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 …. for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things’

Keep on smiling, see you soon!!! – Cegal

Amit Foa – ISI

My name is Amit Foa and I’m 27 years old.  I’m originally from Kibbutz Haogen, though for the past 3 years I have studied and learned in Beersheva.  I just graduated from university, studying politics and government combined with Middle East Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. I am about to take an 18 month tour guiding course in Jerusalem.

This year will be my 5th year working for YJ (including 2 years with FZY, our British sister movement).  After being released from the army, I took some time to travel around the world, along with running educational projects in Israel.  My previous project was leading a 10 year leadership program for Israeli youth in the Negev area.

I’m thrilled to have another summer with YJ, especially with a group which studies the Arab-Israeli conflict.  I will do my best to be a role model, an educator and to have fun during the trip.

It’s gonna be a great summer!!!

Mickie Reshef – Machon 1

My name is Mickie. I am 23 years old and I live in Moshav Bar-Giora, which is just outside of Jerusalem.  I’ve just finished five years in the army as an officer in the IDF intelligence corps.  I was a camper in Camp Young Judaea-Sprout Lake, and I’m super excited to come back to work as a madrich (counselor) on the program this summer.  I love to hike and travel in Israel and abroad and like extreme sports like scuba diving, horseback riding and rock climbing.

Jared White – Machon 1

Shalom Shalom!  My name is Jared White.  My home is in Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev Desert but now I live in Jerusalem.  I am a student at David Yellin College for Education where I will be receiving a degree in Education for History and English.  I grew up in Young Judaea, was a madrich, on regional Mazkirut, and worked at summer camp.  We are going to have an amazing summer!

Nov Liss – Machon 1

Hey everyone!  My name is Nov and I’m 22. I live in a small moshav called Ein-Vered near Ra’anana.

I’m really into traveling and nature, and when I was younger I was a madricha (counselor) in the Bnei-Hamoshavim youth movement for 3 years.  In the army I served as a field and navigation guide to the special forces.

I’m super excited to be a madricha on summer tour 2012 for Machon 1!  Recently, I came back from traveling around the world and saw how people don’t get the real Israeli atmosphere and culture, so when I came back it was very important for me to work in a meaningful place that can show people, and especially Jewish youth, what Israel is really about and how special it is!  I’m sure we’ll have the best summer here!

Heather Fertig – Machon 1

Hello everyone! My name is Heather Fertig and I am from New Port Richey, FL. I am a senior at Florida State University, studying mathematics and education.  This is my fifth summer working with Young Judaea and I am so excited to be a madricha for this program!  We are going to have an amazing summer and I cannot wait for all of the hikes, tours, and fun we are going to have!

Raffi Grinberg – Machon 2

Hi!  My name is Raffi Grinberg, and I’m 21.  I just graduated from Princeton University, and I’ll be working in management consulting in New York City next year.  I lived in Israel for 2 years when I was younger, and I’ve been back on organized trips many times since then.  I’m incredibly excited to meet the chanichim, and to share my love for this place with them!

Tamar Kfir – Machon 2

Shalom, my name is Tamar Kfir and I live in Ra’anana.  I finished my IDF service in the educational unit exactly a year ago.  During my service, I was guiding soldiers in the desert (Sde Boker).  Right now I’m a tour guide for young people.  I love to travel, sing, dance, make jewelry and do yoga. I’m looking forward to the summer and to show you all of our AMAZING Israel!!! So get ready for the best summer ever!

Danielle Bergman – Machon 2

I am Danielle from New York, now living in Israel. I just finished a course in Herbal Medicine and will be starting studies to become a tour guide here in the fall. I studied anthropology and love to travel all over the world and have exciting adventures outside! I’ve worked at YJ camps for years, and the first time I came to Israel was on Machon.  I am so excited to be back here now as a madricha!

Sefi Zeev – Machon 2

Hey!  My name is Sefi and I grew up in Jerusalem in a youth movement here. I’m 24 years old and I love working with people and doing sports. I work with religious kids to get ready for the army. I traveled in America last summer, and I’m excited for America to come to me now. I’m really happy to meet you all, and I hope we have a great summer together!

Bar Neri – Discovery

My name is Bar Neri, I’m 23 years old and I live in Reut, which is just between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I’m starting to study at October in Tel Hai college in the north.  I will study psychology and human resources. I served 3 years in the air force as a commander of guiding courses. I traveled for 7 months in South America and I love nature.

