* indicates a seminar that will be leaving Jerusalem early because of the travel distance

 

SEMINAR ON WHEELS

GA 2008

 

 

Strengthening the Periphery

 

 

1.  The Challenges of the Negev Bedouin

 

Gain insights into the issues facing the Bedouin population of the Negev from the perspective of the community’s professionals and leaders. Then, enjoy a visit to Ben Gurion University.

Visit Laqiya, one of seven permanent, recognized Negev Bedouin villages. Meet with women at the Sidreh Weaving Project. Learn about early childhood education and training programs
 
Travel to Hirbet El Waten, one of 35 unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev to meet with the school principal and Jewish and Bedouin volunteers..
 
In Hura, enjoy a hot lunch with small groups of representatives to discuss different areas of concern such as employment and economic empowerment; social change and community development; and volunteerism. 
 
Meet with some of Israel's premier writers at Ben Gurion University's Department of Hebrew Literature, and visit the archives of writers such as Amos Oz, Aaron Appelfeld and Nissim Aloni. 

 

LEAD:  Nisped

PARTICIPATING: Ben Gurion University

 

 

2.  The North is Alive with Renewal and Partnership*

 

The population overload in Israel's central region threatens quality of life and hinders sustainable development. At the same time, the Galilee and Negev struggle to attract new families and stimulate growth. See how Jewish Agency incentives are strengthening the pioneering spirit in the North, and helping new immigrants build their future in the region. See how these programs are opening new windows of opportunity for thousands of new immigrants.

 

Travel to Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek and listen to stories from Israel's pre-State pioneers, whose daring acts paved the way for Jewish settlement in the North. Learn self-defense from new immigrants and returning Israelis serving in Israel's elite army units under the auspices of the Garin Tsabar program.

 

Join Kibbutz Ulpan Students for lunch, explore the Ulpan, visit the students' work areas in the Kibbutz and learn Hebrew with the Ulpan Students.

 

See the famous Jewish tenet "each Jew is responsible for the other" in action through the At Home Together program in Hadera, in which Israeli families open their hearts and homes and adopt new immigrants. Meet these new immigrants and their adoptive families, and participate in a joint volunteering activity with the local participants.

 

See how the dreams of Israel's founders mirror those of today's new immigrants.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

3.  Transforming the Social Landscape of the Negev

 

Israel's Negev has a disproportionate share of the country's poorest and most distressed citizens.  Learn how services that were created and developed to respond to their needs are helping to transform the region's social landscape.

 

Meet young Bedouin children benefiting from the ECHAD Early Childhood Intervention that works in both 'recognized' and 'unrecognized' Bedouin villages to ensure a better start in life for the community's youngest members.

 

Visit the Center for Young Adults, which offers young Israelis – especially immigrants – access to the resources and support they need to complete their education, embark on careers, and develop life and leadership skills for a successful transition into adulthood.

 

Learn about the problems and solutions for unemployment in the vast and pastoral Negev region through interactions with staff and clients of the Maavarim Rural Employment Center.

 

Lead: JDC

 

 

4.  Standing Strong with Sderot and Gaza Periphery Residents*

 

The resilience of Sderot and Gaza periphery residents, both young and old, is awe inspiring. Despite eight years of unrelenting rocket and missile attacks that have left trauma and destruction in their wake, life goes on. See how the Israel Emergency Campaign (IEC) has made a marked difference in the residents' elusive quest for stability.

 

Meet Gush Katif evacuees who have resettled in the new city of Nitzan and still face the ongoing threat of terror.

 

Engage with students at Sapir College who received IEC scholarships to encourage higher education in the region. Tour the campus and understand the college's vital role in strengthening this beleaguered area.

 

Learn about the vibrant cultural life in Sderot, from rising rock stars to talented classical musicians. Visit the newly fortified community center and auditorium, which has revitalized the city's cultural activities and allows the show to go on under any circumstance. Hear from the director of the IEC-supported Resilience Center, an integrative community model that creates the infrastructure required for emergency preparedness.

 

Meet recipients of the IEC's Fund for the Victims of Terror, and hear how this support is helping these people to rebuild their lives.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

5.  Living and Learning Together*

 

Israel's next generation will determine the direction of Jewish-Arab relations and the pace at which coexistence can flourish. Reaching young people in both communities today will have a ripple effect on building a more cohesive Israel in the future.

 

Meet dynamic Jewish and Arab young adults who are building a student village in the Old City of Acre through the Young Communities program. See how this village is injecting new life into the run-down neighborhood.

 

Visit the Ghetto Fighters Kibbutz, then lunch with Jewish and Arab Israeli high school students from Acre, participants in P2K Western Galilee/UJC Central Consortium Partnership Tri-Wizard Leadership Group at the Center for Humanitarianism. 

 

Meet with Youth Futures' young educators, children at-risk and community members of the Sheikh Danum Arab village. Hear how the village has been transformed by the Youth Futures program.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

6.  Israel's 21^st Century Pioneers* (this trip is 'By Invitation Only')

Dynamic young Israelis are creating a new pioneering spirit in the priority regions of the Negev and Galilee, serving as volunteer agents of social change, taking the lead in creating young communities and strengthening Israel's underdeveloped areas.

Visit an Atidim program at an IDF Air Force base in the Negev. The Jewish Agency partners with the Friends of Atidim Association to provide equal educational opportunities to talented youths and young adults in the periphery. Scholastic and financial support allows these youths to excel in their studies and pursue careers in science and technology. Meet the students who have been given a helping hand and are on the path to a successful future.

Meet with Dimona's mayor at the Neve Elementary School, and then attend a Lunch and Learn Program with the Partnership 2000 Network/Dimona participants.

Meet with Youth Futures trustees and children and hear about the impact this program is having in Dimona. Youth Futures, an innovative and holistic program, empowers children and youth from the periphery and enriches their lives educationally, culturally and socially to ensure their future, and ours.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

7.  Mobilizing for a Seam Line Region

 

Lachish is one of Israel's most under-developed areas. The democratic and geographic challenges of this seam line region make it difficult to attract both people and business. A better future for the region will only come with the development of new communities and new resources.

 

Take a jeep ride along the East Lachish seam line, bordering the Palestinian-controlled Hebron region, to see first-hand the challenges in this area. Stop to meet with members of new communities, some of who are evacuees from Gaza’s Gush Katif bloc.

