Year Course 19-20 Graduation Speech
by Sofia Feldman

Each and every one of us sitting here today are the people we are because of the choices we have made. This past year has consisted of decision making. Not just small decisions and choices of what to eat or what clothes to wear, but decisions determining our futures. I want to share with you some of the decisions I have made which have formed me into the person I am today, standing here in front of you. 

After attending the Young Judaea summer program, Machon, I immediately knew that Year Course was something I needed to do. Four weeks on Machon did not satisfy my love and passion for Israel’s culture and everything that makes Israel Israel. It was my first time ever coming to Israel and I was positive I would be back. I knew that Year Course would be something I would regret not doing, but I was absolutely terrified. I was leaving behind everything I knew and loved. I would be going from the home of BBQ to the land of schnitzel and falafel. I’d be replacing Southern hospitality for Israel’s aggressive bus drivers. I would be leaving my friends for new ones and 14 random Israelis. I would also be leaving my family, not knowing that I would make a completely new one. 

By the end of senior year, I had solidified the next five years of my life. Although I was breaking out of the classic mold of attending college directly out of high school, I was comforted by the fact that I would be returning to life back in America. I would be close again to my family, my high school friends, and everything that I had grown up with. I would be coming back to attend the University of Florida and be a part of the classic American college experience. I knew after I had made my college decision to attend University of Florida, I was not being completely honest with myself. I made the choice to go to the University of Florida for other people around me. I was trying to live up to what was expected from me, not necessarily what was right for me. I was more satisfied with the knowledge that I had a plan rather than the plan itself. I tried to suppress these emotions because I was scared of them. When they reappeared a few months ago in Israel, I was forced to confront them. While on Year Course, I surrendered to the tough realization that my decision to go to the University of Florida was not what was best for me. I could not fight it anymore, because being a college student in America felt wrong. I essentially had a crisis of where I wanted to be and where I belonged. Every time I thought about the next few years of my life in America, it wasn’t something that necessarily made me happy or something that I saw a future in. I was faced with a choice that I did not see coming. The choice to go home and resume life in America or to stay in Israel and continue my life here. And deep down, the decision for me to stay was a no brainer.

With the current uncertainty surrounding starting college or university this fall, there’s been a tremendous increase in gap year interest and opportunities.

Previously seen as a complicated decision that might jeopardize academic or career prospects, more and more high school seniors are seeing the deeper, short-and long-term value of taking a year abroad before starting college – specifically in Israel.

It comes as no surprise that Israel is one of the top three gap year destinations for North American students. As the original gap year in Israel, Young Judaea Year Course has always seen the immeasurable value of spending a year learning, volunteering, and experiencing Israel. (There’s a reason 10,000 alumni have called Year Course home since 1956!)

Benefits Of Taking a Gap Year

There are numerous overall benefits to choosing a different track between high school and college:

• Gaining exposure to the larger world around you
• Figuring out what you really want to do in your life
• Building a community of truly like-minded friends
• Gaining invaluable experience for your resume

Why Israel?

Choosing to take your gap year in Israel unlocks an additional range of opportunities to learn and grow, including:

• Building your Jewish identity
• Living in Israel, one of the most interesting and complex countries in the world
• Learning from communities of all sizes and types
• Connecting with the history and future of the Jewish people

By the Numbers

The results from a recent study by the Gap Year Association give us a clear picture of the many benefits of choosing the gap year track as reported by participants themselves:

• 94% said their time spent abroad helped them learn to communicate with people from different backgrounds
• 90% said they have a better understanding and respect for different cultures
• 90% of students who take time off after high school will enroll in a four-year educational institution within one year of completing their experience.
• 84% of respondents to their study said their time abroad helped them learn skills that helped them become successful in their work
• 77% said their gap year helped them find their purpose in life

  The bottom line? You may learn a lot in class or in extra-curricular activities in college, but there’s no replacement for experiencing countries, cultures, and communities firsthand – especially when that country is Israel.

So, what are you waiting for? There’s no better time than now to take a gap year in Israel – and there’s no better choice than Young Judaea Year Course!

