whyDiller?

Dylan Friedland

-Cohort 7 Fellow

My name is Dylan Friedland. I am 15 years old and go to Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale. I am an active participant on the Pine Crest Policy Debate Team, a Broadcaster for the Pine Crest TV, and a young leader for Beit Issie Shapiro, the largest organization in Israel helping children with disabilities. For the past two years, I have traveled to Tallahassee to be a Page and Messenger in the Florida House of Representatives. This coming winter, I will be a Messenger in the Florida Senate in Tallahassee. I have had the opportunity to work with members of the House of Representatives, other law makers, lobbyists, staff, and constituents in the legislative process. Over the summer, I worked in the local office for Representative Joe Geller, and assisted his office and constituents. I believe that I am on the path to being a leader in the State of Florida.

whyDiller?

The Diller Teen Fellows program is not just a leadership program engaging High School students like myself, but it provides an opportunity to learn how to incorporate Israel and Jewish values into our lives. It gives us the platform on which we can build, improve, and maintain relationships between the United States and Israel. As a Diller Teen Fellow, I am looking forward to gaining leadership skills like communication, public speaking, planning, creating programming, and taking initiative. I am also eager to continue to explore my Jewish Identity through Tikkun Olam and learning the value of pluralism by connecting with other Jews from Miami and from around the world.

These skills, which I hope to gain as a Diller Teen Fellow, will be the building blocks of becoming a more proactive leader in the Jewish community. It is as a leader in business, politics, and the community that I know I will be able to help ensure the future of Israel and the Jewish people. I look forward to using the tools and experience I gain as a Diller Teen Fellow to lead and guide the next generation of involved and committed Jewish leaders. I am honored to be a Diller Teen Fellow and am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn how to be a better leader, build connections, and have opportunities that will help to strengthen and ensure the Jewish People, both locally and globally.