AKLA is derived from the Hebrew slang word (achla) for “awesome” or “cool,” and the 12- to 14-year-olds who participate in the five-week fellowship by that name agree that the program is indeed outstanding.
AKLA ignites Jewish pride by showing teens what Jewish ingenuity and a sense of purpose can achieve. Through powerful, hands-on experiences, teens discover the remarkable ways Jewish individuals and ideas have shaped the world—from trailblazing advances in technology to culture, security and global innovation.
By connecting these achievements to the values and heritage behind them, it helps young Jews see themselves as part of an extraordinary story and inspires them to carry that story forward with confidence, pride and purpose.
The program, free of charge, was launched in Los Angeles in 2022, and its mission has only become more urgent amid the surge in antisemitism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in southern Israel and against the backdrop of the ongoing war with Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jeff Polak, AKLA’s president and co-founder, told JNS that the inspiration for the program came from his children’s experiences.
According to Polak, the bnei mitzvah programs his children attended were lovely, and many temples provided education, but “it was just, more or less, about how we can help everybody else and about being more sympathetic to the struggles and challenges of other communities.”
There was nothing particularly exciting that would help children better understand their own community “at this really important stage in their lives,” he said. “And I saw that as being quite problematic.”
Polak’s children are now in college and finishing high school, but his desire to make a difference led to the creation of AKLA.
The development of AKLA
AKLA, which began with 20 to 25 participants in Los Angeles, has expanded to 140 participants, and demand is growing rapidly. The program, which runs for five consecutive Sundays from Yom Kippur to Thanksgiving, has seen similar success in Chicago, where it launched with 50 to 60 participants, and 200 sign-ups are expected for the spring session.
AKLA operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization and was originally funded by the David and Janet Polak Foundation. More recently, it received support from Jewish National Fund for its expansion to Dallas.
Polak said that the program initially targeted children ages 12 to 14 for b’nei mitzvah but has expanded to include 15-year-olds. He described how one temple that started with five or six youngsters has grown to 45 to 50 participants and requested a “2.0” version of the program for its older students.
“What it is, in essence, is a pivot of thought process of it’s awesome to be Jewish. You come from an amazing culture. The accomplishments are beyond numerous. This is about holding heads up high and being proud,” he said.
Making such an impression is especially valuable for 12- to 14-year-olds, he continued, “because that’s the first time when kids start seeing things through their own lens.”
When highlighting the many notable Jewish contributions to medicine, one of the outings was to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where, Polak noted, most of the participants were born. They had no idea that famous Israeli violinist Itzhak Perlman had contracted polio as a child or that Drs. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin—both Jews—developed vaccines to fight the disease. Nor did they know that the renowned hospital was founded by Jews in part due to the discrimination and exclusion that Jewish physicians and patients faced in other health-care settings.
The teens also visited, among other places, Warner Bros. Studios, where they learned about Jewish immigrants’ profound impact on the entertainment industry.
Teens feel ‘empowered’
Several participants raved about the program on video, commenting on different aspects. One boy was particularly impressed by medical innovation in Israel and that a member of the Israel Defense Forces who was shot and paralyzed is now able to walk again.
“I think that’s really cool,” he said.
“I really liked the VR,” said one girl. “I don’t like school, but it was really cool to learn with Albert Einstein.”
“I loved how I was learning but in a fun way,” said another.
“Other hospitals at the time wouldn’t let Jews in,” one boy said after visiting Cedars-Sinai. To which a girl added, “I like how the Jews decided to be a better person and let everyone in.”
“I learned about all the things that Israel has invented and helped the world,” said another.
“It means that I’m connected with a lot of people around the world who have done things to help the world. Maybe I can do something like that when I grow up,” another boy said.
“I learned that a bunch of TV shows and superheroes are based on Jewish ideas,” said another.
Some enjoyed play-acting a scene with the high priests in ancient Israel and were happy to learn about their culture. “It’s a part of me,” one girl said.
“I learned that Israel is No. 1 in drone technology,” a boy said, beaming.
“It felt very empowering to learn how my culture and heritage protects people,” a girl said after a Krav Maga session.
“It’s something we wish we didn’t have to do, but at a time like this, we’re lucky that we got the opportunity,” another said, referring to the current rise in antisemitic attacks.
Yet another boy said: “My favorite part of AKLA has been the whole thing because every single time we go to AKLA, there’s a new theme like cinema or health or innovation, and it’s always better and better—learning about new things that Jewish and Israeli people do. It helps me to shape my future in a way that I wouldn’t think of before.”
Responding to claims of genocide, apartheid
“It’s a completely different approach of embedding and motivating and creating a positive energy and enthusiasm about the community,” Polak said.
Participants who know about Israel’s contributions in medicine, high-tech and other fields would likely react by thinking, he said, “What are you talking about? Look at these hospitals; look at this community and all these amazing things that are taking place. It doesn’t translate.”
AKLA’s approach, Polak continued, is not to engage in debates or try to persuade young people that opposing views are wrong. Plenty of organizations take an educational approach to confronting such arguments, he said, and he respects that work. AKLA, however, takes a different path.
“People don’t want to be in this back-and-forth where it gets very contentious,” he said.
Instead, Polak hopes the positive information about Israel and the Jewish people, and the experiences the teens gain through AKLA, will provide “a spark, if you will, to addressing these issues from a different perspective altogether.”
