At The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, men and women of diverse backgrounds and belief systems encounter the most compelling and challenging texts of Jewish tradition. Students are offered a unique experience of intellectual openness, rigorous textual analysis and opportunities for personal spiritual growth. Pardes offers a Year Program for university graduates as well as Summer, Educators, and Advanced Scholars learning programs.

For more information about the programs at Pardes, or about the special Rabbinical Student/Spouse of Rabbinical Student Scholarship, please contact info@pardesusa.org.

Hillel is excited to offer for the 1st time an Alternative Winter Break opportunity in Israel! This winter, 120 students will participate in hands-on service, experiential learning, and Jewish exploration in Israel. Alternative Break in Israel participants will spend the first few days understanding the economic and policy background of Israel's socio-economic issues and gaining knowledge about the specific issue they will be volunteering with. After a pluralistic Shabbat, students will break into smaller groups to volunteer in areas such as working with the Ethiopian community, low-income communities in Israel, children of foreign workers, and more. 

Registration is now open until Wednesday, October 17th.  Go to the website to register!

This event is the annual opportunity for emerging leaders of the Jewish student world to gather to meet, learn, celebrate and explore leadership together. It is also the premier opportunity for talented Jewish student leaders to learn about and become ambassadors for Hillel’s mission, values, and strategic goals. There will be a special bus for Soref students (those from campuses with small Jewish populations) to help build community amongst the Soref world while networking and meeting with leaders from all over Hillel.  Some travel scholarships are available for campuses served by the Soref Initiative (which includes the AJU!). 

Applications due Sunday, October 21st!  Go to the website to apply.

This summer, take part in an authentic eco-adventure in Israel. Perfect for returning Taglit-birthright alumni and friends, the week-long Israel Trek Challenge gets you back to the canyons, beaches, and mountains of Israel for a totally fresh experience (itinerary below).
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TUESDAY, MAY 30 - DEPART FOR ISRAEL
The Israel Trek kicks off with a group departure from JFK Airport in New York City at 11:00pm EST (optional). Participants will need to arrive no later than three hours before the departure. If you prefer to make your own airfare arrangements, just be sure to arrive in Israel before the group does and we will help you arrange to meet up with the group.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 - MOUNT HERMON TO THE HULA VALLEY We arrive at Israels Ben Gurion Airport terminal at 4:30pm and begin our transfer northwards to the Galilee. Note: Participants who are not taking the group flight have the option to begin the day early with day hike through the forests and natural springs of the Jerusalem foothills. The group formally comes together at the airport in the afternoon to begin the transfers northwards to the base of Mount Hermon where we will be spending the night at the Snir Field School Guest House. This Guest House is run by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and is a great place to enjoy a camp fire and a night sky full of stars.
THURSDAY, JUNE 1 - NAHAL ZAVITAN ON THE GOLAN HEIGHTS We begin the day with a six hour hike through the water-filled canyons of Nahal Zvitan on the Golan Heights. This trek through the unique terrain of the Golan Heights wraps up with a refreshing dip in the Sea of Galilee below. From there, youll cast off any remaining jet lag with a long soak in the hot springs of Hamat Gader. We return for another night at the Snir Field School Guest House and enjoy a group bonfire under the stars.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2 - WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE JORDAN RIVER We start the morning off with a rafting run down Israels most challenging section of the Jordan River. After breaking for lunch in the lake-side city of Tiberias, we transfer to Jerusalem via the Jordan Valley. Once we arrive to Jerusalem, well make a memorable visit to the bustling open air Machane Yehuda produce market as Jerusalem prepares for Shabbat. The rest of the evening in Jerusalem is free for you to relax or enjoy the nightlife of Israel's capitol city. Overnight at a local Jerusalem hotel.
SATUDAY, JUNE 3 - REST DAY IN JERUSALEM
Today is Shabbat, the day of rest, and a well deserved free day in Jerusalem. Participants are welcomed to explore Jerusalem's colorful cultural life and spiritual richness. Overnight at a local Jerusalem hotel.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4 - CANYONS OF THE JUDEAN DESERT The Israel Trek re-convenes for an early morning transfer to the Negev Desert.
Well be spending the day descending through Israel's challenging Nahal Rachaf where we'll be rapeling off towering rock ledges into pools of water below, scaling boulders, and swimming through desert springs. The canyon hike ends at the Dead Sea where there will be time to relax from the most challenging day of the tour. From the Dead Sea, we head to Khan Shayarot Bedouin encampment for a traditional nomadic dinner and overnight experience in the desert.
MONDAY, JUNE 5 - DESERT ORIENTEERING
Today we set off on a lesson in desert orienteering as we make our way through the Zin Wilderness. Along the way, we will learn some basic skills about how to navigate, eat, and survive in desert conditions. We cap the day off this unique experience with a swim in the deep water oasis pools of Ein Akev. From there, the Israel Trek heads northwards to Tel Aviv where we will enjoy a final group dinner before pushing off to the airport for a late night departure the next morning.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6 - REST DAY ON THE BEACHES OF EILAT Our group flight departs Ben Gurion Airport at 1:00am, and it arrives at JFK Airport in New York at 6:30am that same day. Tickets are extendable through the end of January 2007.

