WEST HARTFORD – Emmett Gilles of West Hartford is among twenty college students worldwide selected to spend ten weeks interning with businesses and meeting with leaders in Israel this summer as part of Birthright Excel, a new program launched by Taglit-Birthright Israel.  Gilles, 20, is currently a college sophomore and a Morehead Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh in West Hartford,
Now in its inaugural year, Birthright Excel is a selective 10-week summer fellowship program in Israel for 20 talented Jewish rising college juniors and seniors from around the world who are planning to pursue careers in business and/or technology. The purpose of Birthright Excel is to create a close-knit network of future Jewish business and technology leaders around the world.
During the all-expense paid program, each Birthright Excel Fellow will intern at a prominent Israeli company with global reach from a broad range of industries, including finance, consulting, hi-tech, and social media.   Birthright Excel Fellows will attend meetings with Israeli leaders from business, technology, politics and philanthropic organizations, and partake in workshops on a broad range of business topics including leadership, Jewish identity, communication, and teamwork.  In addition, Birthright Excel Fellows will travel to Israeli sites and projects designed to encourage a deeper understanding of the country.
Upon completing the fellowship in Israel, the students will become part of the Birthright Excel Think Tank, which will convene regularly in both New York City and Washington D.C.  In New York, the students will attend meetings with prominent Wall Street figures and corporate CEOs who are leaders in their Jewish communities.  In Washington DC, the students will attend symposiums with senators, congressmen and other members of government, as well as political lobbyists.