Ran Menashe – Discovery

I’m Ran Menashe, 29 years old, and most of the world call me Ranash, a nickname I got during my military service.  I’m working in informal education here in Israel, which includes tour guiding, group facilitating and leading seminars on Jewish and Israeli identity.  During the last two years I studied environmental studies and performance art.   Hope to have the best fun, safe and interesting summer ever

Marc Alexander – Discovery

Shalom!  My name is Marc Alexander and I am thrilled to be a madrich for Young Judaea Israel’s summer program.   I was a chanich on the same program back in 2006 and had such an amazing experience that I knew after graduating high school I’d definitely be going back to Israel.  I chose to participate on Young Judaea’s Year Course Olami program, where I not only spent a whole year in Israel studying, volunteering, and exploring but also traveled around the world to countries such as Morocco and Ethiopia.  The summer following Year Course I worked as a counselor and lifeguard at Camp Tel Yehudah in upstate New York, and in the fall I enrolled as an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, where I am currently finishing up my degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Plan II Honors.  I’m so excited to be back in Israel and am looking forward to an incredible summer!

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 the community. In the evening they had free time on the Eilat boardwalk which was a real treat.

Machon 1:

The Machon 1 participants woke up SUPER early and climbed Masada! They were very lucky as it was a clear day and they got to see the beautiful sunrise. As the sun was coming up, they listened to music and reflected on the history of Masada. To hike down the mountain, they walked the Snake Path and left Masada to go to Ein Bokek, a nature preserve. They went on a water hike which ended in a refreshing pool. After the hike they made their way to Dead Sea, which was an interesting experience for all of them. In the evening, they had a lesson on the stars and the night sky at Mitzpe Ramon (the Ramon Crater).

I Speak Israel:

The ISI participants started their journey in Israel at Sde Boker. In the morning they went to Ein Ovdat where they went on a very scenic hike. One of our participants happens to be an amateur photographer, so she got some amazing shots of the group as they bonded at the end of the hike!  Afterwards they had some pool time, followed by their first ISI lecture on Israel advocacy. They also went to the tomb of David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, to learn about Sde Boker and Ben Gurion himself. The participants were surprised to hear that he started every morning by standing on his head for 10 minutes, and were even more surprised when we taught them all how to stand on theirs!

YJ Discovery

The YJ Discovery participants left Ketura and made their way to Eilat. On the way down they stopped in the desert for some group bonding and learned first hand just how hot it can be in Israel in the summer! Luckily they went snorkling in the Red Sea, which as some of the most beautiful underwater scenery on the planet. They are really looking forward to hiking Masada and learning about the Bedouin culture

Please continue checking the blog and “like”ing the YJ Summer Programs in Israel Facebook page. We will continue updating and posting photos.

The summer is off to a fantastic start, and we think it will only get better!

Since arriving in Israel on June 30th, the participants have been preparing for Maccabiah, a 2 day color war/beach festival held on the banks of the Kinneret. Not only were all 4 Young Judaea buses joined together for the first time, but they also met up with their British peers on the FZY (Federation of Zionist Youth) summer trips to Israel.

Wednesday was the first day, and the participants were treated to a grand opening ceremony, and tons of games and festivities. By all accounts, its seems that the Young Judaea participants are currently in the lead over their British friends, but then again, our sources are colleagues from the YJ office in Israel, so they might be a little biased .  =)

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 free time at the pool. On their last day at the kibbutz, the participants went to the Kisui Desert to see the sunrise – a beautiful way to end a week of living on a kibbutz!

Volunteering:

The participants were thrilled to volunteer three days in a row at the same locations because they began forming bonds with the people they were working with. After a morning of volunteering around Jerusalem, they went to Lod and helped clean up a community garden. They weeded, painted, cleaned, and repotted plants in the garden, which is run exclusively by local volunteers. As a thank you, they were treated to a meal of Moroccan couscous, which was prepared for them by Mizrachi Jews. The participants took this as a learning experience and got to learn about that community of Jews. Later, the participants went on a very interesting tour of Emek Refaim, which is known in Jerusalem as one of the cool places to hang out, full of stores, restaurants, and coffee shops for the community.

The YJ participants took a tour as if they were handicapped – some of them were in wheelchairs, some were blindfolded, some had crutches, and some wore headphones to simulate being deaf. They were asked to pay attention and see if they were able to use public places in their conditions. The participants learned that there is an organization which gives out seals of “Social Responsibility” to public businesses, much like the Kosher Authority gives out seals to restaurants marking them as “Kosher”. This was a very interesting exercise and all of the YJ participants were intrigued by it.