Tlalim Tours / 1-800-600-5194
info@tlalimtours.com

KOACH invites post-high school students, ages 18-26, who have never been to Israel on an organized peer trip, to participate in the 2006 birthright Israel program
* 10 days of travel, study, and fun
* Walk in the footsteps of our ancestors
* See Israel through the eyes of the Conservative Movement
Registration begins February 8, 2006

Becky Adelsberg
birthrightisrael@usjc.org
847-714-9130

Want to visit Israel for free?  Never been to Israel on an organized peer trip?  Interested in visiting Israel with other Jews from small Hillels across the country?

Birthright Israel is a 10 day FREE trip to Israel for first time Israel visitors.  Walk the streets of Jerusalem, hike through northern Israel, visit the beaches of Tel Aviv- all for free.

 

We are putting the final touches on the itinerary for this Spring’s Hillel birthright israel trip and it is going to be amazing.   Our trip is tentatively scheduled for May 26 – June 6, but please note that, although we do not expect the dates to change, they might.  Do not make any travel arrangements until we confirm you on the flight.  This confirmation occurs about four weeks before the trip.

For more information, contact Saul Korin skorin@uj.edu by April 8, 2005... Registration is at www.israel.hillel.org.   Priority will be given to registrations received by April 7th.  Registration closes April 14th.

Improve your knowledge on all things Jewish and strengthen your connection to the Jewish community at Livnot U'Lehibanot - To Build & To Be Built on its two-week Jewish Educators Program in Israel on July 18-31. This program is for educators in their twenties and early thirties who are involved in formal and informal Jewish education, including day schools, after-school congregational programs, youth groups, camps and program directors. Livnot's unique educational approach of openness, relationship and community building will provide you with new perspectives on education. You'll walk away from this experience with a toolbox of best practices, such as how Jewish values can guide your curriculum; how to incorporate nature to teach Jewish ethics; tools to build a community; and how community can make a difference. To register online or see information about other programs, visit www.livnot.com. This program is funded in part by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Please contact programs@livnot.com or 718-874-8584 for more information.

Explore Enviornmental Studies at the Arava Institute in Israel

Join students from the Middle East and around the world at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura in Israel. Since 1996 the Arava Institute has brought together Israeli Jews and Arabs, Palestinians, Jordanians, Americans, Canadians, Germans and other college students from around the world to live together and study the environment. The institute is hosting an open house for potential students on May 25. 

The application deadline for the fall semester is June 15. Visit www.arava.org for more information and to download an application.

Those interested in visiting that day should write to info@arava.org or call 052-223-0740 to attend. Potential applicants outside Israel can also write to info@arava.org or call 802-864-5556 with questions.

Spend two glorious weeks exploring Israel, visiting both the "must-sees" and the "off-the-beaten-path" destinations. Hike, tour, walk, swim, visit, climb, learn, and experience the magical land of the Bible.
Become part of a group of students from across North America who want to see Israel in depth and learn about all of its challenges as a modern Jewish democratic state.  Learn about dilemmas facing soldiers your age; see firsthand the environmental problems challenging the state; and explore their solutions. Observe different communities living side by side, and get your hands dirty helping out modern-day student pioneers.
The Melitz Israel Summer Happening sponsors three sessions: May 16-31 ($2,750), June 15-30 ($2,750); Aug. 8-23 ($2,900). Price includes round-trip international flights from New York's Kennedy airport, hotels, airport transfers, most meals, entrance fees, security and airport taxes, fuel surcharge, etc. Prices subject to change due to varying fuel surcharge.