As the past weeks have seen the world plunge further into uncertainty, our Year Coursers have continued to demonstrate a commitment to community, tikkun olam, self-fulfillment and the Zionist dream.

Our Yama students in Jerusalem are entering the final stages of their courses, which has seen them learn how to critique Israeli TV in Ulpan, become effective Israel activists in Zionism and proud articulators of their Jewish identity in the Jewish philosophy course. Like the rest of the world, students have been interacting with their teachers on Zoom and working hard to remain focused on their studies from the comfort of their apartments or open spaces of the Jerusalem campus. With the weather improving everyday, YCers have been spending their days in the Spring sun, running dance, yoga and HIT classes for one another as well as hanging out in hammocks savoring the peace and tranquility that comes with social distancing. Each evening, our experiential education team have been running activities to help keep spirits high that include competitive game nights, interactive quizzes, extra-curricular courses, podcast recordings and a plethora of other opportunities to stay connected and engaged.

After what has been a very tough few weeks for Israeli agriculture, hit hard by travel restrictions and nationwide lockdowns, the Kedma group in Tel Aviv were the stars of national news while volunteering to help farmers collect their grapefruit harvest, and ensure Israelis can get their intake of Vitamin C. The day, organized in partnership with HaShomer HaChadash, was such a success that the farmers requested our entire Year Course cohort to come and be a part of this vital initiative. (Click here for a story on our volunteering on i24 English) Next week the students will be helping to bring in the much-anticipated strawberry harvest. Beyond the respite and joy that comes with leaving campus, all in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidelines, students commented on how the opportunity gave them a real chance to reconnect with the land and people of Israel.

As we approach Pesach, our students have been working together in creating a YC Hagaddah, with insights, recipes, games, and pictures to help bring a sense of togetherness during this time. In addition, I have been working closely with the group to plan seder night itself. The enthusiasm shown by our Year Coursers to have meaningful evening will ensure that our Pesach together on Year Course will be filled with good food, tradition sharing, song singing and many opportunities to deeply reflect on how together we can transition from a sense of isolation to reflecting on the true significance of freedom in this time.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and liberating Pesach,

Rabbi Adam Drucker
Year Course Director of Experiential Education

Dear Young Judaea Community,

We at Young Judaea have been continuously monitoring the ever-changing situation as it relates to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic including guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as local Departments of Health here in the US, and government, health, and partner agencies in Israel.

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all of our participants, volunteers, and staff and our priority is always for their health and safety. First and foremost we send wishes of healing to all those in our community who are affected by this outbreak, whether they themselves are ill, have been quarantined, or are feeling the impact of the restrictions being put on us and our communities. To that end, please review important information about our programs and events below. Note that the situation is very fluid and we will communicate when any changes are made:

US Programs

Year-Round Activities

We have made the difficult decision to postpone all national and regional overnight events at this time. Given that health departments in each community are issuing slightly different guidance, we will determine whether to postpone local events on a case-by-case basis in consultation with local staff and volunteers. We have made this decision out of an abundance of caution and while we recognize that this may be disappointing, we are actively working to find ways to meet virtually and stay connected with one another until the health risks have been resolved.

We will follow up with information about specific events that have been postponed and provide information about credits for future Young Judaea events and/or refunds. If you have any questions about year round programs please contact Sandra Marks, Director of US Programs.

Summer Camps

Our camps are moving forward with planning for a wonderful summer as they monitor potential implications related to COVID-19 and are considering numerous initiatives to ensure a safe environment for all participants.

Young Judaea Global NYC Office

Our NY-based staff is transitioning to working from home and we are supporting their working remotely to ensure organizational operations continue.

Israel Programs

Year Course 2019-2020

As Israel’s quarantine policies continue to become more stringent, Young Judaea Israel staff are working around the clock to ensure that we comply with all governmental regulations while still providing our participants with meaningful programmatic experiences and academics through coordination with the relevant ministries and partner organizations. We are grateful to our students who continue to handle this fluid situation with good spirits and maturity, and are working together to create the best possible experience over the next two months.

