Jewish Federation Los Angeles proudly announces Brianna Fischer of Oak Park, California as our inaugural Fishel Fellow. The two-year, paid Fishel Fellowship will provide Brianna with the opportunity to gain practical experience in both international and local settings in order to become an informed catalyst for change within the global Jewish community.
“The Fishel Fellowship will allow me to explore international nonprofit work and further develop my career aspirations while making a difference in the world. The chance to travel abroad while learning about and addressing global humanitarian issues, and then coming back to Los Angeles to share my experiences and work at the Federation, in order to help create positive change is an ideal opportunity for me,” said Brianna.
Take a moment to hear what else Brianna has to say about the Fellowship:
Brianna will begin her overseas service with a two-month placement with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Gabriel Project Mumbai, which brings young Jewish adults to India to break the cycle of poverty and hunger, by volunteering in food distribution and literacy programs assisting children living in adverse conditions. Next, is a year-long service placement through JDC’s Global Jewish Service Corps in Berlin, Germany working in an early-childhood program. Brianna will then serve in Israel working on a Federation project with one of our program partners on a hands-on volunteer experience for two months, meeting with young adult Israeli leaders involved in their social justice movement. The Fellowship will conclude with a ten-month paid position at the Federation here in Los Angeles in which Brianna will launch or support a specific project that fits within our mission. She is expected to bring lessons learned from her year abroad to our community, and serve as a resource within cross-disciplinary teams.
“We launched the Fishel Fellowship to further our Federation’s goal of engaging and developing more young adults to become leaders within our Jewish community. This program aligns perfectly with our mission to ensure a strong and vibrant Jewish future in Los Angeles, Israel and around the world,” said Jay Sanderson, President & CEO of Jewish Federation Los Angeles. “We congratulate Brianna Fischer on her well-deserved selection as our first Fishel Fellow, and look forward to her developing the skills and knowledge that will benefit our community.”
The Fishel Fellowship was created specifically for young adults who have a passion for the Jewish community and global service, and was named in honor of former Federation President John Fishel, a leading advocate for global Jewish social entrepreneurship who helped develop the program. “I am thrilled that Brianna Fischer is about to begin her experience as the first Fishel Fellow. I believe it’s critically important for the leaders of our Jewish community to understand the global Jewish context and Brianna will soon develop that knowledge. She’s exactly what we were dreaming of when we created the Fellowship – an intellectually curious, sophisticated, well-traveled and energetic person who will be able to leverage what she learns in the field to strengthen the Jewish community,” said Fishel.
On June 15th, Brianna graduated from UCLA, where she majored in Anthropology with a minor in Middle Eastern/North African Studies. Brianna was selected by a committee comprised of local Jewish community leaders, including John Fishel, as well as professional staff of Jewish Federation Los Angeles. Brianna departed for India the following day. Read Briana’s blog where she’s already posted a few of her Fishel Fellowship experiences.
For more information, contact FishelFellowship@JewishLA.org.
