Meet Your Staff!

Posted in 2012 on 11. Jul, 2012

Here are the amazing madrichim (counselors) who will be taking care of your children this summer.
Cegal Ilan – ISI
HEY!! My name is Cegal and I am VERY excited for this summer to begin!   I was born in the USA and moved to Ra’anana (near Tel Aviv) when I was younger.   I now live in Beersheva studying youth studies and Anthropology/Sociology in Ben Gurion University of the Negev.   I love eating watermelon, playing frisbee, hiking and meeting new people.  I can’t wait to meet the first group EVER of ISI – I Speak Israel !!
‘Enjoy the little things in life… Read more

The Summer Begins!

Posted in 2012 on 11. Jul, 2012

All the participants had a great first Shabbat experience in Israel! They spent their time at Kibbutz Ketura, a kibbutz founded by Young Judaeans who made aliyah. YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2, and YJ Discovery all got to hang out and have a YJ pool party and bbq together. After celebrating Shabbat, the groups separated on Sunday.
Machon 2:
YJ Machon 2 participants took part in a Desert Arts lecture where they got to see the beauty of the desert. Afterwards, they went to Eilat where they volunteered in a soup kitchen and were able to give back to… Read more

Welcome to Israel!

Posted in 2012 on 05. Jul, 2012

Shalom YJ Summer 2012 parents and families! The participants on YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2, and YJ Discovery landed on Wednesday! The YJ Summer programs team in NY had a great time meeting the kids. They sent close to 100 happy, excited participants to Israel. 11 hours later, the YJ Summer Programs team in Israel greeted the same now tired but just as excited participants. Their first evening in Israel was spent playing ice breaker games, meeting their staff, and having their first dinner.
Please continue checking the blog and “like”ing the YJ Summer Programs in Israel Facebook page.… Read more

Maccabiah!

Posted in Maccabia, Nitzachon, YJ Discovery, YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2 on 28. Jul, 2011

The participants have been non-stop busy since last week! During Shabbat, the Machon groups were hosted by the Tzofim (Israeli Scouts) The participants ate Shabbat dinner at the homes of their Israeli peers, and while some struggled to communicate in broken Hebrew, almost all of them bonded instantly with each other. One joint peula (discussion) was about Israel versus Diaspora relations. They discussed the role Israel should play in the Diaspora, as well as what role, if any, Diaspora Jews should have in Israel policy-making. Both groups shared their individual family histories, and many participants were surprised to hear that… Read more

More Special Interest Week Updates

Posted in Special, Uncategorized on 26. Jul, 2011

Kibbutz:
The participants got to visit three different kibbutzim to learn how they function and the different kinds of things they produce. One of the kibbutzim they visited was Kibbutz Yotvata, which is famous for its amazing and delicious dairy products. Once they got back to Kibbutz Ketura, they were split into groups and tasked with creating their own mock kibbutzim. They had to decide where it would be located, who would be members, how it would run, and what would be its “product.” Afterwards they had free time by the pool, a talent show, karaoke time, and finally, more… Read more

Machon Tells Us What They Really Think

Posted in YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2 on 20. Jul, 2011

As you know, our summer groups are having a great time.  How great?  You be the judge.
Just take a look at our Machon chanichim, passing on some words of wisdom to their friends in Hadracha, the incoming eleventh graders at Camp Tel Yehudah in New York.  Hopefully ALL of Hadracha will be coming to Israel on Machon next summer!… Read more

Special Interest Week!

Posted in Nitzachon, Special, YJ Discovery, YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2 on 20. Jul, 2011

This past weekend, the participants got to spend time with family, see old friends from Tel Yehudah, and make new friends from other buses. Family Weekend 2011 was a huge hit! On Thursday, everyone was bused to various points around Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Netanya. It was a great way for friends on different buses to catch up with each other, and those who stayed with the group in Beit Ar-El got to meet each other and expand their pool of friends in Young Judaea.
On Sunday, all the participants met back up with their groups and were… Read more

YJ Discovery: Week #2

Posted in YJ Discovery on 12. Jul, 2011

Last Thursday, July 6th, YJ Discovery had a very emotional and fulfilling visit to Har (Mt.) Herzl, Israel’s national military cemetery located just around the corner from Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial.  So many great Israeli leaders are buried at Har Herzl:  Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, fallen military hero Yoni Netanyahu, and of course, the father of modern Zionism himself, Theodore Herzl.  The group walked around the cemetery, hearing some of the personal stories about those who rest there.
From there, the group traveled to Beit Guvrin to participate in an archaeological dig; some even found shards of pottery.… Read more

