One of the aspects that makes EIE so special is that I’m learning about the 6 day war from my teacher, who was a soldier in the war. Class has become a very intimate experience as well because he is really telling us his life story and how it personally affected him.
How Kesher Birthright is more than a vacation or tour
Kesher Taglit-Birthright Israel alum, Ben Zemmel, writes about his experience in Israel and what he found that surprised him.
Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
by Hallie E., NFTY-EIE Spring 2013 Student On April 15th NFTY-EIE got to experience two very different holidays in Israel. The morning started off with a ceremony at the cemetery on the Kibbutz for Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance). Even though the ceremony was all in Hebrew, I could experience what goes on during this holiday and think about the families on the Kibbutz and all over Israel who have lost loved ones that fought for this State. It was hard to see so many people upset around me, but everyone had people around them for support. It was a [...]
Do Good in Israel! Intern with an Exciting Nonprofit
Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv Jaffa has just announced the creation of a new opportunity to gain experience interning at a non-profit in Israel. Gain valuable career experience in the non-profit sector by interning for 5 or 10 months with an organization serving disadvantaged communities in south Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Participants get to work with organizations working towards Arab-Jewish coexistence; advocating for disabled and special-needs populations; and providing services to refugees from Darfur and other parts of Africa.
A Sense of Community
Today is Yom Hashoah, the remembrance day for the Holocaust. This day is a very emotional and heart wrenching time for Israelis, as many have family members who were in the Holocaust or are survivors.
Indelible Connections
By Joy Friedman, Lead Organizer, URJ Campaign for Youth Engagement
& Jesse Paikin, URJ Israel Programs Coordinator
Birthright is an incomparable catalyst for young adult engagement. The experience of ten days in the Jewish country – developing deep relationships that only an immersive experience can allow – gives participants time to cultivate, and (for most) reengage with Jewish content and ideas. But what is it that makes the connections through Kesher different from some of the other Israel program options available? When asked by a number of our participants, here’s some of what we told them.
HUC Class of Mid 2020s
I have had the pleasure of sitting in David Alon’s Jewish history class in EIE at Tzuba for the past two days. As David told the class of 22 students that due to scheduling he was spending two days on the Middle Ages from the Golden Age of Spain, I forgot how much I love to sit in class and learn.
Parents’ Pilgrimage: Different
NFTY organizes this trip so if our parents want to visit us, and the country, they can. The pilgrimage happens over the course of 9 days, giving the parents just enough time to have fun with their kids as well as see some amazing things around Israel such as Masada, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Ein Kerem, and tons of other cool places.
