>> ... Next Generation ...
Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Birthright trip to Israel serves as launching pad.
VIVIAN HENOCH I SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
B
eyond the thrill of travel in Israel,
beyond the camaraderie and true
friendships that can grow along the
way, there's really no telling where a
Detroit Community Birthright trip will go.
"I had not given serious thought to actually
living and working in Israel until I took that trip,"
said Jordan Barpal, a former Wolverine and a
Community Birthright 2012 alum. "Birthright
really opened my eyes to the next steps toward
a career."
Well suited to the 10-day intensity of the trip,
Barpal struck Federation Birthright staffers as "a
well-rounded talent, a promising leader" and an
excellent candidate for the programs in Israel for
which he would apply.
Today, Barpal is one of 25 Jewish college
graduates worldwide now serving in key
ministries through the elite Israel Government
Fellows Program (IGF). A graduate with a
bachelor's degree in political science from the
University of Michigan, Barpal was working
as an intern for a prestigious international
law firm in New York before he landed a year-
long placement at the Israel Government Debt
Management Unit of the Accountant General's
Office. Barpal's work there appeals to his interest
in international finance and entails research in
foreign countries, exploring new markets to
issue Israel international bonds.
Established in 2007, the IGF program is run by
Jerusalem's Menachem Begin Heritage Centre,
bringing to life the vision of the late prime
minister to connect diaspora communities with
Israel at every level of society. Fellows join after
graduating college or following a few years
gaining experience in their field.
The IGF program is supported by Masa Israel,
a joint project of the Government of Israel in
partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI),
where Federation dollars go to support young
adults in work-study-volunteer programs in Israel.
In addition to the Israel Government Fellows,
Barpal is a participant in Masa-Presentense, a
venture accelerator fellowship program designed
to train early-stage social entrepreneurs in
developing and launching low-cost, high-impact
initiatives.
"The exposure and the kinds of opportunities
I've had to work in Israel are rare and extremely
interesting," Barpal says. "The Israeli work
culture is not hierarchical. We work as
colleagues. If you have an idea to contribute,
you are encouraged to do so. There is not a rigid
structure here.
"On my first day [at the ministry], I was thrown
into work on a professional level straight away.
It's a challenging work model. I'm learning fast
and learning to think quickly."
50
Pum
Jordan Barpal in Israel: In service with the
Israel Government Fellows Program.
Detroit's Israel Connections
A Metro Detroiter brought up in Birmingham,
Barpal grew up with strong Jewish and Zionist
identities. Barpal's father, Ofer, grew up in
Ramat-David, a kibbutz in Israel's Jezreel Valley
— in the heart of the Detroit Federation's
Partnership2Gether Region of the Central
Galilee.
As Yoav Raban, Federation's young adult
engagement coordinator in Israel, explains,
"Jordan's Israel connection has a unique tie to
the Detroit Jewish community and a personal
tie to my family. Our fathers grew up together
on the same kibbutz. Because Jordan's mom,
Elissa, is from Detroit, we like to say that Jordan's
parents created the original partnership between
our two communities.
"In our very small kibbutz (about 100 families),
our family and the Barpal family were very
close," Raban continues. "Our fathers were
boyhood friends. Our grandparents — freedom
fighters in the Palmach — were also close
friends. And, back in 2007, when I first moved
to Detroit to work for the Detroit Federation
as the community's Israeli emissary, the Barpals
took me in as a member of their family.
"In my four years in Detroit, I've had a chance
to see Jordan grow up from a wonderful and
promising teenager to an outstanding and
successful young adult."
And Did We
Mention Football?
Talented on many
fronts, Barpal is
also a gifted ath-
lete. Turning down
a full scholarship at
a small college, he
chose the University
of Michigan for a
more rigorous aca-
demic challenge.
That decision paid
off. Through hard
work, he excelled in
Jordan Barpal played
his studies as well as
wide receiver for U-M.
sports — well enough
to secure a roster spot playing wide receiver for
the Wolverines.
Reflecting on those college days, Barpal
admits he misses the kind of teamwork and
commitment inherent in the game.
"But it was time to move on. This past year in
Israel has given me some great insights into the
global market and the economy. I have law school
and business school in my sights, but I would like
to remain within the area of government, politics
and the public sector. Being in a leadership
program like this also has given me the desire
to contribute to the Jewish community in a
supportive capacity where I can."
What's next? Will it be law school? Back to
Detroit? Or on to Washington, D.C., where his
parents have relocated? Barpal has yet to pin
down his career plans. But for now, he's giving
his all to his current role in the Accountant
General's Office in Israel. ❑
Vivian Henoch is editor and writer at myjewishdetroit.org,
where this story originally appeared.
Jordan Barpal (far right) and friends on the Detroit
Community Birthright trip, 2012
Interested in joining a Detroit Community
Birthright trip? Been on Birthright and want to get
involved? Contact Ayelet at kon@jfmd.org .