Machon 2: The Negev to Jerusalem

Posted in YJ Machon 2 on 12. Jul, 2011

Last Thursday, Machon 2 enjoyed a desert hike at Ein Bokek, a site just west of the Dead Sea, followed by a dip in the sea itself, the lowest place on earth!  If you’ve never been, you may have still heard its claim to fame:  there is so much salt in the Dead Sea that you can literally FLOAT in the water.  Everyone agreed that it was a ton of fun (but stung a lot!)
In the evening, the group continued to the Bedouin tents to get a taste of their hospitality, ride on a camel, and enjoy a very tasty… Read more

Nitzachon Heats Up in the Desert

Posted in Nitzachon on 12. Jul, 2011

Last Monday night, Nitzachon had the classic camp-out experience at the a Bedouin tent in the Negev Desert.  Not only did they hear stories about the Bedouin tribes of Israel, they also got to sample some of their delicious food and special tea.  At 3 AM, the group woke up in time to climb Masada before sunrise, truly a spectacular sight. After watching the sun come up over the Dead Sea and walking around the two thousand year-old fortress, the group went for a small water hike at Ein Gedi, a beautiful nature preserve. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to cool… Read more

Machon 1: Hot Times in the Desert!

Posted in YJ Machon 1 on 10. Jul, 2011

Machon 1 spent another day at Ketura, where they woke up very early to have a fun desert art workshop. They expressed their creativity by making videos, sand art, and art using desert rocks. They also got to see some film parodies produced by Ketura. They then played games with members of the kibbutz, including geography games, and learning about YJ’s history in Israel. Afterwards, they had free time in the afternoon, where most of them took advantage of the time off by napping or hanging out in the pool.
After free time they had a pe’ula (educational activity) about… Read more

YJ Discovery Hits Tel Aviv!

Posted in YJ Discovery on 10. Jul, 2011

Last Tuesday morning, YJ Discovery drove to Tel Aviv, Israel’s most vibrant city.  They started the day at Independence Hall where David Ben-Gurion declared independence for Israel on May 14, 1948.  There, the group heard a recording of “Hatikvah” sung that very day.
After a scenic walk through the streets of Tel Aviv, they had free time at Nachalat Binyamin and Shuk Hacarmel. Nachalat Binyamin is a lovely artist market, adjacent to the shuk, open only Tuesdays and Fridays. There are all sorts of goods from local Israeli artists. The participants were given some money for lunch, where (big shock) almost… Read more

Machon 2 in the Negev!

Posted in YJ Machon 2 on 10. Jul, 2011

Last week, the chanichim had an evening off in Eilat, where they got to see street performers, including one of our talented madrichim and one of their own who showed off some VERY impressive acrobatics!   Tuesday morning, they drove about forty-five minutes north to Kibbutz Ketura, always a huge hit with the group.  Ketura, as it is affectionately called, is a kibbutz founded by graduates of Young Judaea Year Course in 1973.  Our relationship has been strong ever since.

Kibbutz Ketura from above
After an early wake-up to hike the Red Canyon, the group returned home for games and… Read more

Machon 2: First Few Days

Posted in YJ Machon 2 on 07. Jul, 2011

On Friday the participants made their way to the location of their first Shabbat in Israel – Kibbutz Sde Boker, where they visited Ben Gurion’s tomb and learned about his life. In the morning they went on a quick hike, followed by a very Israeli activity – Shabbat shopping at the local supermarket! They got to experience the rush of food shopping that happens before Shabbat, as many stores in Israel close Friday-Saturday. For those who were brave enough to speak to the “locals” it was a very interesting learning experience. They followed this up by having Shabbat service on the Ramon Crater, which led to a spectacular… Read more

Nitzachon: First Few Days

Posted in Nitzachon on 07. Jul, 2011

On Friday the participants had a short but enjoyable hike, followed by a trip to Sde Boker and a visit to Ben Gurion’s tomb. They learned about Ben Gurion and how he shaped the country. They prepared for their first Shabbat in Israel, which was at Kibbutz Sde Boker. On Saturday the participants got to try jachnun for the first time, which is a delicious fried dough very popular in Israel. They did t’fila, Kiddush, and got an introduction into Young Judaea, including the history and ideology of the movement, and they learned about Shabbat “YJ” style. Later they learned more about the different va’adot they could be… Read more