Beyond Borders: Connecting Jewish Student Leaders from Poland, Israel, and the U.S

By Avital Sojcher and Dror Shamsian

This year’s cohort of the Matanel Global Leadership Fellowship brought together 15

students from Poland, Israel, and the United States to explore ideas of Jewish identity, pluralism, peoplehood, and more. Fellows participated in eight online learning sessions, including a panel discussion, group discussions, text study, an art workshop, and more. The students came together in May for a shabbaton in Budapest to put the ideas they learned into action before working on and submitting their final capstone projects in August.

Esti Palmer, Associate Director of Immersive Experiences at Hillel International, said one of the goals of the fellowship was to give students a “truly global experience.” Generally, when we talk about Jewish peoplehood, she said, we focus on America and Israel, but there are significant Jewish communities elsewhere that are a part of our collective story. The fellowship brought together students from these communities to talk not just about their similarities but also their differences. Ultimately, they found they were stronger together.

Student Experience

Valeriia, a fellow from Hillel Warsaw, experienced this goal in action. She was surprised

at how connected the American and Israeli students were to their Jewish communities. In one activity, the students were asked whether most of their friends were Jewish or non-Jewish. Valeriia and other Polish students were surprised to see that most of the American and Israeli students said their friends were mostly Jewish. The experience of Jews in smaller communities is so different from others, but according to Valeriia, those differences are what unite global Jewry.

Valeriia also found an opportunity to connect with other Polish Jews through the program. She became very close with another fellow from Krakow, who she says she would not have met if not for the Matanel Fellowship. Valeriia is taking the ideas she learned in the fellowship with her to Hillel Warsaw, where she is now Program and Engagement Coordinator.

One of the most special things about the program was each student's commitment to

learning and growing. Fellow ​​Maya Jamil said it was amazing to participate in a program where every member was truly ‘opting in’.

“When everyone shows up to the sessions really engaged, you know that you can really let all guards down with people so different from you and come together to celebrate your differences and learn from a nonjudgmental and curious place.” ~Maya Jamil, Matanel Fellow, Israel

Esti observed how the students were all so interested in hearing from each other. Each

online session began with breakout rooms for a moment of gratitude, and the students used every second they had. Esti loved how no one came back to the main session early, because they were all so invested in their conversations.

Budapest Shabbaton

After the first four sessions, the students came together in Budapest for a Shabbaton.

Budapest was chosen so that no one would feel like they were the host or the guest. Finally

meeting in person was a really meaningful experience, Esti said. She enjoyed watching how well the students meshed together. She even noticed how, when walking to and from activities, students tended to walk with students from a different country because they were all so interested in hearing each other's stories and experiences.

“It's not just a learning fellowship; it's a leadership fellowship.”~ Esti Palmer, Associate Director of Immersive Experiences

The shabbaton was largely led by the students. Each one was given different rituals or

activities to be in charge of over Shabbat. Fellows were given the opportunity to make every par of Shabbat meaningful, and they absolutely took advantage. Yakira, a student from

Columbia/Barnard Hillel, ran the pre-shabbat activity. She handed each student a blank paper and told them to start drawing. The papers were then passed around to each student, and everyone added a little bit to each one. At the end of the activity, Yakira explained how the shabbaton was an opportunity for each student to learn from one another and add to each other's stories. Valeriia loved how each student brought a little bit of their own Shabbat traditions, and how every ritual was explained by the students so that everyone would understand.

Capstone Projects

Valeriia’s capstone project, Step By Step Shabbat, brings this concept to Shabbat at Hillel

Warsaw. Her project outlines a plan for each Shabbat ritual to be run and explained by students. Valeriia wants to allow other students to learn about each ritual and not be afraid to ask questions when they don't understand.

The Fellows’ collection of capstone projects can be found HERE.

From Fellows to Alumni

As the 2025-2026 cohort transitions from fellows to alumni, the impact of their time together continues to ripple outward. From Warsaw to New York to Jerusalem, these young leaders are returning to their home communities with more than just a certificate. They are carrying a redefined understanding of what it means to belong to a global Jewish family. By embracing their differences and finding strength in their shared stories, the Matanel Fellows have proven that when we lead with curiosity and openness, we do more than just learn about peoplehood. We build it together.