4Front, the JCC of Greater Baltimore’s teen initiative, is set to kick off an eventful spring. The organization recently began recruiting for its annual teen leadership and service programs, which will also include several special guests from Israel.
As part of the Diller Teen Fellowship, which helps 11th graders develop their leadership skills and embrace their Jewish identities, 4Front will be welcoming 20 Ashkelon-based fellows and three Israeli staff for a weeklong session in April. From April 9-16, these Israeli teens will be participating in the Jewish Community Mifgash and will have the opportunity to experience Jewish life and history in the Baltimore area. In addition to meeting with local leaders, such as JCC of Greater Baltimore CEO Barak Hermann, they will also be able to see Baltimore’s iconic sights like the Inner Harbor and M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ashkelon fellows will be housed by Baltimore Diller Teen Fellows, and will be able to return the favor when the Baltimore fellows embark on their annual trip to Israel in late June.
Diller Teen Fellowship recruitment for 2025 has already begun, kicking off on March 18, and prospective fellows will serve this role for a full year starting in September. This year’s cohort will also be welcoming new Diller Coordinator Barak Stockler, who recently moved to Baltimore after spending three years as youth director at a synagogue in New York.
Stockler will be creating and coordinating programs for the Diller Teen Fellows, along with the Teen Service Council.
The Diller Teen Fellowship is far from the only 4Front program that is currently recruiting new members. There’s also Peer Leadership Fellows, which brings together 10th and 11th graders to develop peer-to-peer skills in a paid internship environment. Ninth and 10th graders can apply for the Teen Service Council, which sees high schoolers developing community service opportunities for their peers. And the Social Innovation Fellowship, which is open to all high schoolers, helps fellows to develop an entrepreneurial mindset influenced by Jewish values.
4Front has given Jewish educational opportunities to over 4,000 teens since its inception, along with over 800 parents through its additional support programs tailored to their needs.