 

Experience the connection between the land and its people as you help pick the last of the season's grapes in the fields of the Shekef community. Lunch with residents who are using the area's natural resources and have opened exciting new businesses.

 

Meet with members of a young Israeli leadership group that is learning about philanthropy and working with peers in the U.S. to develop innovative philanthropic projects. 

 

Visit the hands-on ceramic, jewelry-making and art workshops and meet with the artists living in the seam line community of Shekef. 

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

8.  Maintaining Everyday Life under Fire

 

Eight years of living under constant threat of attack has taken an enormous toll on all those living in Israel's southern conflict zone. Visit Sderot and see programs that are helping the town's most vulnerable residents – children, elderly and young immigrants – bear the strain and carry on their daily lives.

See how children in kindergartens cope with missile attacks by learning the Red Color (Tseva Adom) song. Sung when the siren sounds, the song's breathing and stretching exercises reassure the children and reduce their anxiety.

 

Meet elderly residents of Sderot's Day Care Center and learn about how it feels to be a senior living through this trauma.

 

Join the dream for a safer future by meeting with the town's youth and young adults who are investing their time in projects aimed at improving the lives of their peers and their communities.

 

Get an insider's view of the security situation in a briefing by officers of the IDF. 

 

Lead: JDC

9.  Renewing Life in Israel's North*

 

The Second Lebanon War shook a region of Israel already weakened by poverty and lack of investment. Two years later, spend a day in Israel's north and see for yourself the programs that have helped northern Israeli residents renew their lives after the conflict.

 

Meet Hibuki (Huggy), an endearing stuffed animal which has been introduced to kindergartens in Israel's north to help hundreds of children overcome the trauma of war.

 

Lunch with small business owners from Israel's north whose enterprises survived – and even flourished – post-conflict, thanks to targeted mentorships.

 

Gain tips on overcoming adversity from members of a supportive community for the disabled who strive to maintain their independent living even during times of crisis.

 

Lead: JDC

  

11.  Under the Threat of Missiles, Life Goes On

An eight-year barrage of rockets and missiles has taken an incalculable emotional and physical toll on the youngest residents of Sderot and the surrounding region.

Travel to the southernmost tip of Sderot to get an overview of the area and its proximity to Gaza.

Visit the newly fortified community center in Sderot, and see programs that give children a chance to play normally. Join in a soccer game with children from Sderot's Hapoel Keter Tel Aviv youth soccer club.

Lunch with Youth Futures trustees, and hear how these dynamic young educators are changing the lives of Sderot's youth at-risk.

Visit the vibrant Young Student Community of Yehini in the Negev. See how the members are pioneering change and strengthening the social fabric of this peripheral community.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

Jerusalem, the Heart of Our Nation

 

12.  Partnering with Purpose in Jerusalem

 

Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the eternal capital of the Jewish people.  It is a city bursting with history while coping with the complexities of a major metropolis. A broad range of Israeli and global partners are collaborating to strengthen the city.

 

Learn about the national Youth Futures Initiative for at-risk children and youth, and hear about its new implementation in Jerusalem.

 

Meet with teens involved in a special trilateral partnership with their Jewish peers from New York and Europe through the Community Center Partnership Program.

 

Lunch at the LaBoca Restaurant on chic Emek Refaim Street. Meet with charismatic owner Guy Kimchi and other recipients of the Small Business Loan Fund to hear how this support turned their lives around. 

 

At the Kiryat Yearim Youth Aliyah Village, nestled in Jerusalem’s majestic hills, meet children learning how to go from risk to opportunity.

 

LEAD: JAFI 

 

 

14.  Israeli Art and Culture   

 

Israeli artists, writers and musicians have achieved world-renown. Many began their artistic journey in community sponsored programs, others at municipally-sponsored workshops and others at Israel's premier art school Bezalel. Spend the day meeting with young artists in Jerusalem. Also, take part in a fascinating discussion with the Israel Democracy Institute.

 

Tour the Bezalel campus on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem to meet with the world's future leadership in art and design. See them at work and speak to them and their teachers.

 

Find out about Bezalel's planned move to the center of Jerusalem and hear from the students and faculty about how they believe this will re-invigorate the city center.

 

Visit the Jerusalem Foundation-supported artist Workshops in the Talpiot neighborhood to meet with young artists taking their first steps. 

 

Lunch with the artists and meet with people from the local community. 

 

Travel to Beit Barbour in Jerusalem's Musrara Quarter to see how young artists are using community art in their work with populations at risk.

 

Lunch with the artists and meet people from the local community. 

 

Take part in a fascinating discussion with the Israel Democracy Institute.

 

LEAD: Bezalel

PARTICIPATING: Israel Democracy Institute (IDI)

 

 

15.  Israel Advocacy

 

Israel depends on advocacy to ensure that its point of view receives a fair hearing in the world's forums.   Join in discussions on how political, social and demographic changes in Israel, the Middle East and North America are influencing our Israel advocacy efforts.

 

Take part in a discussion about Israel's image in the media with top American correspondents based in Jerusalem.  Share this unique opportunity to hear their opinions and learn about their experiences covering Israel and the Middle East. 

 

Attend a guided tour of the Foreign Ministry Situation Room and Press Room.  Hear briefings on the operation of Israel's diplomatic corps, on the Branding Israel project and the Internet wars.

 

Visit the Channel Two News facility at Neve Ilan outside of Jerusalem to meet with television journalists.

 

PARTICIPATING: UJC/JCPA Israel Advocacy Initiative  
                                  INFO Mishkenot, the Israel Newsmakers Forum

                                  Ministry of Foreign Affairs

                                  Channel Two News

 

 

Pluralism

 

16.  Education as a Tool for Success in Society

 

Education is the key to overcoming socio-economic disparities and it is the framework within which social values are taught and internalized.  Many of the most innovative and effective programs in Israel's education system were funded by philanthropists.  Spend the day looking at educational models that have emerged from the intervention of philanthropic resources.

 

Start the day in Jerusalem with a panel discussion with the participation of Minister of Education Yuli Tamir and Dr. Janet Aviad, CEO, ACBP Israel on the subject of the role of philanthropy in education. 