WUJS Interns 2020

We are in regular communication with our WUJS interns in Tel Aviv and Haifa, making sure they are updated as quickly and comprehensively as possible regarding developing quarantine, travel, and public gathering restrictions. Our participants are being strongly discouraged from any private travel, and our staff are providing them with ongoing social support.

Machon and Amirim Summer Programs 2020

We know that applicants may be concerned about the implications of ongoing travel restrictions with regards to our summer Israel programs, Machon and Amirim. While we anticipate and hope that both Machon and Amirim will run as planned, we have decided to offer a refund for the registration deposit fee (if requested) and hope that doing so will help our applicants feel more comfortable when making the decision to register.

Year Course 2020-2021 and WUJS Fall 2020

We are continuing to plan for Year Course 20-21 and WUJS Fall 2020, and looking forward to welcoming our participants in Israel at the end of the summer.

Alumni Events

At this time many of our alumni programs and gatherings are being postponed or cancelled. We will continue to communicate any event updates. If you have any questions please contact Andi Lewittes, Director of Development.

Young Judaeans have always stepped up in challenging times- this is no exception. We will navigate these changes to our programs and prepare for what lies ahead as a community and having the resources to respond effectively and responsibly is key, so please consider making a donation to help us handle the many unanticipated costs we are incurring because of the COVID-19 situation. Your help will enable us to continue to offer our programs as broadly and as widely as possible. You can make your donation here. Thank you for your support during this unprecedented time

Please bear with us as we work through this rapidly-changing situation. And, most importantly, stay safe and healthy.

Simon Klarfeld

Executive Director,
Young Judaea Global

Young Judaea has been a huge part of Gia Machlin’s  life since the spring of 1978 when she attended her first YJ convention at TY. Gia attended TY as a camper (Alumim) that summer, and loved it so much she came back to TY every summer after that until she went on Year Course in 1982. She was also on the Westchester Mazkirut all through her high school years and was the president of Westchester region her senior year. She worked at Sprout Lake, and at TY in the kitchen and the office.

After returning from Year Course in 1983, Gia attended the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at Columbia University and then received her MBA from the Columbia Business School. But it was her time in Young Judaea, she says, that really left a lasting impact on her. “My years in Young Judaea helped me realize that I could use my leadership skills not just in business, but in philanthropy and tikkun olam as well.”

Gia is the President & CEO of EcoPlum, Inc. which was founded on the principle of combating environmental issues through social enterprises. EcoPlum is certified nationally as a women-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and is a Green America “Gold” approved business. Gia and EcoPlum have been featured on ForbesBooks Radio, Green is Good Radio, WOR Talk Radio, and the Trash Talking with Eco Warriors podcast, plus in Crain’s New York, Inc. Magazine, Café Mom, and many other business publications. Gia is a 2020 Enterprising Women of Year Award winner.

Prior to founding EcoPlum, Gia was President of MMC 20/20 Systems, Inc. In 1998, Gia co-founded Plan Data Management, Inc. (PDM) growing it into a thriving software and data services provider servicing Fortune 500 companies. A public company acquired PDM in 2006. Gia’s professional experience also includes management consulting at the Machlin Consulting Group and Deloitte & Touche, along with sales and marketing roles at Unisys and AT&T.

Gia serves as Board President of the Blue Card, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides cash assistance to needy Holocaust survivors living in the United States. Gia is a longtime member of the Women Presidents’ Organization and a founding member of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club’s Sustainable Business Committee. She volunteered for NYC public schools for 14 years.

Even now, 42 years after she came to her first convention, Gia counts her YJ friends among the closest in her life.

Shalom Young Judaea,

We are about to begin asepha, a process that has the power to shape our movement and set the course for our growth for years to come. Before we begin, I want to share a little bit with you all about what has been happening in our movement this year.

Young Judaea is a movement that is truly unique. We provide Jewish youth nationwide opportunities to explore their Jewish identity and their connection to Israel on a highly intellectual and spiritual level. As this convention has focused closely on Zionism and our personal connections to it, I truly believe that this convention will serve as a turning point for our movement. With the new connections that we have personally built with Isreal, as well as connections that the movement is renewing, such as connecting our national initiative to Israel, Young Judaea in the U.S and YJ Israel will now work much more cohesively.

