Graduating high school and beginning college is a period of enormous transition and change for any 18-year-old. Graduating high school and moving to a foreign country for a year with perfect strangers? That’s a catapult into adulthood, a thrust into independence and responsibility that requires careful planning to be a success.

After 65 years of running Young Judaea Year Course, we’ve realized that to provide an exceptional year of growth in Israel for a young adult, the mental health and wellbeing of our participants must be put at the forefront of program planning. Our learning has come to bear even more acutely with the generation coming of age during a global pandemic.

Building a sensitive, professional, and sustainable mental health support system on Year Course begins with looking into the needs of our participants. Every year there has been an increase in the number of participants who need mental health support while on the program. Some are already diagnosed and treated by professionals while others need support due to the challenges of learning how to live in a foreign country with individuals they have just met. It is our suspicion that isolation and lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to this increase. Perhaps there has been a loss in the ability to enter unfamiliar situations with new people and connect with one another in an open and vulnerable way. This connection is essential for a successful gap year. In addition, we’ve seen a lack of resiliency so that any minor crisis, without a healthy coping mechanism, can quickly spiral out.

One major challenge our participants face is that the mental health support system they are familiar with including family, friends, and professionals is thousands of miles away. Our aim is to assist participants in building a new support system while spending a year in Israel that enables them to be happy and thrive in an environment that demands independence and responsibility.

We have taken three important steps to ensure the wellbeing of all Year Course participants:

Encouraging Openness
Training and Preparation
Partnering with Participants and Families

Encouraging Openness

Imagine 200+ 18-year-olds from all over the world from diverse backgrounds, coming together to live, learn, and explore Israel together. This is the complex reality of a gap year in Israel. While the experience is beautiful and eye-opening for participants, this melding of worlds can be messy if not addressed properly.

The cornerstone of the Year Course mental health system is the understanding that the most dominant influence on the participants’ wellbeing is their ability to create meaningful open interactions with one another that will enhance their sense of belonging to the Year Course community. In other words – their ability to create meaningful and deep friendships while understanding healthy social boundaries. Meaningful relationships allow participants to feel comfortable expressing themselves to peers and staff when things aren’t going well, and to work through the complex feelings that arise when living far away from home. Forging these relationships is key to a happy and successful year and having this skill will have a positive effect on the rest of their lives.

The range of issues that arise range from your typical, “my friends go out without me,” to differences of opinions on the complexities of Israel, frustrations with the language and culture shock, or on occasion, dealing with true crises situations. Many people struggle to communicate how they feel and instead they prefer silent frustration. How can you forge deep bonds when you don’t know how to communicate your feelings?

Maintaining a safe space for everyone is a challenge our staff and participants deal with on a daily basis. Besides keeping people secure, a safe space also allows participants to speak openly and sincerely about the things that are bothering them. In that sense, the creation of a safe space is a key element when it comes to the mental well-being of Year Course participants. Open communication that enables staff to help and support the participants can only exist in a safe space.

Training and Preparation

Months prior to arrival on Year Course, we communicate with parents and mental health providers to understand the specific needs of our participants. Once the participants that need additional support are identified, we connect with them and their family support network upon arrival as well as recurringly throughout the program to help them nurture meaningful relationships in order to deal with complicated social situations.

Having the right professionals on board provides us with the right level of skills, support, and professionalism to ensure not only the wellbeing of our participants, but also of the staff.  We recently created a new position on the leadership team for someone with formal social work training and experience working with youth in distress. This position is embedded in the earliest stages of recruiting to help vet participants for their readiness to succeed in our program.

We can’t expect our counselors and unit heads to function as professional therapists, but we have found a way to provide them with tools, a mental health “first aid kit” so that they know how to react in the most challenging circumstances. These staff members are usually the first ones the participants will speak to during or directly after a mental health crisis and should be able to react appropriately to support the participant, triage the situation, and understand when to refer to an expert for further guidance.

Training covers areas such as signs and symptoms of common and less common diagnoses, initial intervention, dealing with drugs and alcohol related situations, mandatory reporting, preventing the recurrence of similar situations, and understanding when to refer to a professional. Mental first aid in crisis situations is aimed not only at the individual participant in need, but also at their peers, who may also be in distress. When supported, peers can then function as an important support mechanism for each other.

