Approximately 350 Jewish teens from 16 communities in six countries arrived in Israel on July 4 for a three-week seminar as part of a year-long Diller Teen Fellowship, an immersive and international leadership program for teenagers from across Israel and the world.
Among those in the program were 20 students from Los Angeles.
“Diller has given me the unique opportunity of getting to meet other Jewish teens from around the world, but also the foundation on how to build a Jewish identity,” Savyon Petel, 16, a student at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and one of the participants in the fellowship, said. “It’s so special that a diverse group of teens can come together and share their thoughts, stories and experiences. I feel so lucky to be a Diller Teen Fellow.”
The trip to Israel lasted through July 24, and Patel joined students from Jewish communities worldwide, including Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Montreal, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Buenos Aires and the United Kingdom.
Providing Jewish students with the opportunity to explore their collective Jewish identity, the Diller Teen Fellowship has been cultivating new generations of Jewish leaders since 1998. It started when the late philanthropist Helen Diller observed the effectiveness of existing leadership programs for young professionals and saw the need to reach potential leaders much earlier, when they are in the critical teenage years. Today, there are more than 6,500 Diller alumni worldwide.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was ranked the No. 2 hospital in the nation and No. 1 hospital in California in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2022-23” rankings.
The U.S. News rankings are based on patient outcomes, patient experience, technology, reputation and a variety of other health-related measures.
Cedars-Sinai, founded as a Jewish hospital, had 11 specialties ranked nationally, including cancer, cardiology, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics and pulmonology, according to the hospital rankings released July 26. This means the hospital is among the nation’s top medical centers in these clinical areas, according to a Cedars-Sinai.
The medical center’s leadership said the recognition by U.S. News reflected the hard work and commitment of the hospital’s staff.
“Thanks to the dedication of our physicians, nurses, academic leaders and thousands of others on our staff, Cedars-Sinai continues to provide innovative healthcare, enhanced by our commitment to pioneering research, teaching and education,” Cedars-Sinai CEO Thomas Priselac said. “We are proud of Cedars-Sinai’s contributions to our diverse Los Angeles community as well as nationally and globally.”
On July 28, the Guardians of Los Angeles Jewish Health honored Michael Hackman of
Hackman Capital Partners at the group’s annual Real Estate Dinner, held at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
Event Co-Chairs Anthony Behar, Kenny Stevens and Andrew Westling welcomed the crowd of more than 500 influential businesspeople and philanthropists to celebrate Hackman for his good works throughout the community.
Meanwhile, Guardians Co-President Peter Steigleder spoke about the group’s support of Los Angeles Jewish Health, formerly the Los Angeles Jewish Home, since 1938, and Co-President Zane Koss presented a special award to Hackman.
Upon receiving the honor, Hackman discussed the importance of Los Angeles Jewish Health in caring for more than 4,000 older adults in need each year.
Los Angeles Jewish Health CEO Dale Surowitz and Honorary Event Chair Michael Koss also spoke about the meaningful work of Los Angeles Jewish Health and encouraged attendees to give generously to the cause.
Guests enjoyed delicious food and drink and live music while raising over $1 million to the support the Guardians, which provides support for members of the community who are served by Los Angeles Jewish Health through residential and community-based programs.
The Guardians host a variety of philanthropic, networking, and social events.
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