Volunteering on IBC 2012
Participants in the Israel by Choice program talk about their volunteering experiences in Jerusalem.
Posted in Affiliate News, Aussies in Israel, Multimedia, News, Testimonials, Video Gallery, ZFA News
Tagged Australia, Challenges, community, gap year, Handicapped, IBC, Israel, Israel by Choice, Israel Office, Jerusalem, Jewish, Melbourne, Saving lives, Special needs, Sydney, teenagers, Volunteering, volunteers, Year in Israel, Yigal Sela, youth, zfa, zionism, zionist federation of Australia
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Opening Seminar of the Australian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) Shnat Program in Israel, 1-5 February 2012.
Posted in Aussies in Israel, News, Video Gallery, ZFA News
Tagged airport, arrival, Australasian Zionist Youth Council, AZYC, betar, Bnei Akiva, central Israel, diaspora, f16, gap year, Habo, habonim dror, hahamisha, Hashi, Hashomer Hatzair, hashy, hineni, initiation, Israel, Jerusalem, kibbutz, kotel, long-term programs, ma'ale hahamisha, machane yehuda, machane yehuda market, mayumana, netzer, opening seminar, orientation, participants, peula, ramat david, school leavers, seminar, shabbat, shnat, shnatties, shuk, teenagers, tel aviv, the shuk, yachad shabbat, yaffo, young adults, zfa, zionism, zionist, zionist federation of Australia
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Correspondence from shnat in Israel
10 February 2012
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The 144 Australian Shnatties landed and started their gap year on a high at the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA)/Australian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) opening seminar from 31 January-5 February.
“The seminar was a huge success and it appears that we have a great group on the programs this year,” said ZFA Israel Director Yigal Sela. “The exciting reports to parents while they were on the buses back to the hotel pay witness to the success.”
Soon after arriving, after an excellent evening peula in which the various movements presented their ideologies and answered questions, the participants spent the day at Ramat David visiting the combat F16 squadron. The excursion included a visit to the briefing room, a presentation about the squadron, unique squadron footage of the Iraq nuclear facility, round table discussions with the pilots and ground crew on similarities and differences between life in Israel and the Diaspora, and a close-up view of the jet.
In the evening, the Australians had a private performance in Yafo of Mayumana, an Israeli dance and rhythm troupe.
On the final day, they visited the Kotel and Machane Yehuda Market (“The Shuk”), with a special yachad shabbat [Shabbat celebration] at Ma’ale HaHamisha, a kibbutz outside of Jerusalem.
Posted in Affiliate News, Aussies in Israel, News, Uncategorized, Video Gallery, ZFA News
Tagged airport, arrival, Australasian Zionist Youth Council, AZYC, betar, Bnei Akiva, central Israel, diaspora, f16, gap year, Habo, habonim dror, hahamisha, Hashi, Hashomer Hatzair, hashy, hineni, initiation, Israel, Jerusalem, kibbutz, kotel, long-term programs, ma'ale hahamisha, machane yehuda, machane yehuda market, mayumana, netzer, opening seminar, orientation, participants, peula, ramat david, school leavers, seminar, shabbat, shnat, shnatties, shuk, teenagers, tel aviv, the shuk, yachad shabbat, yaffo, young adults, zfa, zionism, zionist, zionist federation of Australia
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Le’hitraot to hundreds leaving on MASA long-term Israel programs
Video at end of story
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About 340 Australian young adults aged 18-30 will be on long-term programs facilitated by the ZFA and supported by MASA Israel Journey in the 2011-12 season. About two-thirds of the participants are on gap-year programs, who are leaving within the next two weeks.
“The increasing numbers underscore how committed young Australians are to Israel. They have multiple options from which to choose, including the youth movement shnat programs, AUJS Aviv, Israel By Choice and up to 200 other choices, including studying in a yeshiva, professional internships, performing arts, environmental programs, university studies and many more. I’m thrilled that the ZFA’s Israel Programs department has been busier than ever this year.”said Philip Chester, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia. “We are proud to know that these 340 young adults will come back and take their place as active and engaged members of the Jewish community.”
A large number of teenagers, madrichim and family members gathered outside the International Terminal at the Melbourne Airport 30 January for a ceremony to send off youth group shnat participants from Melbourne. In all, 147 participants from across Australia and New Zealand from Betar, Benei Akiva, Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Hineni and Netzer plan to get to Israel on 1 February.
“It’s great that so many of them are taking a year off, but what is more exciting is that they all committed to coming back to be leaders in the community for two years after they return,” said Reuben Bolaffi, Chairperson of Australasian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC). “Like so many others before them, they will have a phenomenal time and a life-defining experience, and they will come back ready to step in to lead others in a similar capacity.”
Eden Adler was leaving from Melbourne Airport 30 January for shnat with her youth group, Habonim Dror. While standing and talking with her friends and getting bombarded with hugs from her parents and program leaders, Adler’s smile was permanently fixed on her face. “I’m so excited for a fulfilling year,” Adler said. “I will be experiencing a different culture, and it will be amazing because you know that everybody there still shares many of the same things we do, that you know that everybody is going to Shabbat each Friday and it’s special. Israel feels like it will be home.”
Posted in Affiliate News, Aussies in Israel, Events, Multimedia, News, Past Events, Photo Gallery, Video Gallery, ZFA in the news, ZFA News
Tagged Adelaide, Australasian Zionist Youth Council, AZYC, betar, Bnei Akiva, Brisbane, experience, gap year, ginette searle, Habo, habonim dror, Hashi, Hashomer Hatzair, hashy, hineni, Israel, Joshua cole, long-term programs, madrichim, MASA, MASA Israel Journey, Melbourne, Melbourne Airport, netzer, New Zealand, participants, Perth, Philip Chester, Reuben Bolaffi, school leavers, shnat, Sydney, teenagers, tekes, young adults, zfa, ZFA’s Israel Programs department, zionism, zionist, zionist federation of Australia
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