American Jewish Society for Service Summer Program

The American Jewish Society for Service is now accepting applications for its 59th summer of service. High school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply and put their Jewish values into action to serve others. Never before has the need been so great in this country to help those less fortunate. Come join AJSS on a six week service project in the US. Live among a group of teens and learn about yourself and others. Build community among yourselves and the folks you are serving. Celebrate Shabbat in a different part of the country than you are familiar with. Travel and explore. Work and play. It’s a phenomenal experience that can prepare you for college and beyond. Earn 150+ hours of high school community service credit.

Last summer we worked in Little Rock, AR and San Juan, TX building homes and working in community organizations that serve needy people. Our efforts were appreciated so much by the people we helped and the connections our volunteers made to them will be remembered for a long time. One of our volunteers remarked that, “I can’t vote or give a lot of money; I can help build a home for a family who needs one. That’s the greatest contribution of all.”

More information and an application for the program can be found at http://www.ajss.org.

Financial support is available.

Please contact Rena Convissor, Executive Director (301.767.3930; rena.convissor@ajss.org) for more information.

Derech Hateva’s Israel Trail Teen Adventure

Spend this summer in Israel having fun & challenging yourself to the extreme on Derech Hateva’s Israel Trail Teen Adventure (ITTA)! This month-long program combines backpacking, hiking, biking and rock climbing with Jewish-learning and volunteering, along the Israel Trail (Shvil Yisrael) in the North & South of the country.ITTA is open for both North American and Israeli teens ages 14-18, who are looking for an amazing experience and go beyond their limits. This summer’s adventure dates are, July 6th- August 4th, 2008, for girls and July 7th- August 5th, 2008 for boys. Each group has between 9-12 members, and 2-3 highly trained and experienced bi-lingual educator/guides. Groups focus on outdoor living, leadership skills and teamwork, learning to keep Shabbat in nature and a special desert trek with camels all along the Israel Trail. There are both Orthodox and Multi-Denominational groups. Register NOW, space is limited!

Fresh to Derech Hateva comes ITTA – Session II. Later dates, August 12th – 26th, a different route- a whole new adventure at the end of the summer, in classic ITTA spirit.

For more information on our programs or to apply, please visit our website at www.derechhateva.org or contact us at programs@derechhateva.org or call us at 02-624-8743 in Israel, 212-537-6280 in the US.

“Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible experience I had. I learned how to appreciate how we can survive in nature, how you can work together as a group and how much you can grow as a person in a month!” -Daniella Z., ITTA ‘06

Early Bird Registration for Summer JAM

Don’t Miss the Early Bird Application Deadline.
Apply by February 1, 2008 to secure your spot and receive $100 off the tuition.

Spend four amazing weeks on the campus of The George Washington University in the nation’s capital where you will change the way you think about the world, Judaism and yourself. JAM is an intensive program based on a leading college campus. Participants will engage in hands-on service projects, learn about the connection between Judaism and advocacy, and examine key issues that impact the U.S. and the world, through interactions with leading U.S. policymakers. JAM participants return home with 75 community service-learning hours and a new perspective on life. Go to http://www.dcjam.org for more information and to download an application. The program is open to rising high school juniors, rising seniors and graduating seniors. JAM ‘08 takes place June 30-July 27!  http://www.dcjam.org/jamvideo.html

Early Bird Registration for PanimWorks

Don’t Miss the Early Bird Application Deadline.
Apply by February 1, 2008 to secure your spot and receive $100 off the tuition.

PanimWorks: Spend 12 days living and working in an entirely new culture this summer on PanimWorks! Make a difference as you live in rustic accommodations in the Navajo Nation and work with the local community on specific local projects. This trip in the majestic Southwest includes hands-on service projects and outdoor recreational activities. Make lifelong friends and learn about the ethical values that define Jewish life while earning up to45 community service-learning hours. Choose from one of two PanimWorks sessions for summer 2008! Session 1 is from June 29 to July 10 and Session 2 takes place July 27 to August 7. Go to http://www.panimworks.org for more information. PanimWorks is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduating seniors.

The Legacy Heritage Internships For Young Scientists

The Legacy Heritage Internship for Young Scientists is an internship for high school juniors with demonstrated scientific aptitude and community achievement. 

Students are selected for the program based on three criteria: outstanding work in science, leadership and/or involvement in Jewish communal life, and potential for growth in their personal identification with Judaism. This program is unique in that it values the academic growth of the participants equally to their personal growth in the Jewish world.

If selected, there is a 6 week summer program in Israel, which combines labratory research, scientific lectures, and visits to scientific venues.  The science program is supplemented with a Jewish studies program.

For more information: click here.

Campership Initiative

The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life inaugurated its Campership Initiative by providing $1,000 “Camperships” to 30 MetroWest children to attend residential Jewish summer camps for the first time.  Funds were provided by the Foundation for Jewish Camping (www.jewishcamping.org) and the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest.  Camperships were awarded through 5 participating synagogues:

Adath Shalom, Morris Plains
Ahawas Achim B’nai Jacob & David, West Orange
Temple Shalom, Succasunna
B’nai Keshet, Montclair
Summit Jewish Community Center

The Partnership’s President, Ellen Goldner, and Executive Director, Robert Lichtman, spent a day visiting some of the children enjoying Jewish fun in the sun.

