Our fellow Judaeans: It is incredibly difficult to find the right words to say during times like these. The recent and systemic acts of violence, racism, and discrimination towards Black Americans, including those in our Judaean family and the larger Jewish community, are unacceptable. Now is the time for us to lean into our discomfort; we must support those who need us, and stand in solidarity with the Black community. Judaeans have historically used our voices to speak up for what we know is right, and this is a moment to use our privilege and collective power to make change- there is work to be done, but we are not without hope.

As Jews we have an obligation to repair the world- Tikkun Olam. It is imperative that we continue to educate ourselves around injustice as well as ways to be active allies, just as we have done in the past. As Judaeans we have grown up with Ani V’ata as our anthem, and now we must embody those words.

אני ואתה נשנה את העולם

Together, through action, we will change the world.

– The National Mazkirut of Young Judaea

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.

by Jereme Weiner, Year Course 19-20

As a lifelong Judaean – six summers at Camp Judaea, Hadracha at Camp Tel Yehudah, and participating in Machon in Israel last summer – I feel like I have spent years preparing to having a truly meaningful Year Course experience, ready to connect what I learned at camp with life in Israel.

During my Hadracha summer at Tel Yehudah in 2017, we discussed all kinds of topics during our weekly Shabbat Israel Update. One week, I was frustrated to learn during a talk on gender issues at the Western Wall that women had significantly less rights to prayer at the Kotel and were not able to read from the Torah, among other restrictions. What could I do to get involved? How could I make my voice heard, too?

Last week, on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan (the first day of the new month), I joined seven other Year Coursers and our madricha, Sarah, for monthly prayers at the Kotel with Women of the Wall (WoW), a group whose mission is to “attain social and legal recognition of the right of  women to wear prayer shawls, pray, and read from the Torah, collectively and aloud, at the Western Wall.” We joined the group at 7am, ready to show our support, and were amazed by the amount of people who had come to protest both for and against women’s rights at the Kotel. While WoW tried for more than half an hour to bring three small Torahs into the Western Wall plaza, security guards pushed us back and didn’t allow us in, while a crowd had gathered telling us to shut up and go home. It was a disheartening and frustrating experience to feel like my Judaism wasn’t being respected, and that fellow Jews were aggressively pushing us away from praying at the holiest site in Judaism.

After leaving, I thought back to that Israel Update during Hadracha – it felt like my Young Judaea experience had drawn a straight line from education to experience, not only exposing me to important topics in Jewish life and Israel while at camp, but bringing them to life while I live in Israel for the year. On Year Course, my views on Judaism and Zionism are constantly tested, questioned, and evolving. Seeing the issues we discussed at camp first-hand has been an experience I am so thankful for, and I can’t wait to see where my Year Course journey takes me.

Hi YJ world, my name is Dr. Avi Rose and I am the Director of Academics and Education. Why the double title you ask? Because we at Year Course are doubly committed to learning. On the one hand, many students on YC seek academic credit to get their college careers off to a great start. So, we work with the American Jewish University to give those credits at the highest possible standard, with instructors who are trained and experienced in their field of expertise. On the other hand, we are a movement program, dedicated to our ideals of Judaism, Zionism, Leadership, Social Action and Pluralism. It is my job to create learning  that includes all these elements in a way that is interesting and meaningful. It’s a job I love!

I’m a relative latecomer to YJ, I joined the movement when I joined the YJ team in 2003. I’m pleased to say that ever since, I’ve done my best to bring out the best in our movement. I’ve taught hundreds of students in all those years and I couldn’t be more proud of them and their accomplishments. They are part of a huge network of Judaeans who are doing their part to change the world in large and small ways. Everywhere I go in my professional life, I always end up meeting one of those Judean alumni, they seem to be in almost every field. The one thing they all have in common is a sense of mission and purpose. Almost all of them will tell you that they got this from their YJ upbringing.

I even bought my treasured Mah Jonng set from a Year Course grad who was on the program before I was born. She answered an ad I placed online and we ended up chatting for hours about her YC and how it changed her life. I think of her and her journey every time I play.

I’ve lived in Israel since 2002, after many years of going back and forth between Jerusalem and Canada. After completing my Phd, I decided that it was time to ‘take the plunge’ and fulfill my dream of making Israel my home. A few years later, I met a great British guy and he agreed to build a home with me here in Israel. Today, we live in the capital where we are raising our twin children. Our kids love to meet “Abba’s students” so don’t be surprised if they show up on campus and ask you to play.

In my years at YJ, I’ve loved nothing more than watching students face their challenges. I’ve worked with students who dreamed of achieving educational or professional goals, overcome personal obstacles, or simply try out new directions in life. My greatest joy is meeting these students as they progress through life after YC, in college, as young professionals, parents and sometimes as colleagues.

Year Course is something that sticks with you. It’s a year that really lasts a lifetime, with experiences, learning and friendships that remain part of who you are. It’s a launch pad to a life of independence, community, commitment and exploration. It may sound a bit cliche, but I am truly proud and honored  to play a small role in this very big adventure.