 

Travel to Lod to learn about the model of a comprehensive approach to intervention that is a joint project of the Government of Israel, the city of Lod, NGOs and philanthropies. Study the Social Network, an initiative that promotes mutual understanding in the Jewish and Arab Sector, and the Community Archeological Project, a tool for strengthening community responsibility and co-existence

 

Travel after lunch to Ono Academic College, where a unique partnership between Ono and philanthropists all over the world has provided opportunities for people from complicated social and economic backgrounds to acquire academic degrees. 

 

Meet with young students from the Ethiopian-Israeli community who are studying law, business, accounting and business administration at Ono. Learn first hand from the students how they are becoming role models in their community.

 

Hear from ultra-orthodox students how a special program, which provides separate facilities for men and women out of respect for their way of life, has enabled adults from this community to enter the job market and pull their families out of poverty. 

 

Learn from Christian priests, Jewish rabbis, Druze sheikhs and Muslim imams about how studying law together has changed their outlook on co-existence in Israel and how they have been able to bring this new attitude to their pulpits and communities.

 

Meet with Dr. Miki Haran, former director general of the Ministry of the Environment and current Ono director of the MBA program in Environmental Management, to hear about how partnerships can solve environmental management problems. 

 

PARTICIPATING: The Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (Keren Karev)

                                    Ono Academic College

 

 

17.  Behind the Headlines: The Realities of Coexistence*

 

World news blasts headlines about stalled peace talks and terrorist attacks in Israel. In reality, many Jews and non-Jews live side-by-side, their lives intricately intertwined through day-to-day living. See how coexistence efforts are gaining ground in the North.

 

Speak with elementary-school children participating in the Language as a Cultural Bridge program, which teaches Arabic to Jewish elementary school children living in mixed communities and builds bridges for mutual understanding.

 

Visit the Druze village of Merar to hear about their unique community Zionist council. Lunch at Kibbutz Ravid, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, a unique educational kibbutz comprised of idealistic young Zionists who are reaching out to the surrounding Bedouin and Druze communities. 

 

Participate in an Israel educational program at Ravid, "Signing the Declaration of Independence," and reflect on its ramifications 60 years later.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

18.  Combining Jewish Studies with Modern Technology

 

Join the faculty and students of Bar Ilan University to explore a study that combines Jewish identity with modern technologies and research.  Learn how the university expresses its commitment to the principles of Judaism as the manifestation of the uniqueness of the Jewish people.

 
Visit Bar Ilan’s Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and its state-of-the-art MEG Laboratory where an imaging technique measures the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain.

Take part in a science fair and learn more about nanotechnology, engineering and computer science.

Lunch with the university president, students and doctoral fellows from every faculty.

 

Tour the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv to trace the roots of the elderly in Israel, as well as your own family.

PARTICIPATING: Bar Ilan University

 

 

19.  The Many Faces of Judaism

 

Spend a day exploring the many faces of Judaism in Israel from the Orthodox to the Conservative to the secular.  Learn together with Israeli educators who have found new ways to express their love of Torah and others who will share their thoughts about the links between Jewish identity, contemporary environmental concerns and Israeli society.

 

In Jerusalem, divide up into groups and join a discussion/study session at Schechter Institute, Pardes or the Israel Religious Action Center.

 

Share your ideas about the connection between Judaism, the environment and Israeli society with a multi-denominational network of Jewish educators, activists, thinkers and artists. Study texts in small groups.

 

Visit Kehillat Yotzer Or, a Masorti Movement community in Jerusalem, to learn about a new model for Masorti communities based on social action.

 

Travel to Tel Aviv to participate in studies at Bina Israel's first Secular Yeshiva, based on Jewish study, social action and social justice, community and leadership.  Tour the distressed neighborhood around the yeshiva, followed by a study session relating to social justice and community. 

 

PARTICIPATING: Schechter Institute

                                    Pardes

                                    Israel Religious Action Center

                                    Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel (SPNI)

                                    Masorti Movement

                                    Bina

                                    

 

Peoplehood

 

20.  Turning Israel's Cultural Melting Pot into a Colorful Mosaic

 

Years of helping Israel absorb immigrants has taught us the importance of preserving cultural heritage to successful long term integration. Meet with immigrants from across the globe and learn how pride in their roots is helping them build a new life in Israel.

 

Catch the beat of Bukharian-Israeli life by taking part in a traditional darbuka drum circle and hearing stories of this ancient Jewish community, past and present.

 

Sample Yemenite fare together with young adults from the community who are learning how to balance respect for their tradition with their desire to advance in modern Israel.

 

See life through the eyes of the Ethiopian-Israeli community of Rishon LeTzion. As you meet with a kes and visit a traditional Ethiopian synagogue, consider the vast cultural transition that the community has had to make.

 

Visit the Ayalon Institute and hear the story of the secret factory that manufactured ammunition beneath a limestone hill while young people trained for kibbutz life above during pre-State days.

 

Lead: JDC

 

 

22.  Remembering the Holocaust

 

And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (yad vashem)... that shall not be cut off." – Isaiah 56:5

Spend an in-depth day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Authority.  First–time visitors will have a specially tailored tour, while returning visitors will delve into the educational program and receive a behind-the-scenes visit. Travel to Samaria to experience a unique university center at the Ariel University Center of Samaria.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Visit the Holocaust History Museum, accompanied by one of Yad Vashem's expert tour guides, to experience the multi-disciplinary story of the Holocaust from a unique Jewish perspective.

 

RETURNING VISITORS: Meet with senior staff of the International School for Holocaust Studies, participate in an educational workshop, and find out how the school is developing a curriculum for Israel's social and physical periphery and new immigrants.  Get a behind-the-scenes visit to the Archives, and visit the Learning Center, where visitors can embark on a journey of personal inquiry with the help of interactive, digitized technology.

 

ALL: Pay tribute to Holocaust survivors who were the last remnants of their families at the Netezer Acharon Memorial on Mount Herzl. 

 

Hear the presentation “Connecting the Past and Present,” which tells the story of the grandson of Holocaust survivors who was critically injured in the Second Lebanon War.

Meet with the Yad Vashem Information Technology team, whose members are harnessing technology to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust will live on and to give faces to the names of Jews who were murdered. 

 

Attend a performance of the Children's Choir in the Hall of Remembrance.

 

Visit the Ariel University Center of Samaria (AUC), the fastest growing higher education institute in Israel, which represents the full spectrum of Israeli society: Jew and Arab, secular and observant, new immigrant and veteran Israeli. Learn about the importance of the Center in the region and take a tour, meeting with students and young researchers.

