Diller Teen Fellows: Building Jewish Identities, Empowering Teens & Developing Leaders
Posted on 11/20/2020 @ 07:00 AM
The 8th Cohort of the Miami Diller Teen Fellows (a select leadership development program for 10th and 11th graders) kicked off their year with three workshops and a virtual Shabbat experience. Each teen's contributions to the group were so inspiring!
The Diller program is designed to achieve three inter-related outcomes: the building of strong Jewish identities, empowering teens, and developing activated leaders for tikkun olam/social action.
The teens began their Diller journey by exploring their personal identities. Then they considered how as individuals they fit together in order to create a stronger group. Together they created a brit, or a contract, to build a foundation for communicating when they gather virtually, focusing on a desire to grow and display respect for each other.
At an activity that Diller calls Yalla Shabbos, Fellows transitioned from the week into Shabbat, and had an opportunity to use critical thinking skills to build trust and establish an understanding of what building connection means. This helped to frame how they can use Shabbat to connect with those around them and refresh themselves.
Fellows and their families received a Shabbat Kit with ways to embrace Shabbat in their homes. They were encouraged to participate in Shabbat practices such as Mindful Meditation, taking 20-minutes of Tech-Free time, and having meaningful conversations with those around them. After Shabbat, they came back together as a group for Havdallah, where they learned about the meaning of the ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week with a sense of sweetness, light, and joy.
Visit dillermiami.org to learn more about Diller Teen Fellows.
