34 | MARCH 24 • 2022
M
anhigut — or the
Teen Leadership
Program — is a five-
year leadership/educational pro-
gram for individuals in grades
8-12 from the Central Galilee
region (Migdal HaEmek, Nof
Hagalil and the Jezreel Valley
Regional Council).
The program operates as part
of the Central Galilee-Michigan
partnership that creates
meaningful connections and
opportunities for involvement
through various joint projects,
pooling resources, and strength-
ening the partner communities
in the Central Galilee and the
Jewish community in Michigan.
As part of the program, the
groups meet once every two
weeks and undergo value-based
activities led by counselors. The
candidates who are accepted
choose to keep coming year
after year.
The program includes,
among other things:
• The development of social
leadership identity alongside
individual and group develop-
ment processes.
• Development of pluralistic
thinking, and acquaintance
and connection with Diaspora
Jewry.
• Opening many doors fur-
ther down the road in partner-
ship with the Jewish Agency
for a variety of missions to the
Diaspora communities at differ-
ent stages in their lives.
• Peak days, the hackathon,
a weekend seminar, meetings
with organizations and external
lecturers.
The Israeli Camper Program
(ICP) has been operating in the
Central Galilee region for 21
years (with a two-year break fol-
lowing the COVID crisis) and
is intended for individuals in
grades 7-8 from the partnership
area. The screening for the 2022
ICP delegation took place at the
end of December 2021, and we
are pleased to announce that
we have an incredible group of
students.
Youths who participate in this
program strengthen Jewish ties
amongst themselves, American
campers, their host families and
the greater Jewish community.
Participants undergo com-
prehensive preparation sessions
that deal with Jewish identity,
Jewish tradition, acquaintance
with the Jewish community
in North America, currents
in Judaism in Israel and the
Diaspora, cultural differences,
representation of Israel and
more.
Participants selected for ICP
meet criteria such as social
involvement, positive leader-
ship, acceptable level of English,
independence, resilience, matu-
rity, representativeness and con-
nection to Jewish tradition.
Before COVID, participants
of ICP were accepted into the
program, participated in ICP-
specific preparation sessions,
and then traveled to Michigan
where they attended Tamarack
Camps. After their summer
at camp, they would return to
Israel to participate in the lead-
ership program.
This year, for the first time
ever, the members of the ICP
delegation will now start their
time with the leadership pro-
gram before attending camp.
This change will better prepare
the campers and introduce
them to the leadership program
prior to their experience at
Tamarack. We know that this
move will have many benefits,
and we cannot wait to give these
individuals the experience of a
lifetime!
Hadas Shaprut is Operations
Coordinator, Partnerships Unit at the
Jewish Agency for Israel. Reprinted
from Federation’s Israel and Overseas
Department.
The ICP delegation will now start their time with the
leadership program before attending camp.
Changes
to the Teen
Leadership Program
HADAS SHAPRUT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ERETZ
FROM THE
PARTERSHIP2GETHER REGION
Members of
the Israeli
Camper
Program.
Members of the
Israeli Camper
Program.