Zoe Goldstein-McKay, Section 3 chanicha; Medford, NJ

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

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Rachel Gluckman, Naperville, IL; Section 3 chanicha
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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

Bex Ehrmann, Buffalo Grove, IL; Section 2 chanicha
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“Hey, we’re going to have a chafla in the zulah tonight. Wanna come?” Natalie asked. I was helping her fold a large duvet cover, and as I matched my corners together, I tried to process the sentence. I was sleepy and slow, but even in that state, I realized that the

Hannah Laytner, New York, NY; Section 3 chanicha

 
 
 
 
 
 
You know that feeling of when you just wake up from a nap? Well, there are two feelings actually. One is being refreshed and feeling like you’ve really needed that nap and now that you have it you can take over the world. And the second is grogginess and wishing that  … Read more

Twenty-two Year Coursers are currently enrolled in a pioneering, cutting-edge class designed by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz, one of our teachers (and a Young Judaea alumnus to boot) and the team of Kol HaOt: Illuminating Jewish Life Through Art. Founded two years ago, Kol HaOt  … Read more seeks to showcase Jewish history, values, and texts through a synthesis of the performing, visual and culinary arts. The class’s curriculum

Zoe Goldstein-McKay, Section 3 chanicha; Medford, NJ
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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

With 2011 coming to an end, the first semester of Year Course is behind us.  It is hard to believe that almost four months have gone by since our chanichim first arrived to Ben-Gurion International Airport, wide-eyed and ready for the experience of their lives.  Little did they know what this first semester would have in store for them:  new friends, a new language, fascinating  … Read more

Elana Orbuch, Plymouth, MN; Section 2 chanicha
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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

Seth Hirsch, Hamilton, OH; Section 2 chanich
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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

Justin Jacobs, Section 3 madrich

Right now, twelve chanichim are in the middle of week two of hiking Shvil Yisrael, Israel’s national trail, with madricha Shawna Dolinka. I spent the first week (and will rejoin next week) hiking and leading the chanichim through experiences on the trail that none of us will ever forget.
The first morning was the hardest.  Waking up at 5 AM,  … Read more