 

LEAD:  Yad Vashem

PARTICIPATING: Ariel University Center of Samaria

 

 

24.  Join the Army for a Day

 

Most of us are curious about the daily activities of Israel's armed forces.  When a crisis occurs and the IDF springs into action, we get a sense from the media of the drama and the tragedy these young people experience in defending their country.  This is a rare opportunity to spend an ordinary day with the soldiers guarding Israel's south.

 

Visit an army base, the temporary home of combat soldiers between forays.  Learn from the soldiers how they face the dangers and fears and deal with the tensions of combat duty.

 

Hear about training and conditions from their officers and learn how soldiers are prepared for combat duty.

 

Get a first-hand briefing on IDF strategy in Israel's south and find out how the IDF plans to cope with future challenges. 

 

LEAD: IDF

 

 

25.  Diversity in Urban Life

 

Discover the richness of urban life in Ramle, a city located in the center of the country with a mixed Jewish and Arab population and many newcomers from the FSU and Ethiopia.  Learn how our partner agencies are providing necessary basic services to this diverse population.

 

See how the JDC's PACT program is helping kindergarten children improve their Hebrew in the Literacy Enrichment Program, and speak to educational liaisons who help bridge the cultural gap between the Ethiopian and veteran Israeli populations.

 

Visit elementary school children in the Open Learning Space and Sensory Motor Room.

 

Meet members of the Ethiopian Women's Forum at the Tabage Ethiopian Heritage Museum. 

 

Enjoy entertainment provided by Ramle's ethnic communities over lunch, and meet the trustees or mentors and the youngsters they will work with through the Jewish Agency's Youth Futures program, which includes youths from Zfat, Hazor and Rosh Pina.

 

Learn how the Ethiopian National Project is changing people's lives through small afterschool educational enrichment groups by visiting a biblio-therapy session, where students have an opportunity to examine some of their social and emotional challenges.

 

Visit a Youth Outreach Center that provides after school club activities, educational enrichment courses and army preparation courses for youths who would otherwise be on the streets.

 

The Ramle visits on this trip showcase the programs in Israel funded by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County through JAFI, JDC and the ENP.

 

PARTICIPATING: JAFI, JDC and the ENP

 

 

26.  A Day in the Life of Taglit-Birthright Israel

 

Since the inception of Taglit-Birthright Israel, more than 200,000 young adults from the Diaspora have participated in its free first-time, peer group educational trips to Israel.  All return home with a stronger sense of Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people.  Why is this program so successful?  Find out for yourself as you follow in the footsteps of a Birthright group

 

Tour the National Cemetery on Mount Herzl with reserve army soldiers.  Visit the graves of Israel leaders, Herzl, Rabin and Golda Meir and end the tour at the military cemetery. 

 

Stroll through Jerusalem’s new and trendy neighborhoods, accompanied by the poetry of Yehuda Amichai, which illuminates the significance of the sites for young Jews.

 

Get a front row seat at the Amphitheater of History on Mount Scopus and learn about Jerusalem as an international city and the cradle of important faiths.

 

Lunch with soldiers and Birthright alumni, and depart Jerusalem on Route 443 to hear a briefing on security issues and the security wall. 

Visit bustling Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, where Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated, and discuss Rabin's legacy.

 

Visit Heichal HaAtzmaut (Independence Hall), where David Ben Gurion pronounced the State of Israel on May 5, 1948. 

 

Wrap up the day with discussions about the day's activities with Birthright alumni and soldiers from elite units who have accompanied the group all day.

 

LEAD: Taglit-Birthright Israel

 

 

27.  Breaking the Barriers through Coexistence and Cooperation

 

The Wadi Ara Region of Israel has a large Arab population and many Jewish kibbutzim and villages.  See how joint programs, culture and art can promote understanding and cooperation between the two communities. This track will also highlight the work of the UJC Social Venture Fund for Arab/Israeli coexistence which is committed to the advancement of education and employment opportunities in the Arab/Israeli sector.     

 

Meet with the members of the Jewish-Arab musical ensemble of the Jerusalem Music Center in Mishkanot Sha’ananim and hear them perform. The JMC promotes joint Jewish-Arab musical activities and nurtures talented musicians from both communities.

 

Travel to Kibbutz Ma'anit and the site of the ancient city of Narbata to discuss the history of modern Jewish settlement in the region and relations with the surrounding Arab communities.

 

Drive through the Jewish community of Katzir to discuss the large gaps in infrastructure development between Jewish and Arab towns. Meet the members of the Jewish-Arab Mayors' Forum.

 

Travel to the Arab city of Um al Fahm for a tour of the city and a visit to the art gallery.  Meet with the founder and director and tour the gallery.  Eat a kosher lunch in the gallery meeting room and meet with local residents.

LEAD: Sikkuy

PARTICIPATING: Jerusalem Music Center

 

 

28.  Equal Opportunities for Children

 

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds frequently lack equal access to school resources, extracurricular activities and healthy lifestyles. Yet all children deserve the same start in life. Visit three JDC programs that are working to level the playing field.

 

Go back to school with Ethiopian-Israeli children who are beginning first grade on par with their peers, thanks to culturally sensitive interventions targeting the Ethiopian-Israeli community as a whole.

 

Participate in pet and music therapies and experience the potential for change when schools are empowered to respond to their students' educational and welfare needs. 

 

Visit a hostel for ex-convict mothers and join them in a parenting workshop. Gain a new understanding about the need of all children for good parents. 

 

Tour the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv to trace the roots of the elderly in Israel and your own family.

 

Lead: JDC

 

Providing for our People

 

 

29.  Building Caring Communities for Children

 

When caring for children at risk, displacement from familiar surroundings can be as damaging as the original abuse. The right balance between community and a safe and secure environment is needed.  Sometimes the key lies in reorienting the community. Learn about three programs where community involvement is fine-tuned to help children at risk flourish.

 

Visit an Emergency Center, which provides a nurturing home to children temporarily removed from their families. Find out how the Center helps children maintain healthy contact with their family and community.

 

See another side of Tel Aviv in a visit to one of the city's blighted southern neighborhoods. Discover how the local community and its children are being transformed by Better Together, an adaptation of the highly successful Harlem Children's Zone.

