience in interdenominational learning environments, exceptional organizational skills, demonstrated interest in human rights/civil rights/social justice, and an ability to work with people of different backgrounds and ideologies.