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The Diller Digest: Meet Teen Fellow Jordan Rosh
THOUGH SHE IS ONLY 17, Jordan Rosh has been on an ongoing journey of
self-discovery. Deeply introspective and philosophical, the Central High School
junior attributes her past year in the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s
Diller Teen Fellows program, a leadership experience for 10th and 11th grade
students, as a major stepping stone in cultivating her Jewish identity.

Along the way of this self-exploration, Rosh has also made a lot of new
friends, both locally and globally.

Rosh recommends the year-long program for all teens who are looking for
engaging conversation and speakers, meaningful reflection, peer-to-peer social-
izing, a family-like cohort of friends and more.

“Being in Diller gives you an incredible community, leadership and commu-
nication skills,” said Rosh, a 2020-2021 Diller Teen Fellow graduate. “The
program gives you support and guidance in developing a project that has
personal significance to you, the opportunity to meet people from Israel and to
visit Israel, access to a network of Jewish leaders and communities, and really
just a space to learn more about yourself and grow.”
We spoke with Rosh to learn more about her and her experience with the
Diller Teen Fellows.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I’m not sure, but I want my career to revolve around supporting
people in some way.

What’s a fun fact or two about you?
1. I went as Vanellope von Schweetz for two Halloweens in
a row.

2. I wrote a (terrible) song when I was 3-years-old called
“Birdies in the Nest.”
Everything we do in Diller, from
just discussing our ideas and experi-
ences with each other to developing
our tikkun olam projects has taught
me to acknowledge and explore
my Jewish identity, and ultimately
how to use my knowledge to do
meaningful work.

Applications for the 2021-2022
Diller Teen Fellows program are
now open through June 25. To
apply or to nominate a teen for this
year’s cohort, visit jewishphilly.

org/diller. For more information
about Diller Teen, please contact
Darren Rabinowitz, Diller Teen
coordinator, at drabinowitz@
jewishphilly.org. Why Philly Fellows
Love Diller Teen
Where did you begin your Jewish identity journey
with Diller Teen Fellows, and where are you now?
If you want to learn more about who
you are Jewishly and non-Jewishly, if
you want to make new friends from all
different backgrounds and all different
places, if you want to visit Israel, a home
to so many, if you aspire to one day
change the world, then Diller is for you.

Coming into Diller, my identity had been primarily shaped by
my experiences as an Asian Jew and by my perspective growing
up in a family that emphasized Jewish culture and community
rather than faith.

Since then, I have grown a lot; hearing tons of unique
perspectives, such as those featured in our cohort staff leader
Darren Rabinowitz’s presentations, those of guest speakers, and
especially those of my peers, has broadened and deepened my
understanding of the larger context my own identity resides in.

We spend a lot of time reflecting on both old and new knowl-
edge, and through these reflections, I feel that the parts of my
identity I already had have become much clearer, and as I incor-
porate new knowledge into my identity, it has become much
more multifaceted and cohesive.

Max Goldman, 16
Through Diller, I have found a group of
teens my age that I relate to. This has
helped me learn so much about not just
Judaism, but also things that go along
with Judaism, like social justice, the
environment and so much more. Diller
Teen has definitely helped me learn, grow
and connect with my Jewish identity.

What is the most important thing you learned from
the Diller Teen Fellows program?
The most important thing I’ve learned through Diller is how
to understand and use the power my Jewish experience holds.

That’s a ridiculously broad and vague answer, but I think before
Diller I didn’t really know how my Jewish identity played into
my larger identity or how it could help me create change in the
world. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Jordan Rosh explored her Jewish identity,
gained leadership experience and made a
community of friends through the Diller Teen
Fellows program.
Courtesy of Jordan Rosh
Eden Saunders, 16
JEWISH EXPONENT
MAY 27, 2021
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