For the next eight weeks, 43 Jewish Cleveland college students and recent grads will have the experience of a lifetime! That’s because they’re spending the summer interning in Tel Aviv as part of Onward Israel, a program funded through I-Connect, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

One of Israel’s foremost actors comes to Cleveland for the local premiere of two one-act plays that tenderly and sometimes humorously examine heartbreaking aspects of the Jewish experience.

Whether you love to teach, know or want to explore a thing or two about Judaism or just want an excuse to live in Israel, spending ten months as a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow is the perfect amount of time to soak up everything the Holy Land has to offer.

I graduated from The Ohio State University last May with a degree in Accounting. Soon after, I took a job at a prestigious public Accounting firm. I realized after working full time in the field (and study all other hours of the day for my CPA exams) that Accounting wasn’t a passion of mine - I wanted a more creative job, and even more than that I wanted to be back in Israel. I spent time there during university through Onward Israel, an internship program supported by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

Growing up in the Jewish community in Cleveland, I always learned about our awesome partnership region: Beit She’an and the Valley and Springs. In fact, this year marks the 20th anniversary of our partnership together so I was especially eager to spend some quality time there. I have always considered Beit She’an and the surrounding area to be special and beautiful, but I realized that my non-Cleveland friends had no idea that this place even existed. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to bring two friends, one from New Jersey and one from Paris, to this special region in the north to show them what makes Beit She’an and the Valley of Springs so special.

Cleveland Indians owner, chairman and CEO Paul Dolan traveled to Israel the week of April 24 with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Dolan joined about 30 other Jewish and non-Jewish business people who were invited on the trip by the Federation, which partnered with Israel Bonds.

Forty Cleveland nonprofit leaders will travel in July to Israel, via the new Thomas and Joann Adler Civic Leaders Israel Mission.

Rachel Lieberman of Shaker Heights has been volunteering in Israel for the past six months through Masa Israel, a post-college service program, part of I-Connect, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Through Masa, Rachel is helping Ethiopian Israelis learn to read and write English at the Yahel Social Change Program in Ramat Eliyahu.

Katie Spector of Mentor is a MASA Israel Teaching Fellow, a 10-month post-college volunteer program, part of I-Connect, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. She is helping Israel elementary school age children learn to speak and read English in Cleveland’s sister city of Beit Shean. She also gets to live it like a local in Beit Shean, and immerse herself in its warm and welcoming community.

Gilad Benayahou wasn't supposed to join the IDF.