Learn how children from highly dysfunctional families are thriving and re-connecting with their parents with the help of their home away from home in the community -- the Day Boarding Facility.

 

Tour the historical and renewed area of Neve Tzedek to see how renewal can change the face of a community.

 

Lead: JDC 

 

 

31.  Independent Living for Israelis with Disabilities

 

Despite the daily challenges they confront, over 95% of Israeli adults with disabilities live in the community. Visit programs that aim to maximize the potential for independence in every aspect of their lives – individually and as a group.

 

Meet members of a supportive community for the disabled and hear why being able to live autonomously in their own homes is so important to them.

 

Visit Beersheva's Center for Independent Living (CIL), and meet the inspiring and resourceful people who are fostering independent life for people with disabilities across the Negev region. CIL offers access to services and creates opportunities for involvement in service definition and operation.

 

Tour Ramat Gan Safari with young adults with disabilities who are doing national service at Israel's national zoological center.

 

Lead: JDC

 

 

32.  Empowering Girls at Risk

 

Difficulties faced by teenage girls in distress can be underestimated as girls often act out in a self-destructive yet secretive manner. Learn about programs that are ensuring their cries for help no longer go unheard.

 

Lunch with at-risk girls who are working hard to find their way back to regular life.

 

Visit one of nearly 50 "Warm Homes" - after school centers where a supportive and accepting environment offers a second home to hundreds of girls in distress across Israel.

Talk with young women who, having overcome the worst of life's circumstances including abuse, addictions and isolation, are now reinforcing their own recovery by mentoring younger girls.

 

Visit Mini Israel where you can travel the length and breadth of the country seeing all your favorite sites in miniature.

 

Lead: JDC

  

 

36.  "Do Not Forsake Me in My Old Age"

 

Israel's elderly make up 10% of the population.  As founders of the State as immigrants who risked their lives to make Israel their home and as members of the community, they deserve our care. Visit three JDC programs which are helping elderly Israelis remain healthy and age in place for as long as possible.

 

Practice Petanque with retirees running the program for fellow senior citizens. Learn how regular activity improves your health and keeps you young.

 

Take part in gardening and pet therapy with participants at the Rehovot Day Care Center for the Elderly. 

Meet elderly Ashkelon residents who feel safer and more socially connected thanks to their local Supportive Community. See how the community, which is now in range of missile attack, has been augmented to provide increased security for its members.

 

Tour the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv to trace the roots of the elderly in Israel and your own. 

 

Lead: JDC

 

Tikkun Olam

 

37.  Food and Water Initiatives for a Growing Population

 

Learn how a new vision at the Hebrew University is harnessing the talents and resources of some 100 scientists to address the challenges of providing enough healthy food for the world's growing population, while protecting and sustaining the environment.  Hear about cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs and successful agricultural outreach.

 

Visit the research lab where a revolutionary technique for water recycling in fish farming has been developed. By making it possible to raise fish in tanks using a single initial source of tap water, this technique enables fish to be raised as food anywhere in the developing world using very little water and with no harm to the environment.

 

Learn about the decision-making processes of honeybees, which mirror human decision-making processes, and how these processes determine which foods we eat and how much food is available on our planet. 

 

See the newest innovations in tomatoes, flowers and various field crops at the Experimental Farm, and lunch with international students from developing countries.

 

Travel to the Palmachim desalination plant, which takes in sea water and prepares it for eventual use as drinking water or irrigation. 

 

LEAD: Hebrew University

PARTICIPATING: GES Global Environmental Solutions Ltd.

 

38.  Judaism and Social Justice in the 21^st Century

Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is a Jewish concept, born in the middle ages, that continues to resonate today. An increasing number of young Jews are asking themselves how they can make a difference in the world, and many are arriving in Israel.

Meet MASA participants on the Adam and Eve Farm who work alongside Israelis to create a more eco-friendly society. Hear about the community's unique vision and the growing eco-awareness in Israel.

Meet with other MASA participants who are working in the Tikkun Olam Tel Aviv program and hear about their volunteering experiences.

End the day with a visit to the Bina Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture, a unique secular yeshiva attracting diverse people in the heart of Tel Aviv.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

Jewish Philanthropy

 

39.  Development Leadership Institute

 

Spend a full day meeting with some of Israel’s most significant philanthropists, in their boardrooms and on the ground at the projects they support. Participate in an intimate dialogue about what inspired them, how their professional successes enabled them to find personal satisfaction and how their philanthropy is helping to bring about social change.

 

Stops during this trip will include meetings with top-level funders and organizers of the Jewish Agency’s “Youth Futures” Program; Jewish Agency Youth Aliyah Villages; the Jewish Agency’s Net@ program; a proposed multi-purpose Israel Center in Central Europe; and the "Rising to the Top" initiative for Ethiopian Israeli university graduates.

 

This program is intended for those who have the potential to support a significant supplemental project, and foundation and federation professionals who are charged with the cultivation or stewardship of prospects with significant potential. For more information or to select this track, please contact Susan Solow Dubin (susan.solow-dubin@ujc.org) or Joe Imberman (Joe.Imberman@ujc.org).  

 

 

40.  Venturing into the Negev Periphery*

 

The Negev and the Galilee regions of Israel form more than 70% of Israel's territory, but less than 30% of the population lives there.  Among those who have undertaken to change that are the members of the Or Movement and the Israel Venture Network.

 

Learn how the Or Movement's goal to develop and populate the Negev and Galilee regions is being translated into action in the Negev.  Explore the Old City of Beersheva with the Or Movement to find out how developing its potential can lead to the rejuvenation and development of the city. 

 

Find out how the success of IVN's Economic Reconstruction Initiative (IERI) in the north is being replicated in the south.  The IERI aims to stimulate business growth by combining mentoring/coaching with lending for small and medium businesses. 

 

See the "Women Embroidering Andanet (Together)" initiative, integrating unemployed Jewish Ethiopian women into the Israeli society and economy.

 

Travel to a Bedouin community near Yerucham to learn about employment challenges and interventions related to the Bedouin community.

 

See a panoramic view of the desert from the Yerucham Lookout. At Lake Yerucham, enjoy an activity and presentation by an outdoor and extreme activity business participating in the IVN economic development program.

 

 

LEAD:  Israel Venture Network

              Or Movement

 

The Future Generation

41.  Today's Youth: Tomorrow's Future

More than 350,000 Israeli children do not have the opportunities that they need, held back by difficult socio-economic situations. Equal educational opportunities are vital to overcoming this, so these youths can strengthen Israeli society.

