Ellen Stern of Wellington, along with 34 other Jewish fashion industry mavens from around the world, was selected to join the journey of a lifetime and see Israel beyond the headlines while connecting with Israel’s fashion leaders later this month.
Stern, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Clark University and a master’s degree from the University of Delaware, has worked as a freelance fashion photographer in Milan, Italy and New York for designers, advertising agencies, boutiques and magazines. She has also created a line of couture handbags, with designs made from rare and unique silk flowers and leaves that sold in museums and fine jewelry stores. She has also been invited to participate in museum shows and has appeared on Oprah Winfrey. Stern is a professor of photography at Lynn University in Boca Raton.
The trip, held July 26 through Aug. 3, will include Jewish fashionistas from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Estonia, Greece, Panama and South Africa. For eight days, the women will travel from Safed in the north to the Dead Sea and Masada in the Judean Desert, on a trip to strengthen their Jewish identities.
The trip, organized by the Maryland-based Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) and Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, will also bring the women to key spots on Israel’s fashion map. This special trip, which is the first of many planned industry-specific trips aimed to bring Jewish values to key influencers in society, will also feature a JWRP Fashion Week event in Tel Aviv with leading Israeli fashion names.
ABOVE: Ellen Stern
