Event: Building Future Leaders (BFL) MASA Program
Date: Oct. 29th - 31st
Location: Bet Yehuda, Jerusalem
Sponsor: MASA
Speakers: IIan V. "North American Community"--Yehuda Bar-Shalom "Community Leadership"--Yael Sor "My Vision and Leadership Experience"--Ran Bar-Yoshafat "From a Vision to a Work Plan"
Websites: http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/BFL+Seminar.htm
Building Future Leadership (BFL) is a unique, professional leadership seminar that enables participants to develop a personal educational-social project for implementation here in Israel or back in their communities of origin. An important part of the MAP, Masa Activities for Participants curriculum, BFL enables participants examine the nature of leadership through multi-cultural perspectives while gaining operative tools for leading programs both in Israel and in Jewish communities abroad, and to develop personal projects over the course of the three weekend sessions.
I was accepted to become a participant in this program and I attended this event in hopes to learn more about the Jewish community and to enhance my leadership skills. The goal that I aim to achieve from the BFL program is to create a project that will facilitate strong partnerships between the international legal community and the legal community of Israel.
This event was the first of a three part seminar series that sought to teach the BFL participants about Israeli leaders, trends in Israeli civil society, and of the social-economic issues that Israel currently faces. This first seminar series also included workshops to assist BFL participants to brainstorm ideas on projects that they plan to create. The event has brought to light issues of Israeli society that I have not been aware of prior, and the event has enabled me to view Israeli culture with a different perspective. I have also gained insight on project leadership, and feel energized to pursue the launch of my BFL project. I plan on creating a project that will build partnerships between the international legal community and the legal community of Israel.
I would recommend BFL to those who want to learn about community leaders in Israel and who also seek to become leaders in their own communities. Since this a MASA program you will have all expenses paid for and enjoy the BFL tours and events that MASA sets up on your behalf. I met participants from: France; Belarus; Ukraine; Azerbaijan; Brazil; and from other countries around the world. Overall, the BFL participants are a diverse group of young professionals, and I am learning a great deal from their experiences. An interesting thought that I had during this event is how the State of Israel is able to connect such a diverse group of individuals and form a common bond.