 I look forward to meeting you and having join our unique community, I know you will make it even better!

My Young Judaea pedigree goes back to age 13, when my older sister tricked me into attending a YJ club meeting in Nashua, NH. I was hooked from the start and became active in my club, my region, camp and eventually Israel. After loving my Year Course experience despite a war in the middle of it, I knew I had to get back. Junior year abroad at Hebrew University and then my year as a Year Course madricha solidified my conviction that #ycneverends and I have been on a path towards never leaving ever since.

After making Aliya to Israel, I ran the theatre program at Merkaz Hamagshimim for 9 years, worked at Hebrew College in Boston for 3 and a half years, and found my way back to Year Course in 2009 where I have been happily working my way up to director ever since. As Director of Year Course, I get to navigate the intersection between education and administration of the program and see our students through a 9-month journey of personal growth, grappling with identity, and Israel adventure. My favorite part of the job is that it is always changing. Local, national and international weather, politics, culture and more (of multiple countries), can divert us from our regularly scheduled program and make for exciting challenges of how we stay dynamic and able to react to the world around us without missing out on the things we’ve already planned. It is never boring!

I hope our students are learning how to balance our history with our future. I hope they are allowing the “boring stuff that happened a long time ago” to be relevant as a lens through which they understand who and how they want to contribute to the world around them.

Hello from Israel! I wanted to share a short idea on this weeks Torah portion, Ki Tavo, as we enter the last Shabbat before our Year Course journey begins.

With the Israelites on the cusp of entering the land of Israel and the 40 years of wandering almost over, they are told that once the land has been settled the farmers must “take the first of every fruit…put it in a basket and go to the place that your God, will choose” (Devarim 26:2). This Mitzvah is known as bikkurim and required the first fruits of the harvest to be brought to the tabernacle, and then eventually the Temple, as soon as the land had been settled.

Having this command juxtaposed with the moment the land was settled seems strange at first because one would assume there were more pressing issues at hand. However, by looking at the Mitzvah closely we can begin to gain an understanding as to why this was a priority for the Children of Israel.

The commandment to bring the first fruits was more than just a ritual sacrifice but symbolic of the Jewish people’s new reality in the Land of Israel. Once they entered Israel, the Jewish people went from being wanderers and victims to masters of their own destiny in their own land. This gave them the opportunity to function as individuals within a society and fulfil the potential they were destined for since the days of Abraham. By taking the literal fruits of the land and offering them to God, the Jewish people were demonstrating that they were now able to thrive in the promised land, recognising its potential, and showing a sense of gratitude for what they had been given.

It’s interesting to note that many Zionist thinkers pinpoint this particular portion of the Torah as mirroring the creation of the state of Israel and everything that came with it, due to the seismic change in our peoples reality.

It also seems appropriate that this portion falls as your journey in Israel is about to begin. The start of Year Course is an extremely exciting time with so many opportunities for you to live, learn and grow in our homeland. I hope that you are able to maximise each and everyday you are here, while showing gratitude to all those that have brought you to this incredible time and place in your lives.

To echo what Moses says to the Jewish people at the end of Ki Tavo, that once they enter Israel they will have “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear” (Devarim 29:3), may you all also have experiences of lifetime that are only possible in this unique and incredible country.

Shabbat shalom and looking forward to meeting and learning with you all,

Rabbi Adam Drucker

So they don’t miss out on all the opportunities that life offers

By Ari Chesterman, Year Course 2014-2015

Feelings of excitement and nervousness mixed in my chest as I set out on my first ever siyur of Young Judaea’s Year Course program.  The more this hot day passed by, the more I began to realize just how much fun this year was going to be.

We traveled as a group to the City of David. I had been there twice before, but this time was different. In the past I had not gone with a tour guide specifically from City of David. I was also surrounded by my peers this time. Over this trip I learned a lesson I hadn’t discovered with my previous visits.  Different is not always bad.  This visit to City of David certainly was different than my previous visits, but was a good thing. Avreimy, our tour guide, made the experience a cross between educational and interesting. Not to mention, ice cream was amazing.

We started off on a bus that took us to a spot a little bit outside City of David and continued on to the main plaza outside of the archeological site. I thought we were meeting was just another tour guide. It became abundantly clear I was wrong. Before we even started the tour he gave us some background about himself, including a story about the importance of names. In fact, Avreimy, born Avraham, was soon given his nickname of Avreimy, which he tried to ditch as a teenager. He came close to going by Max, but it didn’t stick due to a friend’s meddling. As we walked around a little bit I was pleasantly surprised to see how energetic and knowledgeable Avreimy was. His overall demeanor made the tour fun, and his thorough explanations made the tour informative.

 

After his introduction, he took us up a staircase and onto a roof of an old building and from there we could see the most beautiful panoramic view of Jerusalem.  Avreimy used us to represent different locations, like the Temple and other surrounding important historical buildings. Then we continued down to the tunnels. This was my third time going through the tunnels and it was also the best experience I have had walking through the tunnels. We spent the entire walk through knee deep in water, belting out songs, and I truly believe that my class connected as a group. Something about walking in the dark belting out Disney songs helps you bond.

