The program’s duration is ten months and is based in Jerusalem. As well as working closely with a government official in a Ministry or other government branch, participants will attend weekly seminars and joint activities with Israelis. They will travel throughout the country, and will meet with Israeli officials, policy makers, journalists, and a wide range of other public figures.
The program encourages professionalism and self-development, while also enabling participants to make a real contribution to the future of the State of Israel.
As an initiative of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, which looks to preserve the memory of Israel’s sixth Prime Minister, the program is also based around values that reflect his vision of a Jewish and democratic Israel, driven by a commitment to individual liberty, social justice, the rule of law and equality for all its citizens.
IGF is not for everyone and it may be that one of the other Masa Israel programs suits you better – if for example you are looking for an internship in the commercial field. IGF is also a selective program for independent, career-oriented and open-minded individuals, looking for a deep and nuanced understanding of the various challenges facing Israel. It is the only program that offers the high-level internships in the Israeli government – as opposed to the private, or non-profit, sectors. In addition, IGF provides educational seminars and talks by high-profile political figures, activists academins and journalists, which is not mirrored in other programs.
Once the opening seminar finishes, Fellows will work Sunday-Wednesday at their government offices or policy and diplomacy organizations. Thursday will be a seminar day where Fellows will have the opportunity to meet and listen to leading decision makers and opinion-formers in Israeli society.
Most weekends (Fri-Sat) are free. Fellows will have several long weekends scheduled throughout the year (three days), and will enjoy vacations on Jewish and national holidays.
Fellows will be able to be absent for a few additional days of their choosing for personal reasons.
You say we need to have professional experience before applying – can you elaborate
Regarding our requirement for work experience or an advanced degree, we are prepared to be flexible providing that we are impressed by the rest of the application.
We are interested in well-rounded applicants but this can often be achieved through extra-curricular activities during university, summer or school-year internships, etc. Often we have fellows who have just graduated college right before the program but for various reasons we have felt that they would be a good fit for the program. So you wouldn’t even need to finish one year of an MA in order to be eligible although of course I can’t guarantee anything. If you like, you can send over your resume and we can give you a sense of if we think you would be a competitive candidate on a basic level.