A crucial piece of our staff preparation is to form relationships with participants that are based on trust and a sense of security. Without a safe space for participants to express themselves and share their feelings, they are less likely to consult with staff on important issues. Staff accomplish this by being as accessible as possible and conducting non-judgmental and eye-level conversations with participants whenever possible. Additionally, the Year Course has professionals facilitate group conversations and trainings regarding various topics concerning both safety and acceptance including gender equality, sexual assault, and security. These conversations keep the dialogue open between staff and participants.

We train our staff to listen to the participants, try to understand their perspective, and empower them to have a positive and effective impact on their situation. For every situation, we expect and train our staff to be there for the participants as mediators, supporters, and moderators. We learned that in some acute crisis situations where there is a need to deal with Israeli authorities or medical emergency services where our staff become the mediators between mostly Hebrew speaking caretakers and the participants. This part of mental health support is crucial when it comes to dealing with the aftereffects of some crises.

Partnering with Participants and Families

The last important element of our mental health preparedness is to create a partnership with both participants and families. Sending your 18-year-old off to Israel for a year can feel like a leap of faith. Families must have the ability to trust the participants’ abilities to make good choices when it comes to their wellbeing.

We observe and understand how hard it is for some families to hand over independence to their children with even their everyday functions, let alone a year in Israel. We try to support families by maintaining a high level of communication between them and our staff as this helps them maintain some level of healthy control over their loved ones who are so far away. We also initiate regular emails to update families about the main features of the program and respond to messages within a reasonable amount of time. This level of communication is a key element in fostering a Year Course-family partnership that aims at supporting participants to flourish and grow while on the program.

By taking these three important steps to ensure the wellbeing of all Year Course participants: Encouraging Openness, Training and Preparation, and Partnering with Participants and Parents, we are creating the conditions for our participants to experience growth and development in a healthy and supportive environment. We are actively responding to the mental health and well-being needs of each Year Course participants, with the aim of imparting healthy coping mechanisms and resiliency for success on the program and that they can take into the rest of their lives.

Humans of Young Judaea Feature, by Ayal Willner

The values of Tikun Olam, the numerous lines in the Torah where we are enjoined to remember that we were once slaves in Egypt and to treat people well, along with the sayings of the prophets about taking care of each other, are all values that Young Judaea holds dear and imprints upon all who participate in the movement.  While I have always been involved in giving back to my community, I decided to step up my game in 2013.  As a Pediatric ENT doctor, I searched for a way to use my skills and experience (yup, I’m old enough to have a lot of that!), to find my corner of the world and fix it up as best I could.

I found Mending Kids, an organization whose goal is to provide medical care for children in need.  We do this by sending medical missions and sometimes solo surgeons to places where care is difficult to get, and by arranging for patients to be sent to centers of excellence to get the care they need. This is very often on different continents from where the patients live (including a partnership with Israeli hospitals). We also bring education to physicians around the world via teleconference symposia on many topics. Mending Kids has a yearly Hometown Mission, where kids from the LA area and beyond can receive care that they would otherwise have not be able to receive.

With Mending Kids, I have travelled to Guatemala about fifteen times and to Tanzania three times. In Guatemala I have led fifteen member surgical teams where I’ve treated about 100 patients and performed over 100 surgical procedures in one week.  Some cases are relatively straightforward, while others can be very complex requiring staged operations over many yearly missions to achieve the goal of helping one particular child.  Each one of the kids and their families are always so grateful for the care they receive, and each member of our team is grateful to them for allowing us to make the world just a little closer to whole.

In Tanzania, where there are physicians are eager to learn, but where surgical equipment and training is in short supply, the Mending Kids team brings both.  Mending Kids recently arranged for a $60,000 set of airway surgical instruments to be donated by the Karl Storz company to the Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania. Over the last two missions to Mwanza, we delivered the instrumentation as well as trained the residents and attending staff on proper use of them by performing surgical cases together. We are working to secure the necessary surgical instrumentation that will be required for our ultimate goal: to have a self-sustaining program where the surgeons we train will go on to create a pool of ENT physicians that serve the 15 million people served by Bugando Medical Center.

