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/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-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/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/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/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 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/what-is-there-to-do-in-arad/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/what-is-there-to-do-in-arad/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:51:49 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6204   … Read more                     The question is always asked:  what is there to do in Arad?  Truthfully, Arad is a small town with a limited amount of activities but a lot of spirit and opportunity. A few weeks ago my friends and I decided we wanted to go on a hike]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/what-is-there-to-do-in-arad/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/masa-shabbaton-leaving-the-american-bubble/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/masa-shabbaton-leaving-the-american-bubble/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:53:49 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6199 This past weekend, I was invited to a Shabbaton by Masa  … Read more. The idea was to bring American and Israeli teens together to get to know and discuss with each other about issues pertaining to Israel. The weekend started with a friendly game of paintball. As I was running around in a red jumpsuit with orange paint being]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/masa-shabbaton-leaving-the-american-bubble/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/making-a-difference-at-aleh/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/making-a-difference-at-aleh/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:12:12 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6194 you can do so here for updates on the program and Israel itself! Rachel Gluckman, Naperville, IL; Section 3 chanicha   … Read more             Coming from Arad, a small town in the middle of the desert, to Jerusalem, the heart of Israel, has been a huge transition for those of us in Section 3. There’s]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/making-a-difference-at-aleh/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/finding-a-balance/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/finding-a-balance/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:11:13 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=6177 Read more]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/finding-a-balance/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/marva-to-jerusalem-what-an-adventure/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/marva-to-jerusalem-what-an-adventure/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:38:38 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5963   … Read more                   You know when you haven’t written a friend in a while and you have so much to say that you don’t know how you are going to do it all? Well, that’s what I’m about to attempt (good luck…to me). Since I last wrote on the blog, I have]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-3-2011-2012/marva-to-jerusalem-what-an-adventure/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/final-adventures-in-tel-aviv/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/final-adventures-in-tel-aviv/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:45:18 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5888   … Read more   In Israel, the Jewish state, you would never expect to run into Hindus. The other night, walking around Tel Aviv, I ran into Hindu’s. Literally ran into them, they were dancing in the street when my friends and I walked into their dancing. On Friday, my friends and I had a plan to go to Tel Aviv]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/final-adventures-in-tel-aviv/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/my-hanukkah-song/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/my-hanukkah-song/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:58:10 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5879   … Read more             When asked to compose a song for Hanukkah, I didn’t want to make it cheesy by any means. We have all heard the Adam Sandler Hanukkah song, and I felt like as a poet I could offer much more information on the actual concept of Hanukkah while simultaneously expressing the way I feel]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/my-hanukkah-song/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/campus-activism-seminar/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/campus-activism-seminar/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:04:08 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5849   … Read more Last week, all of Section 1 and Shalem participated in a four-day seminar, sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this time, we stayed in a hostel in Jerusalem and learned about the history of Israel, the history of countries who “took part” in the Arab spring, and how to advocate for Israel when we return home]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-1-2011-2012/campus-activism-seminar/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/thanksgiving-in-israel/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/thanksgiving-in-israel/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:10:07 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5843               Last Tuesday, our section head Joel asked us to recount a time when we thought “only in Israel would this ever happen”. The first memory that came to mind was stumbling upon a free Mosh Ben-Ari  … Read more concert five blocks from my apartment, but I quickly realized it was the fact that]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/thanksgiving-in-israel/feed/ 0 http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-helping-to-save-lives/ http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-helping-to-save-lives/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:04:59 +0000 BenjiLovitt http://www.yearcourse.org/?p=5830   … Read more           My volunteer placement is with MDA (Magen David Adom), the Israeli Red Cross.  After a 10 day, 60 hour course of learning how to be a first responder (including learning about different diseases, how to deal with a trauma situation, how to give CPR and bandage people), we were able to volunteer in]]> http://www.yearcourse.org/2011-2012/section-2-2011-2012/magen-david-adom-helping-to-save-lives/feed/ 0