http://www.yearcourse.org start painting your future today Sun, 13 May 2012 06:34:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/fat-meirs-soup-kitchen-helping-the-people-of-bat-yam/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/fat-meirs-soup-kitchen-helping-the-people-of-bat-yam/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 06:34:25 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6395   … Read more Just over a month ago, my trip brought me to the humble city of Bat Yam, scenically located close to the beach and next to the bustling city of Tel Aviv. A major part of being in Bat Yam is that there is a big focus on volunteering. I started my volunteer service at a middle school teaching]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/fat-meirs-soup-kitchen-helping-the-people-of-bat-yam/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/year-course-its-not-just-meaningful-for-the-chanichim/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/year-course-its-not-just-meaningful-for-the-chanichim/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 14:23:23 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6390   … Read more           When asked to write a blog post about being a madricha on Young Judaea/FZY Year Course, I immediately said yes and that I would have it ready as soon as possible. That was over a month ago. My job is absolutely incredible.  Fun, rewarding, special, and extremely unique. In theory I could have written about]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/year-course-its-not-just-meaningful-for-the-chanichim/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/a-passover-adventure-in-the-golan/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/a-passover-adventure-in-the-golan/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 14:07:54 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6385   … Read more             When you have ten guys trying to backpack for a week, the planning can be a little bit difficult.  We packed our bags full of food for a week and, after much debate, decided to head up to the Golan.  After the four-hour bus ride that included a 20 minute layover in]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/a-passover-adventure-in-the-golan/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-it-was-bashert/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-it-was-bashert/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:18:56 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6365   … Read more               My favorite moments in life have been those that I look back on and say, “Wow, it was bashert”.  Beshert is a Yiddish word which means “fated or meant to be” and it is a term I have found myself saying multiple times, but two weeks ago it took on a]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-it-was-bashert/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-exploring-israel/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-exploring-israel/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:19:52 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6354   … Read more               As Year Course starts to wind down (forgive me, I had to say it), so do our weekends of exploring Israel. It has become exhausting trying to squeeze out from the land of milk and honey all we can, so when Special Interest Week rolled around before Pesach, we]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/special-interest-week-exploring-israel/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/north-to-south-east-to-west/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/north-to-south-east-to-west/#comments Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:19:21 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6351   … Read more               The week before Pesach, since much of Year Course elected to participate in optional programming for leadership or learning about the Holocaust in Poland, the entire program was offered a Special Interest Week which allowed those of us not participating in either one the opportunity to pursue new activities. Three friends]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/north-to-south-east-to-west/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/enjoying-every-moment-to-its-fullest/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/enjoying-every-moment-to-its-fullest/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:11:49 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6325   … Read more               In Israel, you can take a bus in any direction and in an hour find yourself in a completely different environment, physically and spiritually. You could go from the Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem to seeing completely unorthodox outfits on the streets of Tel Aviv. However, Year Coursers know there is more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/enjoying-every-moment-to-its-fullest/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/changeover-final-semester/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/changeover-final-semester/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:27:01 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6319 Read more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/changeover-final-semester/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/my-best-weekend-of-the-year/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/my-best-weekend-of-the-year/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:13:06 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6244 Read more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/my-best-weekend-of-the-year/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/arad-2011-2012/getting-our-hands-dirty-in-arad/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/arad-2011-2012/getting-our-hands-dirty-in-arad/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:05:14 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6311   … Read more During Operation Cast Lead, an Israeli military operation in Gaza in December 2008, an Israeli officer named Omer Rabinovich died in an ambush.  In his honor, his parents decided to create an observation point next to Arad, not far from the Dead Sea.  Eli]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/arad-2011-2012/getting-our-hands-dirty-in-arad/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/uncategorized/year-course-plants-our-future/ http://www.yearcourse.org/uncategorized/year-course-plants-our-future/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:00:50 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6298 Read more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/uncategorized/year-course-plants-our-future/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/participant-stories/learning-my-way-around-the-kitchen/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/participant-stories/learning-my-way-around-the-kitchen/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:27:05 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6291 Shalem chanich   … Read more           Before this year, the most elaborate thing I could make was an omelet and place it in a bagel.  Now?  I am able to make a whole new arrangement of dishes. Now that I’m living in my own apartment, I have worry about what I’m going to be eating for breakfast, lunch, and]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/participant-stories/learning-my-way-around-the-kitchen/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-a-life-changing-experience/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-a-life-changing-experience/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:11:39 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6282   … Read more Volunteering for Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross) as a first responder has been a life-changing experience. Not only have I met some incredible people, I have seen so many unbelievable cases that I will never forget. From transferring elderly people to the hospital, to seeing a birth, to performing CPR on a couple of patients,]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-a-life-changing-experience/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-our-final-week/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-our-final-week/#comments Sun, 04 Mar 2012 08:56:33 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6276 Tikkun Olam track  … Read more‘s one-month visit to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Dear Parents, Our final week at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village was a busy one. Our challot came out extra delicious on Friday thanks to Alex Lyon, Rachel Frenkel, Julie Cohen and Sammy Schwartz.]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-our-final-week/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-adventures-week-3/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-adventures-week-3/#comments Sun, 26 Feb 2012 09:51:39 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6261 Tikkun Olam track  … Read more‘s one-month visit to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Dear Parents,
Our third week at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village started out with a trip to the Western town of Gisenyi. Gisenyi borders Lake Kivu, Rwanda’s largest lake and home to many fishermen. We arrived at]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/rwanda-adventures-week-3/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/art-and-movement-in-the-desert/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/art-and-movement-in-the-desert/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:50:02 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6238 Year Course Arts Track  … Read more exposes participants to the broad spectrum of performing and visual arts in Israel while encouraging them to explore their own artistic expression. Participants meet with some of Israel’s leading artists as well as up and coming talent. Students focus on skill development and study all aspects of the classic arts including voice, dance, theater, painting, and sketching. Students also experience]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/art-and-movement-in-the-desert/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/week-two-in-rwanda-exploring-our-surroundings/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/week-two-in-rwanda-exploring-our-surroundings/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:52:48 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6248 Tikkun Olam track  … Read more‘s one-month visit to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Our second week at ASYV has been filled with adventure and action. On Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to join the entire village for “muchaka muchaka” (jogging). We enjoyed]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/staff-contributions-2011-2012/week-two-in-rwanda-exploring-our-surroundings/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/manhigut/garin-kol-lnashim-a-special-project/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/manhigut/garin-kol-lnashim-a-special-project/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:49:19 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6227 Read more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/manhigut/garin-kol-lnashim-a-special-project/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/rwanda/first-week-in-rwanda/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/rwanda/first-week-in-rwanda/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:37:03 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6222 Tikkun Olam track  … Read more‘s one-month visit to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. After arriving at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village last Sunday evening, we have settled in and have already begun our volunteer service and learned a lot about the village and Rwanda. Monday]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2010-2011/rwanda/first-week-in-rwanda/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/the-conscience-play-year-course-holocaust-seminar/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/the-conscience-play-year-course-holocaust-seminar/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:18:36 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6216   … Read more                 In her enthusiastic, crossing-her-fingers-hoping-people-will-volunteer kind of voice, Kate Nachman (Assistant Director of Year Course) told us that we would be putting on a play by Section 3, for Section 3, during our Holocaust Seminar. The play?  It was called “The Conscience Play.” This 2-day seminar, organized by Young Judaea,]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/the-conscience-play-year-course-holocaust-seminar/feed/ 0