My years in Young Judaea from 7^th grade chanich, 2 years at TY, Year Course ’79-’80, through being a madrich for the UNYS region and at TY, have all brought me lifelong friends, and helped me integrate Jewish Values into my very core. I am now a YJG board member; an opportunity to give back to such an important piece of myself, Young Judaea.

By Raffi Schieir

During my time with Young Judaea I participated in summer camps, went on Year Course in Israel and continued as a Peer Leadership Educator with Young Judaea in my early 20s. At Young Judaea we were empowered with skills to truly make a difference in our communities and my life’s mission, to prevent ocean plastic pollution at scale, no doubt stems from these critical experiences.

Research shows, if we continue on our current trajectory, the annual flow of plastic entering the ocean will triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tons. I was convinced there must be a plastic packaging solution that prevented damage to the world’s oceans and ultimately, I have made this my career.

Originally from Canada, I have lived in the UK for the past ten years. I founded Bantam Materials over a decade ago and established the Prevented Ocean Plastic program in December 2019. Our Prevented Ocean Plastic program diverts plastic away from our oceans and supports coastal communities in developing countries by assisting bottle collectors, collection centers and local recyclers based there, by paying for the collection of waste bottles and other plastic.  I am proud to say it is currently the largest ocean plastic prevention program in the world.

My work has taken me all over the world pushing for and structuring initiatives for ethics of Tikkun Olam and I have been lucky enough to meet people from every walk of life. I’ve even met with government ministers and industry leaders about national recycling policies to advise them on what needs to change based on what I have seen first-hand.

The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated to all of us how interconnected we all are. This is something I have given a lot of thought to, particularly in an environmental sense. Waste plastic from the west litters coastlines of developing countries causing pollution and harming the communities who make their livelihoods from the ocean.

95% of plastic packaging loses its material value, equivalent to $80-120 billion annually, after one time use. With programs like Prevented Ocean Plastic in place collection of these waste plastics can help support people living in poverty, by providing a reliable income, while helping clean up the natural environment and protect oceans from plastic pollution.

By Adina Frydman, CEO Young Judaea Global

As I land from my maiden voyage to Israel as the CEO of Young Judaea Global, I feel exhilarated and proud. As 2D turned to 3D, from Zoom to panim el panim, face to face, what felt like the dream of the past 8 months now came into focus as a technicolor reality. I was acutely aware of how lucky I was to be able to make my pilgrimage to Israel while many are not able to do so, given the current restrictions. From that very first cab ride, my Hebrew came flooding back. There I was having a full-on conversation with my driver about the new government, the Delta variant rearing its head in Israel, and the extreme summer heat. I am convinced that cab rides make for the best Ulpan.

 

Here I share a few highlights:

 

Once I got through the necessary testing and brief, quarantine with family, I made my way to Kibbutz Keturah. I was immediately taken by the mountains of desert and rows of date palms. I met with haverim, members, of the kibbutz and learned just how intertwined Young Judaea and Kibbutz Keturah are, starting with the first Young Judaea garin, pod, that moved there in 1974, to today when all of our Israel groups integrate a visit to Keturah as part of their experience. But what I found the most inspiring was seeing how this kibbutz, one of only 30 remaining collective kibbutzim in Israel, has adapted over time to thrive. With the enduring spirit of chalutzim, pioneers, the kibbutz is involved in several entrepreneurial and profitable ventures. The core values of pluralism, Judaism, and social activism are infused into their daily living, just as they learned as youth in Young Judaea.

 

Over the next few days, I met with our Israel team and used the opportunity to thank them for their extraordinary work this past year. There is little respite for this team as they are currently running Amirim, Onward Israel trips, and Gesher, while preparing for the next shichva of Year Course and Israel Pro participants to arrive. From operations to logistics, finance, and programming, this team works together to ensure the excellence of our Israel experiences.

I then had the opportunity to meet several inspirational Young Judaea Haverim who are living in Israel. In addition to spending quality time with several board members, I met with Gil Troy, professor and writer, Alon Tal, member of the Knesset and environmental activist, and Danny Chamovitz, president of Ben Gurion University, each of whom is making a significant contribution to advancing Zionism and social activism today, and who attribute “everything they ever learned” to Young Judaea.

