A high school History teacher who helped community gardeners gain land to grow on.  A former volunteer coordinator for Amnesty International in Israel who is now a writer.  An executive director of a national nonprofit.  A former journalist who now works at a think tank.  A fisheries biologist who loves poker and Torah.  All of them dedicated to spending the next nine months gaining the skills and tools they will need to be part of the next generation of Jewish social justice leaders.  These are just some examples of the broad range of experiences and interests the first DC-based class of Jeremiah Fellows brings to the mix.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a dedicated, hardworking, and interesting group of young adults," said Rabbi Elizabeth Richman, Program Director and Rabbi in Residence for Jews United for Justice, which will be running the Fellowship program.  "The caliber of the applications we received speaks very highly of the drive and commitment to justice in this generation of emerging leaders."

The Fellows held their first session last week, and  their first retreat this past weekend as they began their exploration of the intersection of Judaism, activism, and social justice.

For more information, go to www.jufj.org/jeremiah.