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!

On Sunday, all the participants met back up with their groups and were split up into one of four Special Interest Week buses:  Gadna, Sea to Sea Hike, Kibbutz, and Volunteering.

Kibbutz:

Chanichim who chose this option are based at Kibbutz Ketura, located in the Negev having been founded by Young Judaea alumni who made aliyah. So far the participants have gotten to experience many facets of kibbutz life, including working in the dining hall, kitchen, in the kindergarden, and even out in the fields. They also participated in mudbuilding….which is exactly what it sounds like! They mixed sand, mud, straw, and water to create a material which is used to make outdoor firepits. After getting a taste of kibbutz life and speaking with members of Ketura, they got a chance to relax by the pool during free time. As its extremely hot in the desert, the kids really enjoyed their pool time!

Gadna:

The participants arrived to the army base and were immediately greeted by their staff. They were then split into 4 groups, with 10 participants per group. The first thing they learned were the basics of the IDF, including the chain of command at the base, and were taught the proper IDF way to greet and show respect to your army superiors.  Later that night, they got a taste of basic training by sleeping in army tents, then waking up bright and early by singing “Hatikvah”.  Two of the groups performed standard basic training tasks by working in the kitchen, which taught them teamwork and bonded them as a group. The rest of the day was dedicated to learning about gun safety, spending several hours practicing their stance and positioning with a plastic replica. In the evening, the participants had a discussion about the IDF and Zionism.

Sea to Sea Hike:

When the S2S participants got to their first destination, they were greeted by their madrichim and split into two groups. Much like the Gadna participants, those on S2S will be sleeping outside under the stars. S2S started their hike in Nachal Amud, which is in the upper Galilee area. One of their first destinations on the hike was to the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who is known as the father of Kabbalah. His gravesite is still an important place in Israel, and the participants saw a lot of people coming to that area. An interesting feature of this location is that its right off “Shvil Israel”, Israel’s national trail.  Continuing on the hike, about halfway up Mt. Meron (the second tallest site in Israel), the participants stopped at a very impressive lookout for some exercise and fun team-building games. They spoke about the Druze community, as well as Arab/Israeli relations. This was an important topic because they were near Lebanon, so the participants had a chance to learn about the 6-Day War.

On their way up to the peak, they passed by some IDF paratroopers who were taking part in training exercises. A few of our chanichim offered the paratroopers some water, which led to a quick but meaningful meeting and discussion with the groups. Anyone who had their camera out got a very cool photo! Once they got to the top of Mt Meron they took their 3 hour mid-day break for a chance to escape the heat and relax for a little while. They went to a different lookout point and saw into Lebanon. In the evening they had a classic Israeli campfire dinner of shnitzel. As they were pretty exhausted from the day, many of them went to bed early. The participants are averaging about 12 kilometers per day – pretty impressive!

Volunteering:

On Sunday the participants got back from their Family Weekends and met their madrichim at Beit Ar-El, where they had a discussion about volunteering and heard their various options: in Jerusalem the participants could go to a school for disabled people, work with the elderly, volunteer in a soup kitchen, work with horses and help prepare them to be therapy horses, work at a summer camp for underprivileged children, or volunteer at an archeological dig. After the participants made their choices they went to the Machane Yehuda market. This was not only a chance for free time, but they were also given the task of speaking to the locals to find out what they thought about social issues and volunteering.  Many of the participants asked how local Israelis felt about the Darfur refugees, as this is an issue that many of the Judaeans feel very strongly about.

On Monday the participants split into their volunteering groups. After spending the morning at different locations, they all came back to Beit Ar-El for lunch. Then they went on a very interesting tour of Jerusalem, where they learned about different groups and their place in society. They learned about how differently the non-religious live from the religious, about the active LGBT community in Jerusalem, and they even got to hear about the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities from someone who lives in the neighborhood, who explained to the participants how these communities coexist with each other. After the neighborhood walk they went back to Beit Ar-El for a barbecue and a peula about the 17th of Tammuz, which is a holiday that commemorates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. As the participants had just seen the Kotel, this led to a discussion about personal vulnerabilities, and they talked about some of the threats to the Jewish community, both now and centuries ago, in Israel and in the Diaspora. This talk went on longer than planned as all the chanichim wanted to participate because they were inspired by both their walk through Jerusalem and their volunteering.