Young Judaea Israel is experiencing much success in all of its programs this year. As of now, there are over 130 chanichim registered for Year Course, and that number has the potential to increase, setting the stage for the largest Year Course in a while. Our programs for students such as Onward and Amirim are bringing over 700 college students to Israel this summer for Israel programs. In addition to this, summer tour numbers for our British sister movement, FZY, have increased as well. We are so excited to see YJ Israel thriving and cannot wait to see this growth continue into the future.

Back in the U.S., our year-round movement is going through some exciting new changes as well. I am very pleased to announce the hiring of our new Director of US Programs- Sandra Marks- who will begin next week! Sandra comes to Young Judaea having worked at Capital Camps in Waynesboro, PA as the Associate Director and before that at Hillel International, where she served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives. Sandra’s love of camp and Zionist youth movements began at Camp Moshava in Indian Orchard, PA, where she was a counselor and senior staff member for 17 summers. Sandra has a long history of Jewish education, both formal and experiential. We could not be more excited to welcome her into out Young Judaea mishpacha.

In other good news, Year-Round YJ has experienced numerous successes recently. We just capped off an incredibly meaningful and successful Alternative Winter Break trip to Puerto Rico in December, the Midwest region had a successful winter convention and has their spring convention coming up in just a few weeks, and the Northeast has continued to grow and run successful programming for its chanichim. We have seen the establishment and continued success of clubs such as Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, and are also incredibly enthusiastic about the support we are seeing now that we are in Texas.

A presence in Texas is something that we have been striving to achieve for quite a while now and we wish to continue this growth not just in the great region that is Texas, but nationwide. To do so, we will be moving in a direction as a movement in the coming months which will look into the growth of participation in national events from regions that may currently be more involved in other aspects of YJ. With the growth in national participation, we will only continue to grow stronger as a movement.

As I stand before you, I see the future of our movement right in front of me. Before we elect the board that will lead us into our next phase as a movement, everyone in this room should know that you play a huge part in that. I have said this before and I will say it again that I believe the phrase “building tomorrows leaders today” is used quite often in the world of Jewish youth movements. However, I strongly believe that this statement does not apply to Young Judaea. I can say with the utmost confidence that due to Young Judaea, the leaders of tomorrow are already here.

Thank you.

Eitan Weinkle, National Mazkir 2019-2020

Dan Hack has been a proud Young Judean since 2007 when he was an Ofie at Camp Sprout Lake. During his progression through the Young Judaea (YJ) journey, he was a camper at Sprout and TY, attended Alternative Winter Breaks throughout his high school years, and was eventually the Merekez of Bogrim at Sprout. From YJ, Dan has been able to learn about the impact that an individual can have, and how much this impact grows when working as a group, or a קבוצה. This past semester, Dan served as the Development Intern for the Center for a New American Security, where he helped raise money for research attempting to solve America’s most complicated national security threats. Dan would not have been able to get this job if it weren’t for a Young Judean that works there and advised that he should apply.

In his Hadracha year at TY, Dan was in the anti-Semitism Tikun group and his one regret was that his group ceased communication after the summer ended. He continued to have conversations with YJers and others about anti-Semitism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on social media sites, however the conversations were often quite destructive with no real progress being made. The emphasis that Young Judaea places on pluralism helped Dan come to the conclusion that we need a better method of discourse between individuals of varying backgrounds and beliefs. During his freshman year at Carnegie Mellon, he founded a company called Convertsation that has the goal of converting how conversations are held online, and teaching and harboring positive and constructive conversations between students from all over the world. Over the last year and a half the Convertsation team has expanded to ten members who are very motivated to spread this great product throughout the country, and abroad as well. Convertsation is a digital platform for educators to structure multi-party, online conversations for their students.

Through a plethora of features, students have been able to hold inspiring Convertsations where they truly listen to one another and find common ground on subjects they previously completely disagreed on. In a world where political and ideological polarization is rampant as individuals are blocking or fighting any person or news source that disagrees with them, Convertsation is attempting to fix this problem and they know that if students are learning healthy conversation practices from a young age, they will be able to hold more productive conversations as they grow.