Start the day with Israeli folk dancing, together with Youth Futures children and trustees.

Meet with "Pioneers in Jeans", young adults making a change in the social fabric of Israeli society at the young community of Schachar  in Yokneam. 

Travel to Jewish Agency Hadassah Neurim Youth Aliyah Village and meet with our student athletes and Net@ participants. Hadassah Neurim provides a normative, residential environment where over 400 at-risk children and youths ages 12-17 receive the educational, therapeutic and social intervention required for them to flourish. Youth Aliyah has developed an encompassing approach for the academic and social rehabilitation of at-risk youngsters that has served as a model for welfare services throughout the world.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

42.  A Region under Fire

 

The children and youth in Israel's Northern Negev Region have been learning under fire for seven years.  Travel to the region to meet with the students and teachers, with a stop on the way at an IDF air base. 

 

Tour the Palmachim Air Force Base and meet with Israeli pilots to hear about the importance of technology in today's air force.

 

Join a lesson at Shaar Hanegev Regional High School's revolutionary smart classroom, where blackboards are a thing of the past -- students use laptops and teachers use interactive whiteboard technology made available through the World ORT Science Journey (Kadima Mada) campaign. 

 

Travel to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, just one mile from the Gaza Strip border, to visit the museum dedicated to the Battle for Yad Mordechai in 1948 and to the kibbutz’s namesake, Mordechai Anielewicz, who died while commanding the Jewish Fighting Organization in the Warsaw Ghetto.

LEAD: World ORT

PARTICIPATING: Palmachim Air Force Base

 

43.  Young at Heart: Helping Israeli Youth Succeed

 

Thousands of Israeli youth drop out of school annually. Many, from disadvantaged backgrounds underachieve due to lack of opportunity.  A key to reversing these trends lies in attractive ways to bring out their strengths and talents.  Meet young Israelis whose lives have been turned around.

 

Tour a Jerusalem glass factory run chiefly by youth who just a few months ago were all but written off by their communities and schools.

 

Visit a school and meet with disadvantaged youth whose talents and true potential are being cultivated through extra attention and unique learning approaches to the sciences. 

 

Join in training exercises with at-risk youth who are getting back on track, through a program that uses the goal of army service as the stepping stone for productive adult life.

 

At the Nili Museum of Beit Aharonson in Zichron Yaakov, learn how the pioneers of yesterday took heroic initiatives that changed the course of history in pre-state Israel.

 

Lead: JDC

 

 

44.  From Lone Soldiers to Proud Israelis

 

Every year, brave young men and women from around the world leave their families and go to Israel to defend their homeland. These new immigrant soldiers jump immediately into army life, which can be a difficult transition for even the most seasoned Israelis. Learn how these soldiers are supported from draft to discharge.

 

NOTE: Photography will be forbidden during certain sections of this tour for security reasons.

 

Share the excitement of their upcoming induction with new recruits at Ammunition Hill, the site of one of Jerusalem's fiercest battles during the Six Day War. View a multimedia presentation on the Hill's history and heroism that inspires visitors and soldiers alike.

 

Meet and eat lunch with new immigrant soldiers currently participating in the Nativ program, learning about their history, heritage, religion and the State they so proudly serve.  Hear moving stories of Nativ's role in paving the way for them to become Jewish according to Jewish law (Halacha).

 

Meet with participants in a special program in Ramat Gan created to ease the soldiers' transition to civilian life. In the program, soldiers acquire life skills and strengthen their abilities to cope with life outside of the army.

 

Visit the special club in Kfar Saba that has become "home" to many lone soldiers during their hard-earned R&R time. Continue on to a seminar that prepares these soldiers for civilian life after the army.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

45.  At the Forefront of Scientific Advances

 

Spend the day learning about some of Israel's scientific achievements in medicine and science. At Tel Aviv University and at the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital, meet the students and teachers and get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Israel's unique facilities.

 

Tour Tel Aviv University, the largest institution of higher education in Israel with 125 schools and departments across the spectrum of sciences, humanities and arts. See its award-winning architecture.

 

Visit three of the highest-profile labs on campus, where advanced research in genetics, biochemistry and nanotechnology is unearthing the genetic basis of some of the most devastating diseases, harnessing the power of nature to create electricity, and creating a new generation of nano-sized devices for improving healthcare, enhancing national security and boosting quality of life. Also visit the TAU Cymbalista Jewish Heritage Center, a unique facility where academia and Torah meet face-to-face.

 

Enjoy lunch with some of the enthusiastic young scholars and students across campus whose originality is leading the academic world in exciting directions and shaping scientific progress for decades to come.

 

Get to know students on a deeply personal level through the Story Core program at Beit Hillel where students from all over the world share their Jewish stories, revealing how each chooses to give meaning to the experiences that form identity. Meet with the first Ethiopian Israeli to direct a Hillel.

 

Visit the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer with its 150 departments and clinics. See the architectural masterpiece housing the Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital serving patients from Israel, the Palestinian authority and the Arab world, and across the Mediterranean region.

Learn why the MSR Israel Center for Medical Simulation is a world leader in simulation-based medical education. Find out how it prepares IDF personnel for battleground and mass trauma scenarios including chemical and biological warfare.

 

LEAD:  Tel Aviv University

PARTICIPATING: Hillel

                                 Tel Hashomer Hospital 

 

47.  Herzl's Vision 60 Years Later

Since the first Zionist Congress held in Basel in 1897, Zionism has been hotly contested. From the founding of the State of Israel to the UN condemnation of Zionism as racism to post-Zionist philosophy, this "ism" has been embraced, denied and idealized. Explore the legacy of Theodore Herzl and the place of Zionism today.

Visit the internationally praised Herzl Museum in Jerusalem, and travel through the history of Zionism. Participate in a workshop led by one of Israel's premier intellectuals and explore the questions: What is Israel's place in the Jewish world? What is the relevance of Zionism in a post-Zionist world?

Meet young Jews participating in a MASA-affiliated long-term Israel program - Israel Government Fellows. Accompany them to the government offices where they intern and meet the respective ministers and senior staff.

Lunch at Bayit V'Gan Guest House.