Finally, I joined our Gesher program, generously funded by Root One, for one of their final days in Jerusalem. For some of the teens it is their first time in Israel, for others, the next step in their Young Judaea journey. The group, despite coming out of a challenging year of quarantines and Zoom, emitted a positive energy and youthful enthusiasm that was contagious. These teens are growing up in an increasingly polarized society where the word “Zionist” is often heated and contested. Our team of mechanchim, educators, and madrichim, counselors, are there to hold and guide them through the growing experience of shaping their personal relationship with Israel and what it means to be a Zionist today.

As I boarded the plane to return to the United States, I reflected on my experiences that week, each proving Young Judaea’s unique imprint on Israel. Young Judaea’s history is inextricably linked with that of Israel’s, from a Kibbutz founded by Judaean’s in 1973, to the alumni that have made Israel their home and work tirelessly to achieve what some may call ‘aspirational Zionism’, and to the teens today who are exploring the country through a modern lens. I look forward to many future trips to see how we can further strengthen our alumni and participants’ connection with Israel.

Written by Fanny Korman, Tel Yehudah Board Chair

Combined, my husband Roger, our three kids and I have spent at least 44 years at Young Judaea camps, specifically Sprout Lake, CJ and Tel Yehudah. When I was asked to summarize why it is a good idea to send kids and teens to Jewish camp, in particular a Young Judaea camp, I took the instinctive approach – no scientific data, only my emotional and experiential impression. This has been the beacon lighting the way throughout my life and guiding me as I work to make sure that Camp Tel Yehudah remains strong and magical for generations to come! 

Mind you, I consider myself an expert on this subject having been a camper and staff member at Tel Yehudah. It only takes one summer at TY to understand at a very deep level why going to a Young Judaea camp is so crucial to a Jewish child’s life and our combined 44 years YJ camping experience might just make me an expert. To me, the simple answer to the question of why to send your kids to Young Judaea camps would be, “send a kid to Tel Yehudah  camp for a summer and you have a committed member of the Jewish community for life!”. 

That being said, I didn’t want to go on and on about one of my favorite topics without talking to some of my “resident maivens”. After consulting my husband Roger, I went to my personal source of all important information – our children. 

So, with the help of my mavens, here are the Top 10 reasons to send your children, grandchildren and any Jewish child and teen to a Young Judaea camp (in no particular order):

There are, of course, many more reasons why one should send kids and teens to Young Judaea camps, so consider this a starting point for the top 100 reasons! What’s on your list?

Young Judaea summer programs are worth our support. Think of the impact they will have on our children’s lives and the future of Israel and the Jewish community. Forward Together!

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), recently announced the 2021 winners of their Leaders of Tomorrow Award for Young Women – Liberty Lebos of Savannah, Ga. and Sabrina Skolnick of Atlanta, Ga.! Each will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel to participate in Young Judaea’s summer Israel program Gesher!

The Leaders of Tomorrow scholarships are awarded following a merit-based competition. They are given to young women who, because of the leadership roles they have taken on as students, have demonstrated their potential to assume even greater leadership roles as adults.

Get to know the 2021 winners:

Liberty Lebos, 17, is finishing her junior year at Savannah Arts Academy in Georgia. She attended Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, N.C., for seven years. An experience as a navigation leader in an Outward Bound program at camp gave Liberty her first true test as a leader as she safely led her group down the mountain to safety after an incident on the trail. Liberty is the Fundraiser Ambassador for the Rape Crisis Center in Savannah and has volunteered with the local special-needs organization “UTime.” In her free time, she locates clothing at thrift stores to combine with her grandmother’s hand-me-downs to create new designs.

“I am so honored to receive the Leaders of Tomorrow award, and that I am able to share my Jewish experience with my peers and other women my age. Especially during such hostile times, I am proud to represent my identity to people who may not know while educating myself on this incredibly complex conflict.” -Liberty Lebos

Sabrina Skolnick, 16, is completing her junior year at Midtown International School in Atlanta and, like Liberty, attended Camp Judaea. Sabrina’s grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and she grew up knowing that her life and the life of her family are miracles. Sabrina competed in the National History Day (NHD) international competition for three years and volunteered with the “Friendship Circle,” an Atlanta organization providing Jewish programming for children with special needs, and the Atlanta chapter of “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution,” a national outreach program with a mission to end human trafficking. She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering.