Convertsations are anywhere from 20-60 minutes and contain 3-5 students from within a class, or between classes anywhere in the world. At the Convertsation table, there is a resource board to fact check users, a character count to ensure that there is equal participation amongst the members, and open-minded sentence structures for students to fill in and best hear one another. Once the time allotted has ended and the students have discussed all of the questions that the teacher has posed, the teacher will get a robust report consisting of important metrics for growth using artificial intelligence. The report states what students participated the most and least, how many new ideas they each brought, how many resources they used, and much more.

While the problems of polarization, close mindedness, and destructive conversations online are not disappearing anytime soon, Dan believes that the more students that connect and learn through Convertsation, the more likely the next generation will be able to speak to another, and more importantly, listen. If it weren’t for his time in Young Judaea, and the emphasis that the organization places on bringing people together, Dan never would’ve hatched the idea for Convertsation, a project that has turned into his greatest passion.

Danhack@convertsation.org

646-825-0085

On December 22^nd-27^th, 2019, 30 Young Judaean teens continued the work we began in December 2018, rebuilding affected areas of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck the island over two years ago. Our group was hosted by the JCC in San Juan which is also home to the YJ Puerto Rico chapter! Diego Mendelbaum, Director of the JCC and father of 2 Judaean teens welcomed our participants with open arms.

Each day on AWB was packed with learning and volunteer opportunities. We partnered with SBP, a disaster relief organization, to rebuild 3 different homes across the northern coast of Puerto Rico. This work mainly involved debris removal and painting but a couple teens got a how-to on power tools! Our partnership with SBP began in AWB New Orleans many years ago and we hope to continue the connection for years to come.

We also painted over 3 homes and 1 school in Loiza in classic Puerto Rican greens, oranges and blues. The JCC established a close-knit relationship with the Loizan community in the aftermath of Maria. It was a joy to work with them 2 years in a row. Our participants got to know Loiza’s community members a bit better by running a Christmas carnival for the local kids and volunteering at a soup kitchen for the elderly on Christmas day. A definite highlight was sharing our rikudim with the community and learning some of their dances as well.

See photos from AWB 2020 here.

Our chanichim learned more about the hurricane’s environmental impact when we volunteered in the Camuy forest removing invasive plants and planting mangroves to serve as an additional line of defense in the case of another hurricane. This day of volunteering was sweetened with a trip to the gorgeous Mar Chiquita in Manati, a small beach cove protected from the rough Atlantic by a limestone rock wall.

We were lucky enough to celebrate Chanukah with the Puerto Rican Jewish community. Our group assisted the JCC with their annual Chanukah party by running art projects and games for the kids, performing a Chanukah skit, and leading rikudim. Some other highlights of the trip include a multi-generational Young Judaea alumni panel, where our teens learned about Puerto Rico’s history and Jewish community, and a trip to Old San Juan where we shopped around and visited old historic landmarks.

Each night chanichim gathered into small groups for “Mishpachot,” a dedicated time for reflecting on the day’s events led by our madrichim.  In these conversations our teens thought critically about ethical volunteering and discovered a new passion for political activism, equity, and environmentalism. On the last night of our trip our madrichim led a peulah entitled, “Sustain the Change,” encouraging the group to brainstorm new and creative ways we can bring these experiences home to our local communities. The impact of AWB is often felt by participants for years after they graduate. We are so grateful to all of the support we received in order to be able to run this inspiring program!

Something Year Coursers can all agree on: Tel Aviv has some amazing options for cheap and tasty food, whether at noon, midnight, or anywhere in between. Here are six of Tel Aviv’s best meals in a pita, perfect for vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, and anyone who wants a taste of the city’s world-renowned cuisinse without hurting their wallets too hard.

Brianna Hacker, Year Course 19-20, is currently interning at The Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ISEES), an initiative promoting environmental studies and ecology in Israel. She recently authored the following article, featured in ISEES’ publication, Zavit.