For the participants in this year's Geller Leadership Project mission, the goal of the trip was to have the group come together and bond as a team, said co-chair Sarah Wetzstein.

"We wanted this trip to help guide people and serve as an introduction to the Federation's programs in Israel," Wetzstein said of her fellow young leaders.

"And to have fun," added co-chair Betsy Sandler.

Brandon Witkow, David Rubinow, and Betsy Sandler

Federation in Focus caught up with the Geller Fellows in Jerusalem, as they joined the Federation's announcement of L.A. Futures, a community youth empowerment pilot project being implemented in the 2008-2009 school year in two Jerusalem neighborhoods, and financed through combined funds of The Jewish Federation, The Jewish Agency for Israel, the L.A. Jewish Community Foundation and JVP-Community, the philanthropic arm of venture capital fund Jerusalem Venture Partners.

Given that the Geller Fellows are "new to Federation," said Wetzstein, "you have to see the programs to begin imparting information and knowing where you can help."

The goal of the Geller Leadership Project is to recruit, train, encourage and enable a select group of young (25-40) Jewish professionals to become future leaders of the Jewish community in Los Angeles. As Geller Fellows, participants take part in meetings with top community leaders and enjoy a weekend Shabbaton in addition to their week-long mission to Israel. At the end of the year, Geller graduates are placed in a leadership capacity within the Federation.

On the mission, it was the last day of their packed itinerary in Israel. They had begun the day in Tel Aviv, studying with members of Tel Aviv's Bina Secular Yeshiva, from whom they gained an understanding of the tensions between religious and secular Jews in Israel. The yeshiva, which receives a grant from the Federation's Pluralism committee, is aimed at creating a new kind of leadership in Israeli society, made up of pluralistic, secular scholars who are versed in traditional Jewish learning. They also help build communities throughout Israel, including in lower socio-economic neighborhoods.

“We did some text study the way the students at Bina study, first in small groups and then with the larger group,” said Sandler. “It was awesome.”

Visiting with the Federation's PACT program (Parents and Children Together) in Beit Shemesh, the Geller participants spent time with pre-school children in their classrooms, learning about the comprehensive enrichment program designed to fill the educational gaps for Ethiopian children in Israel.

"PACT was wonderful," said Wetzstein, describing the group's visit, which included a bread-making demonstration with the Ethiopian cultural coordinator.

"Seeing Federation's good work in Israel helps us understand what we do here, and how we do it," added Sandler.

For more information on the Geller Leadership Project, please contact Adam Lubin at (323) 761-8301 or ALubin@JewishLA.org.