SF Diller Teen Fellows

Overview 

Step into your leadership. Elevate your Jewish identity. 

Become a San Francisco Diller Teen Fellow!

Applications and nominations for Diller 2023-24 closed on April 28

Please e-mail Maya Cardenas-Berkowitz with any questions.

Established in San Francisco in 1998 by the Helen Diller Family Foundation, the Diller Teen Fellows program is San Francisco’s premier leadership development program for Jewish teens in 11th grade.

Now operating in 32 communities in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, South America, Europe, and Israel, the goal of the Diller Teen Fellows program is to develop future generations of active, effective leaders with a strong Jewish identity, commitment to the Jewish people, respect for pluralism and love of Israel. Together with our sister community, the Upper Galilee Diller Teen Fellows, we explore four guiding principles:

  • Jewish Identity
  • Leadership
  • Israel
  • Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)
  • Jewish Peoplehood
  • Pluralism

Diller Teen Fellows gain the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, explore their Jewish identity, connect with Israel through a peer partnership and create a social action project of their choosing.

The International Diller Teen Fellows

Both the International Diller Teen Fellows office and the local Bay Area Diller Teen Fellows program are located at the Jewish Community Federation’s office in San Francisco. To learn more about the International Diller Teen Fellows and the numerous communities that they oversee, visit their website.

"If there is ever a program that seriously reflects the concept of Jewish Peoplehood, it is the Diller Teen Fellows."

– Avraham Infeld, President Emeritus of Hillel International

Program 

Diller Teens immerse themselves in a year-long journey of developing lifetime leadership skills, strengthening their Jewish identities, exploring their relationships with Israel, and transforming into impactful members of their communities. 

Throughout our 12-month program, a cohort of 20 Diller Teen Fellows in each of the 32 partner communities (640 total Fellows internationally) participate in educational workshops and weekend retreats while creating and implementing social service projects. San Francisco was the first-ever Diller cohort, and we're immensely proud of the growth the program has experienced. 

Throughout the year, the 20 San Francisco Teen Fellows focus on:

  • Developing leadership skills through monthly workshops
  • Exploring Jewish identity and bonding as a group during 3 fun-filled Shabbaton weekend retreats
  • Forging powerful relationships with a diverse group of Jewish North American, South African, Australian, South American, European, and Israeli teens
  • Meeting and working with the Israeli partners during 2 amazing seminars: 
    • Jewish Community Mifgash – a 10-day visit from the Upper Galilee Israeli Diller Teens to San Francisco and the Bay Area in the spring - includes hosting an Israeli teen
    • Israel Summer Seminar – 3 weeks of traveling, volunteering, and exploring Israel with the Diller Teens in the Upper Galilee and the other international Diller groups during the summer
  • Creating an Impact Project - a hands-on community service project

Membership 

Becoming a Diller Teen Fellow

Applications for Diller Teen Fellows San Francisco Cohort 2024-2025 will open in March 2024. 

How to Apply

Prospective applicants must be current 10th-grade students who reside in the bay area. We are looking for applicants who represent the Bay Area in all of its diversity in regards to Jewish practice, school type, personal identity, and family background.

Applicants for the program demonstrate:

  • Leadership skills or great leadership potential
  • Enthusiasm about community service and empowerment
  • Interest in exploring their Jewish identities and relationship with Israel
  • The desire to fully participate in workshops, retreats, Shabbatonim, the Jewish Community Mifgash, and the Israel Summer Seminar

We ask that all applicants:

  1. Complete an online application
  2. Submit two references.
    Forms should be sent directly to your references to complete.
  3. Participate in a group interview with other San Francisco Diller applicants.
    Interview slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to submit your application early in order to secure your desired time slot. Based on the current situation, final decisions about whether we will be able to hold group interviews in-person or online will be confirmed once the application deadline passes. 

Program Cost

Each participant receives a $10,000 subsidy from both the Helen Diller Family Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, which brings the program cost to $3,800 per Fellow, including a program deposit.

Financial Aid

The Diller Teen Fellows program offers need-based scholarships to its participants upon acceptance into the program.

Questions?

Please email Maya Cardenas-Berkowitz with any questions.

Connect With Us

Contact Us 

For information about the San Francisco Diller Teen Fellows program, contact:

Maya Cardenas- Berkowitz
Diller Teen Fellows Program Coordinator, San Francisco