Students work at
an archeological
dig in Israel.
Israel Trip
Assistance
Summering In Israel
Michigan/Israel Connection
and Center for Israel
Scholarships
(248) 645-7878
Vacations, classes, digs and religion
Israel has it all for all ages.
LISA GAYLE
Special to The Jewish News
P
lanning a summer vacation
may be just the thing to do
on these rainy, snowy days of
Michigan winter.
Do you want to bask in the sun,
repel off cliffs, hike in the mountains,
or visit ancient archeological sites while
having access to multi-cultural modern
cities and learn Hebrew on the side?
Where else but in Israel?
With hundreds of programs to
choose from, just sorting through the
colorful brochures can be a daunting
experience. Fortunately, the
Michigan/Israel Connection, an agency
that functions as a clearing house for
programs to Israel, can help you find or
even create the experience that is right
for you. The Michigan/Israel
Connection is located in the Max Fisher
Federation Building in Bloomfield
Township.
Yael Waxman, the community
schlicha, or emissary, is the director.
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1998
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Waxman, an Israeli, is a representative
of the Jewish Agency in Israel. She is
familiar with 200 programs approved
by her agency and will help anyone
planning a trip to Israel.
Waxman cites surveys that shOw vis-
iting Israel is a major factor in strength-
ening Jewish identity "You stand at the
Western Wall, see the desert at sunrise,
watch Jerusalem preparing for Shabbat,
and it changes your life," she says.
Jill Keller, assistant director of the
Michigan/Israel Connection, spent one
year studying at Hebrew University as a
college student. She returned feeling
deeply connected to Judaism and know-
ing something that she did not know
before she traveled: she wanted to
marry a Jewish man. She still is in
touch with the friends she made on that
trip.
With an emphasis on increasing
Jewish identity, it is not surprising that
most Israel summer programs focus on
youth. Israel Experience is an organiza-
tion recently created by the Jewish
Agency for Israel, the Council of Jewish
Federations, the United Jewish Appeal,
Israel's Ministry of Tourism and the
CRB Foundation.
Israel Experience aims to strengthen
Jewish identity among youth through
facilitating their participation in a
meaningful educational experience in
Israel. It publishes "Guide to the Israel
Experience," billed as the one-stop
shopping center for youth programs in
Israel.
The 1997 guide describes 22 sum-
mer programs for middle school and
high schoolers, 50 programs for high
school teens, 16 programs for high
school age and college, 38 programs for
college age and college graduates, and
four volunteer programs.
The 1998 guide will be available
shortly. A directory of this summer's
Israel Experience programs is already
available.
Selecting a program depends on the
person's age, interests and amount of
time they can spend in Israel. Each pro-
gram has a unique mix of activities,
from arts/music, archeological digs, sci-
ence, army training, Hebrew, Israeli
encounters, sports, outdoor adventures,
kibbutz, community service and off-
the-beaten track.
Many organizations, including B'nai
B'rith, Habonim, North American
Federation of Temple Youth and others
have their own programs. There are
programs affiliated with the Reform,
Conservative and Orthodox move-
ments, and programs without affilia-
tion. Many programs stay entirely in
Israel, others include tours of Eastern
Europe, Paris, or England. Some offer
high school or college credit.
There are programs that encompass
the diversity of Jewish adults and their
families. Last year, the United Jewish
Appeal conducted four summer mis-
sions for families, including one focused
on single parents with children.
There are trips for singles 25-40, for
young couples, for singles over 40 and
for intermarried couples. Some pro-
grams can accommodate the disabled.
Last year's mission. for active seniors
traveled in October.