Some 400 Jewish young adults from countries across the world will participate in Building Future Leadership (BFL), an annual leadership conference held by Masa Israel.

The individuals chosen to participate in the conference held in Israel underwent an intensive application process in which they exhibited their passion for Israel and for their Jewish communities.

The project's aim is to pass forward the tools that the young leaders will need in order to become an inspiring change agent back home.

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BFL was created following the young adults' experiences in Israel and in response to their demand for a continued engagement with Israel and the Jewish community back home.

In a joint project between Masa Israel, the Israeli Government and the Jewish Agency for Israel, BFL was formed. The purpose of the project is to motivate and prepare the participants to become the leaders in their campus Hillels and in their local Masa alumni communities.

“Being in BFL gave me time to reflect on my Israel experiences and then create a proactive plan to ignite others’ passion for Israel,” said Elana Weil, who studied abroad at the University of Haifa through Masa Israel Journey. “Back on campus, I jumped into Israel advocacy, organizing workshops, bringing relevant speakers, and advising my peers about finding the best ways for them to spend time in Israel,” she said.

During the week-long conference, the participants explore the topics of entrepreneurship, social activism, mentoring and coaching, and communication.

BFL has formed a specific track for gap year participants and another for post-college participants, with special seminars geared toward participants from the different international regions in order to focus on their specific concerns.

"We're seeing an increasing number of Birthright alumni coming back to Israel on Masa Israel programs," said Avi Rubel, Masa Israel's North American Director. "Especially for these participants, Masa Israel's BFL is a critical training ground for future activism and leadership."