From there, the group traveled to Beit Guvrin to participate in an archaeological dig; some even found shards of pottery. After the dig they went to the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon to prepare for Shabbat. They were led to a very beautiful and scenic viewpoint where services were led by one of the chanichim, after which a festive dinner took place, followed by singing, guitar playing, an obstacle course, and trivia, all put together by the Shabbat committee.

Saturday they walked into town to the local pool, had some free time, and ended Shabbat with Havdala outside. On Sunday, they had their first desert hike in Ein Bokek, an area just west of the Dead Sea and then continued to Sde Boker where David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, is buried.  They learned about his vision to make the desert bloom and had a discussion about themselves and their visions for Israel. After eating lunch in Be’er Sheva, YJ Discovery drove to Sderot to meet and hear stories from locals about the difficulties of living in the Western Negev over the last decade.

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 dinner. At 3 AM, they woke up to climb Masada, a huge hit if only for the reason that there is nothing quite like watching the sun rise over Israel (from a very historical vantage point of course). After Masada, they went on a water hike in Ein Gedi, a nature preserve known for its beautiful waterfalls in Nachal (Valley) David. After a the hike, they went back to prepare for Shabbat, rest, and have a discussion about Jewish identity.  Shabbat is a great time in Israel; no matter how you celebrate it, it’s a time to recharge your batteries and recover from the long week (especially on this busy summer program!)

On Sunday the group went to the the holiest site in the Jewish world:  the Kotel, known in English as the Western Wall. The boys went to their side, the girls to theirs, and they absorbed up the incredible spirituality while each putting a personal, handwritten note in the wall.  They had some free time to walk around the Jewish Quarter, where many of them spent their time shopping and eating. This was followed by a trip through Hezekiah’s water tunnel and a fun and educational update by well-known Israel advocacy trainer Neil Lazarus.

The Kotel

From there, they drove to Eilat where they enjoyed a free night of shopping, shawarma, falafel, and for the less adventurous – pizza.  On Wednesday, the participants spent the morning snorkeling in Eilat and then drove to Kibbutz Ketura, a kibbutz founded by graduates of Young Judaea Year Course. There they learned about the kibbutz’s long history with YJ and the unique and special kibbutz lifestyle.  In the evening they had a bbq and a dance party.

During Shabbat, the participants got the opportunity to explore different styles of Jewish worship by visiting different synagogues in Jerusalem, from Conservative to Orthodox to Reform.  Afterwards they had a pe’ula (activity) about Jewish identity during which many of them shared their feelings about their own Jewish identities. They also prepared for their upcoming tour of Jerusalem.  More details to come!

After free time they had a pe’ula (educational activity) about volunteering, as the next day they were to volunteer with the community of Darfur refugees in the Negev. This led to a broader discussion of volunteering, both in Israel and at home in the U.S.  In the evening they had a fun night out in Eilat.  The heat cannot bring down the spirit of the group!

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 everyone ate falafel! After free time they went to Rabin Square to learn about the life of former Prime Minster Yitzchak Rabin, tragically assassinated by a fellow Jew in 1995, and the impact his death had on the country. They also went to the Olympic Experience, which is a museum dedicated to the Olympics, including Israel’s place at the games during the last 60 years. They drove back to Jerusalem for dinner and a very festive drum circle, which featured drums, dancing, singing, and costumes. The night ended with a birthday party for one of the girls on the trip, who turned sixteen.  Things are going great!

Kibbutz Ketura from above

After an early wake-up to hike the Red Canyon, the group returned home for games and a quick session about YJ’s history in Israel. Later on they went to the Kasui sand dunes where they got to run down amazing sandy dunes before making a campfire over which they roasted marshmallows and made their own fresh pita.  The group is having a great time!

On Sunday they drove to Sderot, where they got to hear from a local what it is like to live there first-hand. They got to walk around the Shuk (market), and were encouraged to speak to anyone shopping there. Those who did asked a lot of questions about life in Sderot. After Sderot, they rappelled down Ramon Crater where 5 of the participants conquered their fear of heights! They took in the beautiful scenery while learning about Ben Gurion, and then split themselves into the va’adot they were most interested in. On Monday they were in Eilat. They did an early morning hike, followed by a visit to a viewpoint and lunch at Yotvata, a very famous kibbutz known for their (very delicious!) dairy products. After snorkeling in the Red Sea they had free time in Eilat, which was spent on the Boardwalk.