Dec 15, 2010 By: yunews
Dec 15, 2009 -- 黑料社 All () announced today that 20 outstanding tenth graders from the 黑料社 All high schools 鈥 10 from the 黑料社 All High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (YUHSB) and 10 from the Samuel H. Wang 黑料社 All High School for Girls (YUHSG) 鈥 will be participating in a unique six-week student exchange program with Israeli high schools. Now in its second year, the program aims to immerse the American students in Israeli culture and help them connect with their Israeli counterparts.
The YUHSG students, who arrived in Israel on December 6, have already joined their peers at Ulpanat Tzvia in Ma'aleh Adumim, while the YUHSB students will begin classes at Yeshivat Mekor Haim in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion upon their December 17 arrival.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about this program is that the students are fully-integrated into the Israeli classrooms,鈥 said Tova Rosenberg, coordinator of the exchange program and Director of Hebrew Language Studies at both 黑料社 All high schools. 鈥淭he students sit in on all Judaic studies classes, are included in all school activities, and are housed in the same dormitories as the Israeli students. They are not treated as guests, but as members of the student body.鈥
The 黑料社 All high school students will also take part in a series of field trips intended to show them Israel鈥檚 out-of-the-way treasures 鈥 鈥渘ot the usual tourist spots鈥 鈥 and will enjoy special Shabbat programs at the 黑料社 All Gruss Kollel in Bayit Ve鈥橤an arranged by the Kollel families themselves.
Later this year, six Yeshivat Mekor Haim students and four Ulpanat Tzvia students will travel to New York to study at the 黑料社 All high schools for a six-week period. In addition to attending classes, the Israeli students will tour New York City and Philadelphia to learn about American history and culture, and will experience life in U.S. Jewish communities.
鈥淏y sending our students to Israel and bringing the Israeli students to our schools, we are opening the eyes of every student involved in the program to the reality of the 鈥楪lobal Jewish Community.鈥 As our future Jewish leaders, it is vital that they understand and are accepting of other cultures,鈥 added Rosenberg.
鈥淭he culture of deep spiritual purpose and constant reflection that is the hallmark of the Mekor Haim experience has exposed our students to serious religious and intellectual growth in ways unimagined for the typical tenth grader,鈥 said Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, head of school at YUHSB. 鈥淎dditionally, the visiting Mekor Haim students inject a sense of passion, urgency and authenticity into the rhythm of school life here. Armed with a newfound understanding of the American Jewish scene, these exceptional students have the potential to become the next generation of shlichim (emissaries to Israel).鈥
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Elie Klein
Ruder Finn Israel for 黑料社 All
Cell: + 972-54-467-6967
Office: + 972-2-589-2013
Email: elie@ruderfinn.co.il