When 20 Israeli teenagers were selected to be Diller Teen Fellows, they knew leadership development and 10 days in Chicago was part of the program, but they probably had no idea that it would snow four inches on the first day of their trip. Or that the snow was just one of their many “firsts” during their adventures in Chicagoland.

Diller Teen Fellows is a prestigious, international leadership program. The program operates in 11 communities in North America and South Africa in partnership with 11 communities in Israel. Each spring, over 200 Israeli teens travel to their partner communities in North America and South Africa as part of the “Jewish Communities Mifgash ” (Encounter). The group from JUF’s Partnership Together region-the city of Kiryat Gat and the surrounding areas called Lachish and Shafir-came to Chicago, where they were hosted by the 18 Chicago Diller Fellows, learned about Jewish life in Chicago, and toured the city.

The teens spent a week and a half in the Chicago area. They visited Jewish and public schools, from pre-K through high school. Guy Eilon, 17, was very impressed with their visit to the multi-denominational Chicago Jewish Day School. Jared Vergotine, 16, who hosted Guy in Oak Park, explained that the American hosts also took the Israeli teens to see their own schools, which are very different from high schools in Israel. Guy was amazed at how big the schools are- even the number of stairs was impressive. Karina Bakalov, 16, noted that math is taught differently and was particularly surprised that students have lockers, “just like in the movies.”

But the Diller teens were not just tourists, as Israeli fellow Dana Hazan, 17, explained: “We are participating in a different learning opportunity or volunteer project every day.” One night, the group split up and volunteered at three different soup kitchens, including the JUF Uptown Café. They learned about activism from the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, about Israel advocacy on college campuses from Eyal Ben Zeev, JUF’s Israel Campus Fellow at Metro Chicago Hillel, and about the Israeli community in Chicago at the Hebrew immersion preschool, Gan Gani . They even went to a community farm and education center called “Pushing the Envelope,” whose values are based in Jewish agricultural traditions and the modern Jewish environmental movement.

There was also time for just plain fun. They visited Millennium Park, toured Al Capone’s hangouts, played WhirlyBall, and went on a mall scavenger hunt. Like good tourists, they also experienced the city and bonded with their host families as they sampled Chicago classics, like deep dish pizza.

While the seminar in Chicago was about bonding and gaining new experiences, it was also about growing as leaders. Karina said she chose to participate in Diller for its leadership training, which is at the heart of the program. One of the most significant leadership opportunities participants have is the planning of “Community Week.” This summer, when the Chicago group travels to Israel, they will spend a week in the Partnership Region that they plan entirely on their own. The two groups dedicated significant time in Chicago to start the planning process together. They chose themes for each day and drafted schedules. They will also be in charge of logistics, like finding busses and ordering food, and they will create and lead programs for one another.

Melinda Berman, 16, who lives in Flossmoor, summarized all the participants’ experiences; she said she learned that, “Even though we live across an ocean, we are all very similar. And it’s possible to make deep connections with people, even if you only know them for 12 days!”