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Torah From Around the World

on May 17, 2012

To me Hebrew was this special secret language saved for when you were praying to God, kind of like Yiddish which was a special secret language saved for when I was getting in trouble. Ironically now that I live in Jerusalem – when I hear Yiddish it still means that I am in trouble. But back to being 13 and chanting in Hebrew, I remember the pride in mastering Hebrew and… the disconnect.

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Connections in Israel

Connections in Israel

on May 10, 2012

URJ Camp Harlam Director Aaron Selkow “really likes Israel”, to be sure. But as he explained to a group of 20-something Israelis that were about to embark on a momentous journey to the United States to join the North American Jewish camp culture, it was for a very specific reason. It was because of them.

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Musical Haggadah: Israeli Music Retells the Story of Our Exodus

Musical Haggadah: Israeli Music Retells the Story of Our Exodus

on April 5, 2012

My Haggadah is a musical one. The themes of Pesach inspire so many of my favorite Israeli musicians, and every year another musical Midrash is added to my Pesach collection. This music is one of the most precious gifts that Israeli life and culture contribute to the Jewish tradition. Our journey from Egypt to Israel is more than a moment in our history or our memory. It is an ever evolving journey—from slavery to sovereignty, from powerlessness to powerful. The Haggadah is an invitation to an open, cross generational conversation about Jewish values, faith, resilience and justice.

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Lake Forest High School senior finds ‘true self’ during Israel Experience

on January 9, 2012

The enthusiasm in Robin Leventhal’s blog postings — and her voice during a conversation — reinforce the fact that her semester of study in Israel affected her for a lifetime to come. A Lake Forest High School senior, Leventhal, 18, returned Dec. 29 from four months of academic and field trip experiences outside the norm for virtually all teenagers, such as learning to handle and shoot an M16 rifle.

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The Five Senses of Israel

on December 23, 2011

Ashley Marx, a staff member at URJ Camp Kalsman, is currently travelling in Israel on a KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. She’s one of the more than 750 people who will travel to Israel with us this winter. Ashley took some time to send these reflections from Israel back to the Camp Kalsman community.

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We Can Welcome Every Youth

on December 22, 2011

Stephen Weitzman is currently a member of the URJ North American Board and serves as Chair of the URJ Special Needs Camping Committee. In this blog he discusses some of the sessions at URJ Biennial and the future of special needs camping.

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Impact and Importance of the Israel Experience on Teens

on December 12, 2011

Over the last year I was fortunate enough to be appointed Director of NFTY in Israel working along side Paul Reichenbach and a dedicated team that continues to run arguably some of the most successful programs coming out of the URJ in the last fifty years. Everyone knows NFTY in Israel and if you have ever talked to a Reform Jewish professional and or a lay leader, chances are that one of the formative pillars of their Reform Jewish identity took place while on a NFTY in Israel program.

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The Magic of Jewish Camp

on October 27, 2011

In this article by Allison Rosner Cohen, she discusses how her URJ Camp and Israel experiences have paved the way for her current role as the Director of Marketing and Communcations at the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

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Blue Tape, Israel and Camp

on August 12, 2011

At the URJ Camps, Israel is a core component of the Jewish communities that we build. We seek to build deep and enduring relationships between our campers and staff and State, land and people of Israel. The use of Hebrew words and songs, teaching about Israel in our shiur and limmud programs, the use of Israeli art, film, writing and liturgy – these are all significant and important parts of buiding these relationships with Israel.

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Spotlight: Israel the URJ Way

Spotlight: Israel the URJ Way

on July 29, 2011

As we all know, creating summers of fun are just a fraction of what we do. Read how we offer a variety of entry points for youth and young adults to begin their sacred journey of discovery and connection to Israel. We hope you enjoy their powerful stories, reflections and descriptions.

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