EVER SINCE I was young, one of the most consistent aspects of my life has been my love for Israel. I first traveled there when I was seven, and after that I was hooked. Throughout my teenage years, Iwas constantly looking for opportunities to engage with the beautiful and complicated country that is so central to my identity. As I approached my last few months as a political science student at the University of Colorado, I wanted to find a way to merge my professional aspirations with personal passions. After consulting with a close family friend, I found myself scrolling through the Masa Israel Journey website and landing at the page for the Israel Government Fellows (IGF) program, organized by the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Even as I explored other postgrad options, IGF was the only program that filled the unique niche I was looking for: a hands on, professional experience in Israel, with the added benefits of Masa’s educational and cultural programming. I couldn’t resist this perfect opportunity to immerse myself in Israeli
politics, culture and society. So after graduation I packed up and flew across the world to live in Jerusalem for 10-months as an Israel Government Fellow. MY DIVERSE COHORT of 15 fellows came from all over the globe, and we hit the ground running as soon as we arrived: we were placed in intensive professional internships at government ministries, NGOs and policy and research organizations. Interspersed between our internships were seminars at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, explorations of the unique neighborhoods that make up Jerusalem, and immersive Hebrew language courses called ulpan. I learned quickly that “Leadership” was the keyword for IGF, which seeks to strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora by presenting the fellows with a wealth of leadership opportunities while in Israel. Over the course of our weekly seminars and my work at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I met with Members of Knesset, Israeli Supreme Court justices and other prominent figures in Israel’s economic, religious, social and cultural sectors. At the Foreign Ministry, I was
not your typical intern. Instead of spending making copies or fetching coffee, I was assisting Israeli policymakers and their staff by conducting research and crafting position papers on the 2016 US election and various congressional bills. I’D NEVER DREAMED of having an experience quite like this – a first-hand look, alongside some of Israel’s most prominent leaders, into Israel’s democracy. I couldn’t have asked for more practical and meaningful preparation for law school, and the experience strongly
reinforced and energized my pursuit of a career in international law. AS PART OF my Masa journey, I learned that there’s no substitute for a longer and more immersive experience in the Jewish state – my 10 months with IGF was an experience that strongly reinforced everything I
already knew and loved about Israel, while significantly deepening that connection. It’s nothing like a two-week family vacation, or even a two-month summer camp program. Having a truly meaningful experience in Israel means living there like a local and taking a deep dive into every aspect of Israeli society. Josh Rheins spent most of his childhood in Denver. Currently a law student at Case Western Reserve, he is the son of Rabbis Rick and Susan Miller Rheins.
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