Technology
Robotics, Technion VR with Einstein, Israeli drones, and the Start-Up Nation.
The Premier Jewish Teen Fellowship
Explore our FREE teen program for the Jewish Community
Free five-Sunday fellowship for Jewish teens ages 12–14. Pronounced ACH-la.
Los Angeles, Chicago + New York
Free
Always — no tuition
Ages 12–14
Jewish teens, pre- and post-B’nai Mitzvah
5 Sundays
Half-days in Los Angeles and Chicago
120
Teens expected in the 2026 Los Angeles cohort
Free five-Sunday fellowship for Jewish teens ages 12–14. Pronounced ACH-la.
AKLA (ACH-la, “awesome”) is a free five-Sunday fellowship for Jewish teens ages 12–14 in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Teens meet Jewish and Israeli innovators in technology, medicine, security, media, and remembrance — then leave prouder of who they already are.
Next dates
Medicine
Cedars-Sinai and Northwestern simulation centers, stem cells, the pill-size camera.
Security
Krav Maga, IDF-style flight simulators, and the people who keep communities safe.
Media
Warner Brothers, the Jewish origins of superheroes, and the Jewish Journal.
Cities
Los Angeles, Chicago + New York
2026 list closed / 2027 waitlistLos Angeles
October 18th – November 15th, 2026 · Five Sunday half-days · Jewish teens ages 12–14
AKLA 2026 Los Angeles. Five consecutive Sundays — Start Up Nation, self defense + origins of soccer, cinema & media, Cedars-Sinai, and community + remembrance.
Join the 2027 waitlist
Applications openChicago
February 7th – March 7th, 2027 · Five Sunday half-days · Jewish teens ages 12–14
AKLA 2027 Chicago. Start-Up Nation + technology, Jewish excellence at Northwestern, Wrigley Field with Israel Baseball, Adler Planetarium, and remembrance and resilience.
Apply for Chicago 2027
Applications openNew York
October 18th, 2026 · One-day leadership intensive · Older teens
AKLA New York October 18th 2026. A full day at The Squadron, 7 World Trade Center — F-35 flight simulators, the Innovation Lab, Krav Maga, and remembrance — lunch plus round trip transportation included.
Apply for New YorkWatch
2023 & 2024 Fall Cohort Videos
2023 Fall Cohort Video
2024 Fall Cohort Video
How it works
Apply. Show up. Leave prouder.
01
Apply
Jewish teens ages 12–14 (or older for New York). Group applications from synagogues, day schools, and youth organizations are welcome.
02
Five Sundays
In Los Angeles and Chicago: inspiring guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and deep Jewish learning. New York is a one-day leadership intensive.
03
Leave proud
Teens leave with a stronger connection to their Jewish heritage—and a clearer sense of how they can shape the future.
Proof
“I’ve always thought of Judaism as sort of, like, you’re-sitting-in-a-temple-praying-kind-of-thing. And I think that really opened my eyes to how it can be enthusiastic, it can be different.”
“I thought before that being Jewish was reading prayer books or learning all this stuff in the temple. I had no idea about … all these great things in our community.”
“Right now, people are scared to be Jewish. AKLA offers people absolute permission to be Jewish. It’s not political. It’s pure, good, clean Jewish innovation. From Torah to today, we’re innovators.”
Jewish JournalJUF NewsJewish National Fund-USA
120 teens expected in the 2026 Los Angeles cohort.
Also under Programs
In the room
Cedars-SinaiTechnionWarner Bros.Jewish JournalJUF ChicagoNorthwestern FeinbergAdler PlanetariumJewish National Fund-USASkirball Cultural CenterAcademy MuseumSinai TempleTemple Judea
Sign-up today — spaces are limited.
Chicago 2027 and New York 2026 are open. Los Angeles 2026 is closed; the 2027 waitlist is open. Group applications welcome.