“I humbly thank Hadassah for this heartfelt honor. With this incredible experience and with all that I have written, I so look forward to making the most out of my Gesher experience and continuing to be actively involved in Young Judea. I want to be an exemplary model of a young adult woman and continue to feel proud of as a young jewess, to carry the torch “midor l’dor,” and make my parents and the jewish identify proud.” – Sabrina Skolnick

Gesher is an exciting, three and a half week summer Israel trip for rising 11th and 12th graders. The winners will learn about the rich culture and history of Israel, have the opportunity to hone their leadership skills, and give back to local communities.

“We look forward to seeing Liberty Lebos and Sabrina Skolnick continue to grow as young leaders and ultimately become leaders of the next generation of Hadassah members.” – Lynn Davidson, Hadassah National Chair, Young Judaea

Mazel Tov Liberty and Sabrina!

With camp around the corner, Young Judaea teens took the opportunity to get to know the Camp Directors a little better!

Frank Silberlicht, CYJ Texas

How did you get involved in Young Judaea?  I was living in St. Thomas and helping with youth programs at the synagogue and I decided on a career change into Camping. I wanted to live in Texas and Camp Young Judaea was where I got a start.

What is the best part about being a camp director?  The job is always changing.  Nothing about my job is redundant.  We are always innovating and trying new things.  I love the ability to run the Camp like a business with a heart!

Who is your hero?   I will go with Sandy Koufax.  He was pitching in the World Series in 1965 and Game 1 was on Yom Kippur.  He was not religious but he put his faith before his career.  I admire that!

What is your favorite camp tradition?   Coffee Cake at CYJ on Shabbat.  Those that have had it, understand.

What are your goals for camp this year?  Open and have a safe summer.  Show the first bit of normalcy to our campers and staff in 16 months!

Are there any surprises for camp this year?  Yes, but if I share it here it will not be much of a surprise.  Let me just say that we have a few new programs up our sleeves.

What kitchen utensil best relates to your job being a director? Why?  My job as Camp Director is to have vision and support our staff in doing their jobs. That means I am oven gloves to support what’s being done and to make sure nothing gets burnt.

What’s your favorite camp meal?  Every Sunday for lunch, we have hamburgers and fries.  That is my favorite meal!

 

Walter Synalovski, Camp Judaea

How did you get involved in Young Judaea? I grew up in Puerto Rico where YJ was the youth group for the kids in my synagogue. My brother, Manny, got me involved in Young Judaea while he was the madrich of our club and was the Mazkir of the Florida/PR region (Or Hadarom).

What is the best part about being a camp director? The best part of my job is to see our kids/staff participate in our camps and Israel programs, and develop a connection to Israel as they become the future leaders of the Jewish Communities.

Who is your hero? Pedro Martinez. He was a major league pitcher and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He was a great baseball player and is a genuine and awesome person.

What is your favorite camp tradition? Misdar Boker. It is great to see the whole camp start the day together.

What are your goals for camp this year? My goal is for the chanichim and tzevet to have a great time and for us to have a healthy community.

Are there any surprises for camp this year? Yes, we have many new special programs planned for the chanichim. The kids will have a blast.

What kitchen utensil best relates to your job being a director? Why? I don’t have a kitchen utensil that comes to mind. However, I am a fan of the large mixers in the bakery. (I know that the mixer is an appliance and not a utensil). When I hear the mixers churning, I know that we will have fresh brownies and cookies later that day!

What’s your favorite camp meal? Shabbat Dinner is the greatest meal at camp. No doubt! Its the meal that I look forward to all week!

Helene Drobenare, CYJ Sprout Lake

How did you get involved in Young Judaea?  I did not grow up in YJ, I grew up in BBYO. I started as the director of CYJ Sprout Lake in 1999.

