"Diller" leadership program and the formation of global Jewish identity among Israeli youth (Hebrew)

In an era of globalization and accelerated social change, the Jewish identity of Israeli youth is often shaped as a ‘taken-for-granted’ and passive identity, identified almost entirely with the local public and national sphere. While most research in this field has focused on the impact of educational programs on Diaspora Jewry, their influence on Israeli participants has remained largely at the margins of academic scholarship. This study seeks to address this gap by examining how participation in the international leadership program ‘Diller Teen Fellows’ influences the formation of Jewish identity among Israeli adolescents, with particular emphasis on their understanding of the concept of the ‘global Jewish family’ and their place within it. The study employed a qualitative-constructivist approach and included twenty semi-structured in-depth interviews with program alumni aged 18-23. Data analysis was based on thematic content analysis in relation to the theoretical frameworks of the ‘third space’ and liminality theory. The findings indicate a consistent process of ‘stepping outside the Israeli bubble’ toward the adoption of a ‘global-Jewish’ identity. Paradoxically, the encounter with the challenge of maintaining Jewish identity in the Diaspora דווקא strengthened participants’ appreciation of Israeli identity as a privilege. In addition, the study revealed a process of constructing Judaism as a pluralistic mosaic, in which Jewish unity is defined on the basis of shared narrative and shared destiny rather than uniform religious practice, while legitimizing diverse ways of living Jewish life. The research identifies key educational mechanisms in fostering a sense of ‘global family’, including home hospitality that establishes the stance of ‘guest’ rather than ‘host’, the creation of group ‘capsules’ insulated from technological distractions, and the use of emotionally resonant and inclusive rituals. In conclusion, the study suggests that the program succeeds in cultivating a hybrid identity that integrates national and global dimensions (‘cosmopolitan nationalism’) and offers a meaningful applied model for bridging divides and strengthening identity among Israeli youth through exposure to the multiplicity of expressions within the Jewish people.