For more details or to sign up, contact alexandra@melitz.org.il

Join the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies for a powerful experience with the outstanding Pardes faculty. At Pardes, men and women of diverse backgrounds and belief systems encounter the most compelling and challenging texts of Jewish tradition. Students are offered a unique experience of intellectual openness, rigorous textual analysis and opportunities for personal spiritual growth. Summer program dates are June 27-July 21 (July session), July 25-28 (spiritual retreat) and July 31-Aug. 18 (August session).

For more information, please contact Pardes
Director of Special Programs David Levin-Kruss at dlk@pardes.org.il 

1-888-447-1191 (US) or 972-2-673-5210 (elsewhere).

Shalom from Israel!
 I am contacting you to inform you about an exciting new one-year Israel program called Tikun Olam in Tel-Aviv.
An initiative of the Tel-Aviv based NGO called Bina, the program offers Jewish college graduates the opportunity to spend ten months in Israel volunteering in various community service settings in Tel Aviv.

 

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Live & work in Tel Aviv -
                  together with Israeli peers!

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Tikun Olam in Tel Aviv starts in September 2005 with a one-and-a-half month experience on kibbutz during which participants learn Hebrew and enjoy fascinating classes about Israeli society, history and culture. Then, you move to Tel Aviv. During the next eight months, you volunteer alongside Israeli peers working under the auspices of Bina's program for Israelis. Together, participants and their Israeli peers work in projects of Tikun Olam that help "improve the world".

Key aspects of the Tikun Olam in Tel Aviv program include:

Live and volunteer in Tel Aviv, along with Israeli peers.
Learn about Israel and use Hebrew daily.
Help Tel Aviv's less fortunate in meaningful social action projects.
Enjoy a full 10 months educational program learning about Israel and Judaism from an open, pluralistic perspective.
For more details on Tikun Olam in Tel Aviv -- including scholarship information -- visit our website.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments you might have. I'll also be happy to call you and explain more about the program at your convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you here in September!

Nir Dagan
Director
Tikun Olam in Tel Aviv
Tel-Aviv, Israel
Email: tikunolam@bina.org.il

Join the Conservative Yeshiva 2005 Summer Program and study classic texts of Judaism, including Talmud, Tanach, halacha, tefillah and philosophy.  Program includes intensive morning Hebrew ulpan and afternoon text study.  The advanced track includes Talmud each morning and afternoon shiurim in halacha.   Session I: July 3-July 21; Session II: July 24-Aug. 11. All ages and backgrounds welcome.  The Conservative
Yeshiva is a program of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

For information and an application, contact Yeshiva@uscj.org or
http://uscj.org/israelcenter/yeshiva/educational_program/summer.shtml.

Interested in learning Hebrew?  Want to spend time in Israel?  Come join the International Summer Ulpan at the University of Haifa! The ulpan brings together students from more than 30 countries to study Hebrew in one of the most effective language learning programs. This program is designed for those who want to immerse themselves in an intensive language acquisition experience that is extremely enriching as well as
academically demanding. Instruction is offered on all levels, from beginners with no knowledge of the language to advanced classes.  The first session will take place July 7-Aug. 3, and second session will take place Aug. 7-31.  For more information, including academic credit, costs and potential scholarship opportunities, and about the semester and year-long programs, check out the Web site at www.uhaifa.org or e-mail info@mail.uhaifa.org.

info@mail.uhaifa.org.

The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem is now accepting applicants for the Pardes Fellows and the Pardes Kollel-Advanced Scholars Program.  Both programs come with full Pardes tuition scholarships as well as a living stipend. The Pardes Fellows is an advanced program for students who have completed a full year at Pardes, or the equivalent, and wish to further their studies. In addition to advanced text learning, the Pardes Fellows Program includes a leadership development component. The aim of the Pardes Advanced Scholars Program
is to facilitate the journey from an advanced level toward becoming a Jewish thinker, and it provides a forum for men and women to become Torah leaders, regardless of their chosen profession. Applications for advanced programs are due by Feb.
21.

For applications, please contact meesh@pardes.org.il.

