Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah
www.themerkaz.org.il
For those of you who are already in Israel or have plans to be there soon, think of The Merkaz as your home away from home in Israel. A combination community center and absorption center, The Merkaz is the place for you in Israel!
What is the Merkaz?
 In The Merkaz we wish to build a pluralistic community of new olim, potential olim, sabras and tourists that will make them all feel at home.
At The Merkaz, we offer a variety of programs exploring Israeli culture, social action and everyday life. We provide leisure time activities, activism venues, support system and a general ‘feeling of home’ for over two thousand 19-40 year-old participants and activists, both singles and young married couples.
Programs and projects of The Merkaz are designed to meet the needs of young English-speakers, as well as those of the surrounding community and Israeli society as a whole.
In addition to hosting year-round cultural and educational activities that draw eclectic audiences in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, we also provide a limited amount of housing for new olim, long-term tourists and English-speaking sabras.
The Merkaz serves as the base for the more than 3000 community members who are involved in the center's cultural, social and educational events.
The center offers English- and Hebrew -speakers, ages 19-40, a way to participate in Israel's culture and society. Encompassed within a pluralistic framework, the programs forge the interaction and connection between the people and the land of Israel.
What We Offer
 Chugim: Bored with your regular routine? Need a new hobby? Why not take up sketching or T'ai Chi? Need to relax? A course in Yoga is just what you need.
- Seminars/Siyurim: Experience Israel through hands-on learning. The seminars are a great chance to meet people while exploring Jewish and Zionist topics of today and tomorrow
- Center Stage Theatre: Center Stage Theater is a social, cultural, and educational outlet for the community members. Center Stage Theater produces four main stage productions in English each year. The Theater also features the ‘Writers' Showcase’ that highlights new works. Center Stage Theater has performed such productions as "Steel Magnolias", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Brighton Beach Memoirs", “A Shayna Maidel", and "Dangerous Liasions". Center Stage Theatre is for anyone who has experience or is curious about lighting, make-up, costumes, technical work, acting, dancing, writing or directing.
- Beit Café Nights: Join us for live music, comedy, dancing and other fun-filled social gatherings. Every month you can fine different activity for you.
- Hadassah Art Gallery: each month there is a new opening of an art exhibition. The gallery is designed to give artists, who are involved in various types of media, the opportunity to present their works.
- Gala Events and Parties: Celebrate Jewish, Israeli, and American holidays with a Thanksgiving Dinner, Purim Party and Yom Ha'Atzmaut Barbecue.
- Movies night: during the summer night, we are showing movies under the stars in a beautiful atmosphere.
Special Projects
- Center for Activism: YJ Impact! activists have already made a huge difference in a range of social causes. Atid Yarok, The Merkaz’s environmental group, won a year-long campaign to see the Jerusalem Municipality facilitate the placement of nearly 200 recycling bins in Jerusalem neighborhoods. Yachad, a group in The Merkaz devoted to religious pluralism, circulated a petition calling for religious tolerance among Jews in Israel. The partition was signed by nearly 200 Rabbis, including the two chief Rabbis, and was presented to the President of the State of Israel.
- Aliyah information Center: The Aliyah Information Center for Young Adults is a helpful resource for olim and tourists seeking practical information about Israel . Many olim and tourists find it difficult to become accustomed to Israeli bureaucratic systems, be it dealing with banks, ulpanim, insurance companies, or any other aspect of daily life in Israel. The Aliyah InformationCenter offers a reliable and helpful service to individuals facing this challenging experience.
Membership
For a yearly fee of 50 NIS, members can enjoy discounts to classes, events, plays and local businesses. To become a member, please contact: info@themerkaz.org.il
So whenever you are in Israel, either as a visitor, an Oleh, or something in between, we hope that you will stop by The Merkaz and enjoy what we offer. Please visit our website for contacts and more information: www.themerkaz.org.il.
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