Wanted: Interns to help create a new website

Project Description: 

The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life will create a website to accompany the annual “Mitzvot of MetroWest” event.  The event is a mitzvah fair for local pre-bar/bat mitzvah teens.  The website will have a page for each organization that participates in the event, as well as a listing of participant synagogues and other mitzvah resources.  The website will be accompanied by an email marketing system to stay in touch with past and present participants.  Interns will learn how to plan a large community event and create a useful, interesting and interactive website.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be comfortable using a computer and technology.  Must know how to do basic windows tasks, and be familiar with Word and Excel.
• Know how to use the internet and be able to do web searches.
• Be familiar with blogging and social networking sites.
• Be able to learn fast.
• Follow through with projects over a three week period.
• Be attentive to detail.
• Type quickly, preferably without looking at the keyboard.
• Knowledge of HTML and Dreamweaver is a plus.
• Graphics skills are highly desirable.

Duration: Three weeks: July 17-August 2 (dates are flexible) Extended through the end of the summer! Positions still available, apply today!

Hours: Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00AM-5:00PM

Application Deadline: July 12, 2007 Still accepting applications.

Stipend: $500

To apply:

Email Adam Oded (aoded@thepartnershipnj.org) with a copy of your resume, a letter explaining why you are the right candidate for the job and links to any relevant web or graphics work.

Summer Seminar: Israel Teaching Fellows

The New York Israel Roundtable invites high school and college students from around the tristate area to partake in this exciting new program.

No previous experience necessary!

This program is designed for students of all backgrounds to gain the knowledge and skills to become better advocates for Israel!

Participants will have the unique opportunity to join a select group of individuals for a thought-provoking seminar that will challenge them to explore their relationship with Israel, learn about Israel in the international community, and examine the Middle East conflict within a political-analytical framework.

Goals of the program include:

• Strengthening participants’ understanding of Israel’s complex political situation.

• Providing them with the knowledge to combat anti-Israel bias as well as to educate their peers.

• Giving participants the opportunity to meet other New York high school students who are interested in learning more about Israel.

The program is designed to have one track for high school and another for undergraduate students. Both tracks consist of a series of five mandatory sessions – with a sixth concluding graduation session.

High school track: Tuesdays (July 10 – August 8, 2007) 6:30-8pm
Undergrad track:  Wednesdays (July 11 – August 9, 2007) 6:30-8pm

ALL SEMINARS WILL BE HELD IN MANHATTAN

Seminars will be led by experienced Israel educators and Jewish professionals working on the front lines of Israel advocacy.

Participants will be selected based on their existing knowledge of Israel and then trained to engage and educate others to become better advocates for Israel. In addition, under the guidance of program staff, students will be expected to devise their own program aimed at raising awareness about one issue currently affecting Israel. Upon completion of the program, each participant who has satisfied the necessary requirements will receive a certificate attesting to their participation.

The deadline for applications is June 1, 2007. A verification email will be sent upon receipt of completed application. Space is limited and it is beneficial to submit the application as soon as possible.

All applicants will be notified of their application status via email by June 8, 2007.
This project has been coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Please contact program director Cindy Bernstein at israel.ed@jcrcny.org with further questions or comments.

Click here for the Israel Teaching Fellows flyer. 

Podcast Monday: Jewish Civics Initiative

The subject of the podcast on May 14, 2007 is the Jewish Civics Initiative.  As usual, the show will be recorded on Monday afternoon at 4:00PM EST. The number to call in is (646) 478-4724. To listen to the show live click here, or on the BlogTalkRadio icon below.

The Jewish Civics Initiative (JCI) was created by PANIM in 1994. JCI is a year-long service-learning experience for Jewish teenagers under the sponsorship of a community-wide Jewish educational institution.  At the present, more than 25 agencies participate in at least one component of the JCI program, representing 15 states and an estimated number of more than 750 students.

This year, a group of MetroWest teens from Central Hebrew High School participated in this program.  The program included a course of study, a social action project at the Daughters of Israel Geriatric Center, and seminar in Washington, DC.

The podcast features comments from Rabbi Sid Schwartz, the founder of Panim, program participants and more.

Program Links:

• www.panim.org
• www.jserve.org
• www.dcjam.org
• www.panimworks.org
• www.thesca.org
• The Jewish Civics Initiative at Central Hebrew High School 2006/7
• Pictures of the Jewish Civics Initiative at Daughters of Israel, Spring 2007

MetroWest, NJ Teen Scholarships for Israel Programs

Jewish students in the MetroWest community who have graduated from eighth grade (or are at least 14 years old) are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in scholarship money from United Jewish Communities (UJC) of MetroWest, NJ for travel to Israel on a qualified trip. Qualified programs include those organized by a synagogue, school, or organization for a minimum of 10 days. These funds are available through high school graduation.

Many programs qualify you to receive scholarship. Click here to see a sample list of qualified programs or, for more information, e-mail the Legow Family Israel Program Center or call 973/929.3058.

Start planning now to take advantage of your Passport to Israel.  Click here.