“I was part of history. Just a Judaean from Kentucky and I became part of the history of Israel.”

On the surface Greta Rothschild feels like any Judaean, filled with love for the movement and commitment to the Jewish people, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find someone who was at Tel Yehudah listening to a live broadcast in the Beit Am of the rescue of the hostages at Entebbe; someone who just a few short years later, stood on Mount Sinai at sunrise during Year Course living at Ketura and watched the beginnings of land changing hands in the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty- Greta Rothschild’s memories of Young Judaea are some of the most covered events in world history.

It wasn’t always that monumental and historic, however. Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky there wasn’ta huge Jewish presence, but Hadassah was strong. So when a friend invited her to a YJ club meeting at age 12, she jumped at the chance. Immediately she knew this was the place for her, the place where she could grow and be herself.  Reflecting on her early days in Year-Round clubs and as a camper at CYJ Midwest (later a staff member) she describes herself as “captivated, involved and connected.” That connection stayed with Greta throughout her life, both personally and professionally.
It’s not rare to hear a lifetime Judaean speak with such pride in and affection for the movement, but it is incredible to see the actual effect of Young Judaea on a person. The leadership and programming skills she learned in YJ through the clubs, conventions and camps so deeply impacted Greta that they became the foundation of her entire career.  After 17 years as a Synagogue Education Director, and a nearly full time volunteer leader as the Region President of Chicago-North Shore Hadassah, it’s the YJ role models she had, the peer leadership and programming skills she learned, along with her Zionist commitment and strong identity that stand out in her mind. And like most Judaeans, her YJ friendships have become life-long along with the memories.

Though a lifetime spent in serving the Jewish community and the love of Israel and Judaism are central to Greta Rothschild’s experience in Young Judaea, it’s the sense of belonging and Tikkun Olam, she most values. “L’dor v’dor is so important to me; passing down those values, my love and passion for Eretz Yisrael and joyful Jewish living  to my children, that is incredibly meaningful. A recipient of scholarships for camp and Year Course, I feel Young Judaea has taught me the true essence of what it means to give back.”

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

The theme for the Pittsburgh Shabbaton this year was Israeli Innovations, chosen by the Bogrim leaders of Pittsburgh YJ.  These leaders organized astonishing peulot about drip irrigation, waze, and other forms of technology all created in Israel.  The leaders, ranging from ninth to twelfth grade, planned breathtaking games and fun discussions, that the kids participated in while learning about innovations that Israel created.  The kids even engaged in a tikkun olam program created by one of the Bogrim leaders where they helped make blankets for kids in hospitals. While some kids call the Shabbaton a “day at camp while still at home,”  in Pittsburgh YJ, we like to believe that is is even more than that. The Shabbaton is a place for kids of all ages to come together and become a family. Kids from different parts of the city and even different cities become best friends in under 24 hours and bond with people that they will never forget.  While the end of the Shabbaton is always sad, it is extremely heartwarming to hear kids discuss how they can not wait to see each other at the next event or even at camp. As Young Judaea our mission is to help kids discover who they are, and the Shabbaton is just one of the amazing ways that kids connect with themselves and with the people around them.

Check out the pictures from our Shabbaton here

If you spot me wearing headphones on a bus ride to a tiyul or seminar, chances are I’m listening to a podcast. Israel Story is a show that seeks to tell the everyday stories of Israel. This idea is…

Yael Sahar is the Year Course Bat Yam City Coordinator

This year will be my second year staffing one of the Olami trips on Year course. I believe that the trips around the world give our Year Course participants an opportunity to break out of their routine for a week and explore Jewish life in a different country and a different culture. This year we will be going together to Morocco, and the trip will focus on the experience of the Moroccan Jews who lived under Muslim rule since the 7th century and created a unique and rich heritage. In my opinion Morocco as a country has the best combination of colors, music and taste and at the same time have a rich Jewish history that we can learn about and a Jewish community there that we can meet. We will visit Casablanca, Morocco’s largest metropolis, and will go to one of the biggest mosque, Hassan II mosque. In Marrakesh we will stroll around the colorful markets and in Meknes we will walk through the Medina to search for the childhood home of Moshik’s (the executive director of Young Judaea Israel) great grandfather. On the last day we will hike down to see the breathtaking waterfalls of the Atlas Mountains.

This is a once in a life time opportunity and I’m so great full to be a part of it!

Young Judaea and Year Course alumnus Benji Lovitt made Aliyah in 2006 and has been working both as a comedian/writer and as a Jewish educator.  Beni has had a continued connection with Young Judaea since his childhood in many capacities.  His latest article – of a more serious bent than his usual work highlights the need to teach about Tel Aviv as a relevant centre of modern Zionist and Jewish culture.

Here is a link to the full article

http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/israel-programs-the-case-for-tel-avi

Below are some blurbs from the piece:

“From synagogue and organization missions to Masa programs, and from high school trips to Birthright, we do a horrendous job of exposing Diaspora Jews to Tel Aviv and everything it stands for: modern Israel, the “start-up nation”, religious pluralism, and Jewish peoplehood.”

“when I came on a Federation mission and extended my stay, did I finally discover this “secret community”, still mostly unknown to English-speakers in 2003. In just a few days, I managed to lie on the beach, go dancing till 5 AM, walk around staring at Israelis with my tongue hanging out of my mouth, and ask, “HOW AM I ONLY DISCOVERING THIS NOW?????” This wasn’t about bars and sand. This was about connecting to modern Israel and my Israeli peers in a way that I had not done before.”

 

“Does Masada make a bigger impact on Jewish identity than time in Tel Aviv? I would argue that it does not. Is Masada more likely to make thousands of young Jews excited to possibly return to Israel for a long-term program, date other Jews, get an internship at an Israeli start-up, or discover a connection to Jewish peoplehood which they never had before? In my opinion? Absolutely not. Now repeat this exercise for many possible sites in place of “Masada”.”

 

“This is not a suggestion of “fun” over “education”. This is focusing on exploring membership as part of the Jewish nation, a nation and people that young Jews are often “reborn” to feel part of after meeting Israelis who are like them.

Lastly, this isn’t only about the “White City”. This is about evaluating Israel programs and figuring out not only what will turn on our participants to Israel and Jewish identity but also what will not. Israel has changed over 66 years. Our programs should reflect those changes.”

 

– See more at: http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/israel-programs-the-case-for-tel-aviv/#sthash.gxWFAs3O.dpuf

and of course a little clip of Benji’s comedy

Benji Shmoozes a Taxi Driver