Travel to Kibbutz Na'an and discuss the meaning of modern-day Zionism together with Ulpan Kibbutz Na'an students and Kibbutz members.

LEAD: JAFI 

  

 

Equal Opportunities

 

51.  Ensuring the Future of the Ethiopian Community

 

Today, the community of Ethiopian Israelis numbers 115,000.  Experience their transition from life in a rural African society to life in modern day Israel.  Learn about the successes of the Ethiopian National Project and the challenges that lie ahead.

 

Travel backwards to life in rural Ethiopia at Neot Kedumim, where Ethiopian Israeli university students who dedicate their lives to helping in their community will tell stories of village life and discuss the challenges of successful integration.   Meet Dr. Nigist Mengesha, director of the Ethiopian National Project and Micha Feldman, who was instrumental in implementing Operation Solomon, which brought 14,000 olim in 36 hours. 

 

Travel to Rehovot to meet with community success stories:  students in medicine and law and a young entrepreneur.  Join them for a traditional Ethiopian lunch.

 

Take part in an English lesson at an Ashkelon school where the ENP Scholastic Assistance Program is helping to close the education gap for Ethiopian-Israeli students.  Be interviewed by the members of the Media Club who have launched their own newspaper. 

 

Experience a taste of the many activities offered at the ENP Youth Center in Ashkelon: take a turn at hip-hop dance, juggling or photography, and leave your mark at the Center with a mural you create with the teenagers and their parents depicting life in Ethiopia and Israel and your shared hopes for the future. 

 

LEAD: Ethiopian National Project (ENP)

 

 

52.  New Opportunities in the North*

 

Visiting the North, it is hard to believe that only two years ago, this region was devastated by the horrors of the Second Lebanon War. Its continued development is a national priority, and youth educational programs are a key to strengthening the region.

 

Learn about the State's early-day pioneers at the Kibbutz Yifat Museum. Then join the North's future pioneers as they learn English in a Nazareth Illit elementary school.

Lunch with Youth Futures trustees – dynamic young educators who are changing the lives of children and youth at-risk. Make dessert with Youth Futures children in a special social-skills activity.

Visit the Ramat Hadassah Youth Aliyah Village. Engage with the children at the therapeutic petting zoo, the greenhouse and a jewelry-making workshop.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

53.  Opening Doors to Employment

 

Non-participation in the workforce and poverty are directly connected: 65.8% of Israeli households below the poverty line are not in the workforce. Learn how Israel's chronically unemployed are being helped to overcome the barriers to employment and attain financial independence.

 

Brush up on your job interview techniques at the Eshet Chayil job club, which gives Ethiopian-Israeli women the support and skills that they need to work out of the house – and earn a wage – for the very first time.

 

Visit and tour an Israeli Air Force base and meet with ultra-orthodox men who are making the transition from yeshiva to the world of engineering.

 

Meet previously unemployed young adults who are on track for successful careers thanks to a U.S.-developed boot camp approach to employment preparation.

 

Lead: JDC

 

 

54.  Challenges of Ethiopian Aliyah

 

When Ethiopian Jews first arrived in Israel few comprehended the far-reaching effects of the vast cultural gap they experienced. Twenty years later, learn how the community is adapting, integrating and overcoming its social, educational and cultural challenges.

 

Go back to kindergarten and find out how Ethiopian-Israeli toddlers are successfully learning their Alef Bet thanks to culturally sensitive interventions that start from day one.

 

Speak with Ethiopian-Israeli soldiers and find out how preparation programs for their army service are helping them succeed today.

 

Meet with Ethiopian-Israeli mothers who are making their own adjustment to Israeli society by entering the workplace – and earning a wage – for the very first time.

 

Lead: JDC 

 

 

Israeli Culture, Sights and Sounds

 

56.  The Greening of the Jordan Valley

 

The route through the Jordan Valley connects Jerusalem and the Dead Sea with the Galilee.  Along the rout,e visitors will see how date palm groves, grape vines, flowers and high-tech hothouses have made the desert bloom.  

Travel beyond the fence along Israel's border to view the breathtaking sight of the Gaon Hayarden Region and the Tirza Resevoir, which catches winter runoff to irrigate summer crops in the valley. Meet with soldiers patrolling the region.

 

Hear briefings from an IDF officer and experts on archeology and geography.

 

Break for coffee at the Guy Li Coffee Shop a new enterprise established by Guy shortly before he was killed in the Second Lebanese War. 

 

At Naama, where herbs are grown in high-tech hothouses, participate in the harvest.
 

Visit the Amarlis Farm where flowers are grown for export according to request, and meet with residents who have established small businesses in the valley.

 

LEAD:  Jordan Valley Regional Council

 

 

58.  The Path of the Patriarchs

 

Only ten minutes from the outskirts of Jerusalem is an area rich in Jewish history, where 55,000 residents lives in 20 communities and the modern cities of Efrat and Beitar Elite. Travel in the path of our forefathers to meet with the residents who have made this region come alive.

 

Experience education in the Etzion Bloc. At the elementary school in Rosh Tzurim, see how children with special needs are integrated into regular classrooms; at the Achi School in Tekoa, meet students from across the spectrum of religious observance studying together; and at Nokdim, visit a nursery school where children are getting an educational head start.

 

Tour the Sde Bar Ranch for youth at high risk, and lunch on vegetables grown by the youngsters, cheeses from their goat dairy and pitot. 

 

Journey into the past at Herodion Mountain with the chief archeologist of the Herodion Expedition, to view the recently discovered tomb of King Herod.

 

Meet with soldiers at the soldiers' corner memorializing resident terror victims (visitors are asked to bring treats for distribution to the soldiers).

 

LEAD:  Gush Etzion Regional Council

 

 

59.  Israel and All Its Colors

 

The "ingathering of the exiles" to Israel has also brought an influx of artistic talent. Israeli culture is a beautiful tapestry of art, music, theater, dance and literature—a convergence of cultures and traditions formed by new immigrants from around the world. Enjoy the modern artistic expression of aliyah presented by colorful immigrant artists.

 

At the Beit Canada Absorption Center in Ashdod, meet with the new immigrants, learn about their experiences and visit their first homes in Israel. Join the new immigrants in creating art inspired by your own Israel experience. 

 

Meet with young program participants -- new immigrants from Ethiopia -- at the Barnea Absorption Center in Ashkelon. Have a picnic lunch outside, and take part together in traditional pottery, cooking, and weaving workshops.