What is the best part about being a camp director?  The best part of my job is being part of change. Every day is different and the Sprout team gets to be part of empowering the next generation of Jews.

Who is your hero?  It’s a mix of Golda Meir and RBG

What is your favorite camp tradition?  Siyum- without a doubt. It is the one moment where the whole world stops for us to just say thank you.

What are your goals for camp this year? To open! We are so excited to get back to camp after 2020.

Are there any surprises for camp this year?  Yes there are- but I can’t tell you because it’s a surprise!

What kitchen utensil best relates to your job being a director? Why? The Fire Extinguisher- the big red one that hangs in the Sprout kitchen. As a camp director we are always putting out fires on some level.

What’s your favorite camp meal? BBQ

David Weinstein, Camp Tel Yehudah

 How did you get involved in Young Judaea? I was 11 years old and I was flipping through my mom’s Hadassah magazine and saw an ad for a brand new camp opening – Sprout Lake.  I was tired of my old camp and I said to my mom, that I wanted to go to Sprout Lake.  That was 1976.  The rest is history.

What is the best part about being a camp director? Watching campers grow into amazing staff members.  It reminds me that we truly are developing future Jewish leaders every summer at TY.

Who is your hero?  Nelson Mandela.

What is your favorite camp tradition?  Hadracha kids leading of gazal on the last Shabbat.

What are your goals for camp this year? This summer is all about re-opening safely and being incredibly creative in how we go beyond expectations of how great camp can be even with some restrictions.

Are there any surprises for camp this year?  Ummm..yeah!

What kitchen utensil best relates to your job being a director? Why? The huge Hobart mixing machine in the back of the kitchen.  It’s been there since I worked in the kitchen and is still doing the job of mixing it all together to make an incredible summer.

What’s your favorite camp meal? Oh Bagels doo doo doo! Every summer I get to say a few words to the chanichim about the history and importance of bagels to our people.  And, they are so so yummy!

Robin Anderson, CYJ Midwest

How did you get involved in Young Judaea?  I participated in a Young Judaea program called Sharsheret when I was a junior in college (my sister was on Year Course at the same time). After that semester, I worked at Kibbutz Ketura for the summer. When I graduated from college, I accepted a position as the assistant regional director for Midwest Young Judaea (and besides a few years), I have been here since 2000.

What is the best part about being a camp director? I love seeing when a group of campers start the session as individuals and end the session as a family. Also getting the entire camp to see Pizza Man at Shabbat lunch shira.

Who is your hero? Golda Meir

What is your favorite camp tradition? When the entire camp sings Shalom Alecheim together on Friday night/Midwest’s special ice cream truck on the last day of camp

What are your goals for camp this year? For campers and staff to have fun and not worry about all of the stress and anxiety of the past year

Are there any surprises for camp this year? Can’t share – they wouldn’t be a surprise! 🙂

What kitchen utensil best relates to your job being a director? Why? a rubber spatula because it is literally the most versatile utensil‍

What’s your favorite camp meal? Oven Fried Chicken & Challah on Friday Night

Recently, Young Judaea Year-Round finished up Bechirot – a four-part virtual series where teens chose one of four topics to discuss with their peers and leading experts.

The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) led an important discussion of Antisemitism and how it manifests itself today – in the United States and globally. The Bechira in this track took a deep dive into the origins of Antisemitism and its connection and distinction from Anti-Zionism. The ADL encouraged the group to become the catalysts for change and challenge Antisemitism whenever it is seen.

 

Challenges of Antisemitism Today

“The experience was interactive and educational without being difficult to understand or follow. I was able to take away a lot of tools and information that are useful in combating Antisemitism.” -Bechirot Participant

Be’chol Lashon led a fascinating workshop on Racial and Cultural Diversity of Jewish Identity and Experience. Participants learned about the ethnic and racial diversity of the global Jewish community and discussed how to create more inclusive spaces for all Jews within Young Judaea and their local communities.