The Keren Kolot Jewish Studies program is based upon the belief that the classical Jewish sources belong to all of the Jewish people, regardless of an individual’s religious affiliation or background. Our approach aims to reacquaint Jews with Jewish sources, in an open, non-exclusive environment.  Participants are challenged to come to grips with their Jewish identity, both intellectually and spiritually, within the context of modern culture and society.  Furthermore, our program emphasizes outdoor experiences as a means of deepening our connection and commitment as Jews to our natural environment.  Israel is the natural setting for the exploration of issues of Jewish identity and heritage.  During the course of our program each participant is encouraged to discover his or her own relationship to Judaism, the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.

Cost: $500, includes educational program, full room and board, day trips, overnight trips to Machtesh Ramon and Jerusalem.

For more information or to request an application packet: info@keren-kolot-israel.co.il

Join young jewish leaders from all over the world for a seminar in Israel This upcoming seminar is scheduled from March 22 to April 1, 2005 and will take place in Israel. It is open to participants from all over the world.

The Young Jewish Leadership Diplomatic Seminar is a unique program organized by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Seminar is held twice a year. Since the first one, held in July 1999, hundreds of young Jewish leaders from more than 50 different countries around the world have participated in it.
The objectives of this program are manifold, with its foremost goal being to enhance the relationship between young Jewish leaders and the State of Israel. The Seminar offers an in-depth exploration of the many facets of the Israeli agenda, including national security, economy, culture and society, Jewish life in Israel, Israel-Diaspora relations and other central issues.

Completed registration forms (please print clearly) should be presented to:

Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles
6380 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90048
or Fax to 323-852-5555
ATTEN: Emek Bracha

no later than  February 7,  2005

The Israel Project Media Fellowship is a competitive summer program that encourages an intensive study of media relations and trains college students on techniques to improve how Israel and Jews are portrayed in the news media.  Our fellows learn about media coverage of Israel, meet with top-level journalists and take what they learned back to their campuses.  Through building relationships with journalists, providing reporters with key information, and assisting with media events, The Israel Project Media Fellows literally improve what is being reported about Israel in the American media.  Fellows have the opportunity to develop what can become a long-term relationship between a reporter and sources who are experts on the Middle East.  Since the media is the number ONE source of information on Israel for college students, this program can help reduce anti-Israel sentiment on campus and enable young Jews to have a greater pride in Israel.

 For more information please go to: www.theisraelproject.org/mediafellowship.html.  Applications are due Feb. 28.

Now, you too, can't afford to miss Israel this winter!

This is not a Birthright program and does not carry birthright restrictions. So if you have been on birthright or don't qualify this may be the trip for you.

Two weeks in Jerusalem learning about Judaism and its relevance for today.

Five days to be spent as delegates to the World Union of Jewish Students Congress in Haifa (www.wujs.org.il for details).

Two possible dates of departure: December 19 or December 26.

The program will cover travel costs in Israel, student accommodations and most meals. Note that during the learning component the men and women will be in separate locations.

To help with your flight costs, a $500 rebate will be awarded at the conclusion of the program.

Participants must commit to the full participation in the program in order to receive travel subsidies. Most evening activities will be optional.

Rabbi Charles Lebow
Senior Advisor
North American Jewish Student Alliance
(www.najsa.org)
Dled@netvision.net.il

Inviting alumni of birthright israel to celebrate Chanukah together.  See old friends and meet new ones!

Details

· Tuesday, December 7, 2004. 8:00pm-1:00am

· Free Admission, Food, DJ

· Ages 21 & Up.  Cash Bar.

· Guys Bar (8317 Beverly Blvd; 1 block west of San Vicente next to Jerry’s Deli)

You must RSVP for this event, as there will be a guest list.  Submit your reservation at www.socal.birthrightisrael.com.

A new opportunity has just opened to open up 20-40 more places on Birthright Israel trips organized by "Israel Experts", departing Dec. 29 and Jan. 9. Birthright Israel is a FREE 10-day trip to Israel
Because of limited funding, many universities were given less spaces on their winter trips and most trips have exceeded their capacity already. So take advantage of this opportunity -- it is the final chance for you or your students to go this winter!

The deadline to register is November 29 so contact her as soon as possible.
By the way, these spaces are not just for Northern Cal students -- in fact that flight is out of LA!

Heather Rubin-Erez at San Francisco Hillel, (415) 333-4922mailto:programs@sfhillel.org