Each location we stopped at held new and valuable information. [just put one thing you learned at each stop and why it proves the Bible happened or didn’t] [conclude with something among the lines that it provides convincing proof of small aspects of the Bible, but doesn’t come close to proving David was the the location]

I learned so many new and exciting facts on this trip, i definitely this that it was a winner. What an amazing start to what is clearly going to be an amazing year

In late September, Rabbi Rob Kahn led his Zionist History class to Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem for a siyur, or trip, into the origins of Modern Zionism.  Below are two reflections from the trip written by two of Rob’s students.

 Is Israel living up to Herzl’s dream?

by Naomi Solkowitz

As a Judaean I have spent a lot of time learning about Theodore Herzl by reading the Zionist idea, visiting Har Herzl on Machon (Young Judaea’s Summer Program in Israel), but today, after visiting Har Herzl I started to wonder whether Israel is truly living up to Herzl’s dream.

Herzl’s plan was to give the Jews sovereignty and create a state for the Jews. This is where the first issue comes up. Is Israel a “State for the Jews” or a “Jewish State”? Israel is a Jewish State. Israeli law is based on Jewish law and Jewish values and Jewish holidays are national holidays. Restaurants are kosher, buses do not run on Shabbat and Ben Gurion airport closes on Yom Kippur. Of course these are all generalizations, but they are all little things that make Israel a Jewish State.

In Herzl’s writing when approached with the question about language he says “We cannot converse with one another in Hebrew.” Herzl wanted a common language to be spoken. Herzl wanted “those miserable stunted jargons” to be lost. Herzl’s idea of Political Zionism included Israel being a great, exemplary nation that would be able to work with other countries, but he did not think Israel could be that nation if they spoke a dead language. Furthermore, Hebrew is another example of how Israel is a Jewish State, and not a State for the Jews. The Jewish People in Israel brought back Hebrew to revive their religion and culture.

Getting to the big question, Herzl’s goal in his Zionist idea was to get rid of Anti-Semitism, “if we only begin to carry out the plans, Anti-Semitism would stop at once and for ever. For it is the conclusion of peace.” Look at what is happening in Europe, more specifically in England and France. Of course Israel is always a safe haven for people to escape Anti-Semitism, but the creation of the State of Israel absolutely did not stop Anti-Semitism. In that sense Israel was a failure to the Jewish Question.

Although there are many things that Israel does not fulfill according to Herzl’s dream, Jews have their sovereignty and have a place to go to escape Anti-Semintism. Israel, while it has many flaws, is still an exemplary country with many Start Ups and achievements in the world.

Herzl and Ahad Ha’am: Contrasting Visions

By Dana Little

The second siyur that Rob Kahn’s Zionism class went on was to Mount Herzl. This was convenient being that Herzl was the founding father of Zionism. An outline of the day was: visited Herzl’s grave, read inserts of Herzl’s plan to establish the state of Israel, toured the Herzl museum, answered questions about Herzl, read about Asher Ginsberg (Ahad Ha’am), compared and contrasted his plan of establishing Israel to that of Herzl’s and said our closing words around the grave of Herzl.

I learned a lot on this trip both about Herzl and the establishment of the state of Israel. Herzl was not the first person to call for the creation of a Jewish state, however he created a movement that marked out a path exactly how to do so. He led the Zionist movement from 1897 until his death in 1904. He wrote down specifically what he envisioned the state of Israel, the Jewish homeland, in Der Judenstaat. He believed that with the establishment of the Jewish state, people could come together in an environment free of racial Anti-Semitism. He was the founder of political Zionism.

I found the Herzl museum very interesting, informative and effective. It was a very unique museum for it was a motion picture telling the story of an actor rehearsing for his role as Herzl. After the museum, we read an insert of Ahad Ha’am. We learned that Ahad Ha’am did not agree with much of what Herzl recommended, rather he criticized most of it and thought differently. He believed that with the creation of small Jewish settlements, that would lead to a state. Also, with the state of Israel, it would help reinforce Jewish life in the Diaspora.

Ahad Ha’am was the founder of cultural Zionism. Together as a class, we charted the differences between Herzl and Ahad Ha’am. They contrasted in certain ways such as Herzl said the language of the Jewish state would be the majority of what the people were speaking, however Ahad Ha’am said Hebrew. Herzl said the location of the Jewish state was less important than the fact of its existence, while Ahad Ha’am insisted that it be in Israel. By contrasting the two leaders, we were able to make some conclusions about which parts of Israel were influenced by which leader. The last moments of the siyur, we watched as groups of soldiers paid homage to Herzl’s grave. As a class, we then surrounded his grave and said some last words. This siyur helped me connect to Israel in a way that I was proud. I was proud for what Israel, as a state, had accomplished. Even though Herzl was not alive to witness the establishment of Israel in 1948, his dreams for a Jewish state ultimately came true. This gives me a good feeling