Racial and Cultural Diversity of Jewish Identity and Experience

“I learned a lot about diversity in the Jewish community. And I will take my knowledge and what I have learned from the leader and my peers with me.” -Bechirot Participant

“I’m taking away, not only learning more about racial justice, but also learning ways that I can be a better advocate.” -Bechirot Participant

In Issues of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender in Jewish Communities led by Moving Traditions, participants had the opportunity to learn with leaders from a team of rabbis, social workers, and sex education specialists who brought Jewish wisdom into conversation with topics such as peer pressure, friendship, popularity, desire, love, relationships, consent, sex and sexuality. Questions asked included: “How does a person know who they are and what risks do they want to take?”, “What does it mean to resist pressure?” “When do you choose to ‘fit in’ and why?”

Issues of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender in Jewish Communities

“I’ve been attending the Bechirot seminars on Sex and Sexuality where we’ve talked about gender norms, thinking beyond the binary, and the significance of touch in our society. I’ve learned so many things like the ways in which men and women act differently, what it means to be non-binary, how gender can be expressed, and how important touch is in connecting with people. These sessions and conversations have been so great and always leave me thinking and wanting more, and I always get something out of them. Would highly recommend!” -Bechirot Participant

“I really enjoyed working with the Tel Yehudah teens. They were smart, engaged, and eager to delve into the issues we explored together. It was a pleasure to learn from their experiences and to help them make sense of and build their knowledge around issues of gender in their lives and at camp.” -Bechirot Contractor

“I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the TY teens. I had 4 from various points throughout the US.  They were engaged and gave insight into risk taking in their peer group and what they felt was the norm in their community – especially as it related to Covid. Thanks for allowing me to be part of this.” -Bechirot Contractor

In the Israeli Culture: TV/ Film, Food, Music and Language track, each session was led by a different expert in their field including Israeli screenwriter, cinema lecturer, and YJ alum, Galit Roichman, who gave a glimpse into modern Israel through television. Israel’s leading culinary tourism provider, Delicious Israel, talked about all things Israeli food. Bechira even got to rock out with Grammy award-winning record producer and YJ alum, Steve Greenberg for a lesson on Israeli pop music!

Israeli Culture: TV/Film, Food, Music, Language

“In the second session, our facilitator shared a “story:” when she visited England, she would take the train. There, if you wanted to avoid conversation, all you had to do was read a newspaper. However, in Israel, everyone is more like a family, and a newspaper actually becomes an invitation for others to talk to you.” – Bechirot Participant

“One of our last stops was a popular bakery with legendary rugelach. After seeing lots of pictures, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it ever since! I hope to be able to try some of this highly recommended rugelach this Summer during my trip to Israel with the Gesher program!” – Bechirot Participant

 Want to hear about all of the amazing Young Judaea Year-Round Programming events? Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

It is 1975. I am 18 years old and having Shabbat dinner in the home of a lively Moroccan family in Nazareth Illit, Israel. I have just completed the first two months of Young Judaea’s Year Course (Machon section) and my ability to speak Hebrew is minimal. We had just finished studying the differences between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi communities in the classroom, and now each member of our program went to stay for a weekend with Mizrachi families in development towns. Spending an immersive weekend with a non-English speaking Moroccan/Israeli family was an experience I recall and reflect on to this day, 46 years later.

During that weekend, the family took me in as one of their own. My Hebrew improved more in three days than in an entire semester of Ulpan. Over the weekend, I found myself comparing this family’s Judaism and Zionism with my own. My 18-year-old understanding of Israel, Judaism, and community were challenged in fundamental ways (my host family was adamantly anti-Golda Meir), and reinforced in other ways, (their love of Israel was deep and their warmth was overflowing). I was way out of my comfort zone, which is where profound learning takes place. To me, this experience is at the core of Young Judaea’s educational philosophy. Young Judaea is built on placing kids in experiential situations where they can learn, explore, and push the boundaries of who they are as Jews, and as people.

I, along with my two brothers, became involved with Young Judaea in high school. We were originally encouraged to join by our parents as a way to explore our Jewish identity and make friends, and I quickly found myself enjoying the program. The experiences gave me the feeling of being part of something larger than myself. Eventually, I became regional Mazkir of the Upper NY Region, a leadership role within Young Judaea that involves planning local events for teens. After that I then went on to attend Camp Tel Yehudah for three summers and later traveled to Israel on Year Course.

