Recently in Updates from Current WUJS Israel Participants Category

In every Ulpan there are students with different abilities. WUJS offers eight levels of Ulpan in an effort to make learning comfortable for everyone. The Ulpan classes are shared among Young Judea Year Course students and WUJS students. There are about ten students to a class. The curriculum consists of vocabulary building, grammatical lessons, games, and exposure to Israeli culture through language. We listen to and translate songs on the radio, children's books, newspapers, etc. It is very stimulating and relevant to the rest of the WUJS experience. The instructors are patient, motivated, and flexible. If you are committed to hard work, the teachers will provide you with all the challenges you need. If you prefer to learn at slow pace, those accommodations can be made as well.

WUJS participant Aliyah Schneider talks below about how she lit Chanukah candles with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Just one of the many amazing experiences I've had on the WUJS, Israel program.....

On the evening of December 25^th, 2008; the 29^th day of Kislev, 5769, I was one of four WUJS participants privileged to attend a Chanukah candle lighting ceremony with the Prime Minister of Israel and the head of the Jewish Agency for Israel.  It was an amazing experience to participate in such a special and unique event and one that I'm not likely to ever forget. 

When we arrived at the "Adam and Eve farm" (where the MASA "Echo Israel" program is housed) to take part in the candle lighting ceremony in the town of Modi'in all I could think about was how lucky and honored I felt to be participating in such a unique and meaningful event. 

Chanukah has always been my favorite holiday.  The message of the holiday and its importance and influence in Jewish history remains a constant reminder of how lucky we are as Jews to celebrate and practice our religion openly and freely, and most importantly, with pride.  It is also a holiday that provides us with the reminder of how important it is to continue bringing light into the world and that miracles do occur. 

Prime Minister Olmert spoke about how each of us as MASA participants has brought a light,  like the lights that kindle the chanukiah (menorah), to Israel to help make it a brighter place for the Jewish people to live.

Chelley Leveillee gives an overview of her "A Page of Talmud" class in Jerusalem

While the Talmud's text dates back many centuries, Rabbi Artie Fischer brings Jewish law into a modern context in his class, "A Page of Talmud."  Students learn the history of oral law and how to navigate the structure of the Talmud.  From this foundation, students suggest topics for the semester curriculum and past topics include intermarriage, homosexuality, alcohol consumption, gambling, abortion, birth control, stealing and gender roles.  Rabbi Fischer starts the discussion using passages from the Tanach and then helps students examine the Talmudic text along with relevant opinions and disagreements.  Students do not need any background in Talmud study to fully participate in this course.

Tami Mainemer writes below about her experiences so far volunteering at the Amir Stables in Jerusalem.

Amir Stables is a horseback riding center that offers private and group lessons. It also features a Therapeutic Horseback Riding component. Clients that utilize those services include children and adults with varying levels of cognitive, developmental, and/or physical delays or disabilities. As a volunteer, one is expected to brush the horses, put on their saddles and bridles, lead them to the horse waiting area, provide horse leading or side walking services during a lesson, take off and clean the equipment at the end of the night, and put blankets on the horses for the night. Typically lessons are half an hour to one hour in duration, but often there will be the need for a volunteer to lead a particular horse through several lessons. During lessons, once a rider is situated on the horse, a leader will direct the horse while keeping an eye on both the horse and the rider, or a side walker may provide extra support to the rider to ensure that the rider is safe as well as talk the rider through the exercises. Both leader and side walker are expected to walk or run alongside the horse throughout the lesson. There are many different types of people who work at Amir Stables that a volunteer comes into contact with including the stable manager, instructors, the National Service volunteers, and other volunteers. Most of one's time is spent outdoors although there is some respite from the elements when working with the horses in their stalls. There is some lifting required with placement of the saddle and also helping riders get onto and off of the horses. There are several ways to get to Amir Stables, which is located on Begin Highway (Golda Meir Blvd) heading towards Ramot, across from Har Hotzvim, all of which require comfort navigating the Jerusalem bus system as well as a lot of walking.

I have enjoyed my time thus far at Amir Stables. The people who work there are very accommodating both to my schedule and to what I wish to accomplish during my time there. Everyone seems eager to teach me new skills (as this was my first experience working with horses.) There is a real sense of camaraderie among the staff, and most nights I have been offered rides to either the central bus station or to locations along a bus route even closer to my apartment. I have also been afforded the privilege of taking some lessons from the instructors. Amir Stables offered me the opportunity to learn new skills while still being a part of a network of people who provide social services to Israeli citizens. A working knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. While most staff speak English, most of the clients do not, and group lessons are conducted in Hebrew. The more comfort with Hebrew a volunteer has, the more well-rounded the experience that person will get at Amir Stables.

My experiences so far on WUJS...what can I say?

For anyone who as ever travelled before, they probably understand the experience of returning from the trip and not knowing where to begin when people ask about it.  After less than two months, it is hard to find a place to begin. 

 
I guess we should start with the best...the people.  I have been so lucky to have encountered the most amazing people since I have been here.  Whether lasting friendships or fleeting interactions on the street, I have been amazed by the openness of the community here.  Though I miss my friends from home terribly, I have been blessed to be in a group of intelligent, thoughtful, kind, fun young adults who I would dare say are not all like-minded, but the kind of people who are open enough to listen to the ideas of others, even when disagreeing.  I am still amazed every day by the variety and depth of backgrounds and experiences that each individual contributes to this group.  From one person's infectious smile to another's compassion for minority communities, everyone has something very important and special that they bring. 

 
I guess next would be the places.  Since I have been here, unfortunately, my health has been like a roller coaster, so I have not had much of an opportunity to travel on my own.  Because of this, I have been that much more appreciative of our tiyulim and siyurim, as they have been my main source of opportunity to get to see Israel outside of Jerusalem.  Seeing places like Sderot and looking over into the Gaza strip are not only life changing events, but also are trips that I probably would not have made on my own, and I truly appreciate them. 
Which brings us to our teachers, both those who lead our siyurim and those who don't.  After attending a public university of over 30,000 students, it still comes as a shock to me to talk to teachers who really care about us as individuals as well as our learning experiences.  The teachers here invite us to their homes and encourage us to question them as well as ourselves.  I would not have appreciated where we have gone on the siyurim as much as I have without the guidance of Steve Israel and Sheldon Shulman. 

 
And where would we be without our fearless leaders?  Yonit and Yael work day and night to keep us happy - whether it's a leaky toilet or an evening shiur, they are always around to help and always happy to do so.  In fact, last Friday, when I got extremely sick, Yonit schlepped with me all over Jerusalem to make sure that I got the medical care that I needed, on Shabbat, no less. 

 
So, what can I say about my experiences so far?  Remarkable.  Life changing.  Challenging.  Educational.