 

On the way to Tel Aviv, enjoy a stand-up comedy performance about a new immigrant's experiences in Israel. Visit an art gallery with young people participating in the Jewish Agency's professional internship program.

 

LEAD: JAFI

 

61.  Arts and Culture @ 60

The young state of Israel is in a constant process of creating and defining its dynamic arts and culture scene. This scene is often used in Jewish education to bring relevant Israel-centered activities to Jewish communities around the world.

Meet the director of Festival b'Shekel, a non-profit organization that empowers young people in periphery towns to produce top level pop music festivals whose entrance fee is one symbolic shekel.

Visit to Tel Aviv art gallery, together with MASA students who study at the Bezalel Art Academy, and begin to process the ways in which Israeli artists both hug and wrestle with Israel.

Lunch in the Carmel Market/Sheinken St area of Tel Aviv, followed by a visit to a Tel Avivi art gallery to discuss ways in which Israeli artists embrace or reject the essence of Israel.

Meet the creators of the popular reality show, “A Star is Born,” a takeoff of “American Idol,” and discuss its contribution to Israeli culture. See a performance by MASA participants studying at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary music and then join them for a backstage discussion about their personal growth during their time in Israel.

LEAD: JAFI

 

 

62.  Sports and the Sea

 

Visit two unique academic institutions located on Israel's Mediterranean coast.  Learn how the Ruppin School of Marine Sciences and Environment is contributing to the body of knowledge about marine resources and how the Wingate Institute is promoting excellence in sport.

 

Take a guided tour of the Ruppin School seacoast to see the Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and the Aquaculture Laboratories, and meet the young marine scientists of tomorrow at the Marine Science Youth Project for Israeli and Diaspora students.

 

Get insights about marine sciences and the environment, the Bio Climatic Project and the sea as a source of socio-economic growth and development.

 

Tour Wingate Institute's Sport Medicine Center, where Israel's doctors learn this specialty; the Psychology Lab, to experience biofeedback used to prepare Israel's athletes for competition; and the Coaches School, where the blind provide sports-related massage.

Visit the Institutes Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the site of the new National Olympic Pool where the 2009 Maccabi Games will be hosted, and its sports facilities where gifted athletes are at practice.

 

PARTICIPATING: Ruppin School of Marine Sciences and Environment

                                    Wingate Institute

 

 

63.  Funding a Sustainable Future for Israel's Urban Environment

 

Spend the day learning how Israel is facing the challenge of sustaining the environment while developing its cities to meet the needs of a growing population. This trip is being planned in conjunction with Israel’s Green Environment Fund and is especially geared towards funders interested in learning about environmental issues in Israel.

 

Start the day at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, experiencing nature in the wild on Capital Hill between the Knesset and the Supreme Court, in the heart of Jerusalem. 

Learn how this national bird-ringing center promotes conservation studies and research to monitor bird populations. 

 

Drive to the Hiriya Waste Dump on the outskirts of Tel Aviv to find out how a unique philanthropic model is transforming this eyesore into a major urban park and educational center. 

 

Tour the recycling factory and visit the environmental educational center where new products are created from recycled materials.

 

Take a bike tour of the renovated Tel Aviv Port to see an example of urban renewal and discuss sustainable transportation issues and coastal preservation. 

 

Bike via the bridge over the Yarkon River to the Reading Power Plant and Yarkon Park for discussions about urban congestion and pollution. Alternative transport (pedi cab) will be available for nonbikers with advance notice. 

Trip participants will also learn about UJC’s Israel-based social venture philanthropy initiatives, and how environmental issues in Israel offer compelling grant making opportunities for North American funders. Members of the funding collaborative will hone their skills as effective grant makers, deepen their understanding of Israel’s environmental agenda, and explore the nexus between faith-based philanthropy and social activism in a community of like-minded funders.

 

LEAD: The Green Environment Fund

PARTICIPATING: The Heschel Center

 

64. WATER AND PEACE AT THE LOWEST POINT ON EARTH

 

Water is the world's scarcest resource and in Israel all of the major sources of water are shared.  Water resources offer an opportunity for cross border cooperation and the provision of concrete solutions to environmental and existential issues.  Spend the day learning about current cooperative efforts.

 

See for yourself how low the Jordan River has become and at the Kaser El Yahud Baptisim Site learn about the natural and religious importance of the river.

 

Discuss water, agriculture and nature over coffee and fruit with an Israel and a Jordanian mayor at the Monastery of Dir Hajla.

 

Drive south along the shores of the Dead City past the old Lido Hotel, note the old Dead Sea water mark and learn about the growing problem and the danger of sink holes.

 

Discuss the importance of saving the Dead Sea over lunch at Kibbutz Ein Gedi with representatives of the Office of Israel's President, the Tamar Regional Council, local residents and representatives of the Environmental Coalition.

 

Travel to Sdom for an overview of the Dead Sea Works and a discussion of sustainable community/industry cooperation at the Dead Sea. 

 

LEAD: EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East and Green Environment Fund 

 

65. HILLELS OF ISRAEL: TRANSFORMING THE JEWISH IDENTITY OF ISRAELI STUDENTS

 

Join Hillel in visiting the the Hillel centers at Ben Gurion University in Be’er Sheva and Sapir College in Sderot to learn first-hand how Hillel is transforming the university landscape with innovative programs that address the Jewish identity of Israeli students.  During the day you will meet Hillel students who are making a difference in their community beyond the campus.

 

When you arrive at Ben Gurion University, you will meet with University President Rivka Carmi, one of the leading academics who has positioned the university to have an impact on the surrounding community and the entire Negev.  You will then participate in one of Hillel's feature programs, the Jewish Story Core workshop where you will share your personal Jewish stories with students from throughout the Negev.  You will then see some of the social service projects through which Hillel students are having an impact on their larger community.  An interactive program over lunch will enable students and participants to learn from each other about how we can impact this world together.

 

Participants will then travel south to Sapir College Hillel and explore the city of Sderot, guided by local students who will share their experiences of pursuing their studies in light of the daily threats of kassam attacks. Sapir Hillel students will then showcase some of the student-initiated programs such as the Hillel Sharing G’mach and Hevra B’Am projects.  The day will culminate in a student-led special learning session. 

* indicates a seminar that will be leaving Jerusalem early because of the travel distance

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