After college my girlfriend (now wife) and I made Aliyah and moved to Rehovot, Israel. Five years later we moved back to the States for career and family reasons and settled in Minneapolis where I pursued a career in the Medical Device field. In Minneapolis, I was actively involved in the Jewish community but my involvement with Young Judaea was mainly through my children, nieces and nephews who each attended Young Judaea’s summer camps and went on Year Course in Israel. I remained on the outskirts of the organization, only observing its impact through the next generation.

It wasn’t until 2011, 25 years later, that my personal involvement with Young Judaea picked back up. The organization was moving towards independence from Hadassah at the time, and I joined a group of Judaean alumni to envision what the Young Judaea of the future would look like. During those early gatherings I found myself being transported back to my time as regional Mazkir, my summers at camp, and my time exploring Israel as an 18 year old. I found myself asking, why is Young Judaea so special and how do we need to shape it to be relevant and impactful in the decades to come?

As Young Judaea adapts to the rapidly changing world, our core values are more important than ever; Clal Yisrael (engaging all Jews regardless of background), Pluralism, Social Action and Love of Israel. These are the values that bind us and are cemented through the immersive educational experiences that encourage our youth to wrestle with the real challenges facing the Jewish world. As a result, Young Judaeans develop a passion for and a lifelong connection with Israel and Judaism. Experiences like the one I had in Nazareth Illit in 1975 are still happening today for thousands of kids on Young Judaea’s Israel programs and our summer camps. In today’s hyper partisan world, our 110-year-old movement is more relevant than ever.

Mike Berman is the Chair of the Board Of Young Judaea Global and resides in Tel Aviv

In Young Judaea, our chanichim, campers and program participants, develop a lifelong personal connection to Israel. Many maintain their connection by integrating Israel intro their everyday lives, wherever they may be. This lifelong connection manifests itself in the choice or our professions, where we volunteer or lead, how we allocate our tzedakah, what we read, watch and listen to, and in what we transmit to our children and grandchildren.  And some choose to make Israel their home. In fact, according to a recent study, 12% of surveyed alumni across all Young Judaea programs, currently live in Israel.

Brenna Hymowitz, a recent Year Course participant, is currently in the process of making Aliyah.  

Here is her story.

Being a part of Young Judaea since I was eight years old, Zionism has always been an important aspect of my Jewish identity. It was the highlight of my year to return as a camper each year to Camp Young Judaea Texas and be a part of a Jewish community that kept me safe, educated, and happy to be a Jewish girl from Katy, Texas.

Following the footsteps of Young Judaeans before me, I spent my first real time in Israel through Year Course. The experience opened my eyes to a place that I had only dreamt of and yearned for in my heart. I was able to soak up what it means to be an Israeli through adventures to visit with various communities and conversations with the people I met there. In addition, living with Israeli’s gave me an extended family and granted me a new perspective on Jews from around the world.

I am so lucky to have been a part of a movement that pushed me to strengthen and learn more about my Jewish identity than I had ever done before. Year Course gave me the opportunity to create lifetime friendships, make incredible memories, and tangibly understand and experience the land of Israel. I fell in love with the culture, the people, the language, and the land itself. Young Judaea and Israel helped me bring out the best version of myself and follow my heart with the decision to make Aliyah. My heart and soul is drawn to serving and protecting the miracle that is this country. With that said, I plan to draft in the fall as I finish my first year as a student at IDC Herzliya. I am so grateful for the clarity my experiences have given me in making the most important and meaningful decision of my life.

This year, for me, Yom Ha’atzmaut will feel different. This year I will dance in the streets and sing alongside the waving flag of a country that is now my home. I will feel the land beneath my feet, I will smile with its people, and I will celebrate the freedom of being a Jew in the land of Israel.

Young Judaea helped me to pave the path of my Zionism, bring depth to my Jewish identity, and make Israel my home, as it was always meant to be. I believe in Young Judaea and its power to allow people to explore who they are as a Jews, and as people. This Yom Ha’atzmaut, I encourage everyone to pause and reflect. Embrace your freedom to be a Jew and reflect on what Israel truly means and serves to you and your Jewish identity.

Chag Sameach!

Brenna Hymowitz, Year Course 2019-2020