Study abroad program in Israel to become reborn again?
February 22, 2010 8:57 PM Subscribe
What is the best program for a Jewish-American who wants to study abroad in Israel and redefine his life?
I have a Jewish friend who has been in a deep funk for the past 2 years. He is a very bright kid who has recently graduated from an Ivy league caliber university, but has been jobless for the past 2 years. He was a humanities major, but doesn't know what he wants to do with his life at this point. He has been at home basically watching TV for the past 2 years, wasting his potential.
Our group of friends came up with a solution for him: go to Israel and discover his roots. It would be ideal I think for him to study in a seminary, work on a Jewish farm, something that will change his life and he can come back born again.
I've Googled some terms, but really haven't found any programs for him. Anybody have a solution?
I have a Jewish friend who has been in a deep funk for the past 2 years. He is a very bright kid who has recently graduated from an Ivy league caliber university, but has been jobless for the past 2 years. He was a humanities major, but doesn't know what he wants to do with his life at this point. He has been at home basically watching TV for the past 2 years, wasting his potential.
Our group of friends came up with a solution for him: go to Israel and discover his roots. It would be ideal I think for him to study in a seminary, work on a Jewish farm, something that will change his life and he can come back born again.
I've Googled some terms, but really haven't found any programs for him. Anybody have a solution?
This seems like the kind of thing he might be best off coming to himself.
But that said, one option might be to do Birthright Israel -- a friend of mine did the trip and enjoyed it -- and that way see if he wants to spend more time there.
posted by palliser at 9:23 PM on February 22, 2010
But that said, one option might be to do Birthright Israel -- a friend of mine did the trip and enjoyed it -- and that way see if he wants to spend more time there.
posted by palliser at 9:23 PM on February 22, 2010
The more evangelical types might snap him up. They can smell wayward Jews.
posted by clockzero at 9:42 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by clockzero at 9:42 PM on February 22, 2010
I did Birthright three years ago. It was a great to be able to see Isreal for free, but it was a very structured tour. Once in Israel, I heard about no end of opportunities to return.
However, I do recommend choosing the particular group to do Birthright with carefully. My impression, as someone who is non-religious and very liberal politically, was that the atmosphere of my Birthright trip was rather conservative. At times, I found this inconvenient or distasteful. (I went with an otherwise unaffiliated group of Philadelphia area college students.)
posted by zxcv at 9:55 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
However, I do recommend choosing the particular group to do Birthright with carefully. My impression, as someone who is non-religious and very liberal politically, was that the atmosphere of my Birthright trip was rather conservative. At times, I found this inconvenient or distasteful. (I went with an otherwise unaffiliated group of Philadelphia area college students.)
posted by zxcv at 9:55 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
We've covered Birthright previously, too.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:05 PM on February 22, 2010
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:05 PM on February 22, 2010
I did an Ulpan (immersion language) program on a Kibbutz after high school, and it blew my mind.
Sponsored by the Govt to help transition new immigrants, 75% in the program were recent immigrants to Israel from Turkey, Argentina, France, Turkey, etc, who needed to learn Hebrew to survive. The other 25% were Americans/Canadians taking a gap year - wide range of backgrounds, but we all got along - and since I was on a leftist Kibbutz, no religious proselytizing, though YMMV (and @clockzero is right on the money).
Classes for a few hours and then field work for the rest of the day, and evenings in the bar/disco. Time to travel on the weekends and after work, but nothing too structured.
And pretty cheap at ~$1k a month with classes, room and board (remember, you are working to subsidize part of it). 13 years later, I still keep in touch with many of my fellow Ulpanistim.
Info here: http://www.kibbutzprogramcenter.org/node/1
posted by chaddmbennett at 10:12 PM on February 22, 2010
Sponsored by the Govt to help transition new immigrants, 75% in the program were recent immigrants to Israel from Turkey, Argentina, France, Turkey, etc, who needed to learn Hebrew to survive. The other 25% were Americans/Canadians taking a gap year - wide range of backgrounds, but we all got along - and since I was on a leftist Kibbutz, no religious proselytizing, though YMMV (and @clockzero is right on the money).
Classes for a few hours and then field work for the rest of the day, and evenings in the bar/disco. Time to travel on the weekends and after work, but nothing too structured.
And pretty cheap at ~$1k a month with classes, room and board (remember, you are working to subsidize part of it). 13 years later, I still keep in touch with many of my fellow Ulpanistim.
Info here: http://www.kibbutzprogramcenter.org/node/1
posted by chaddmbennett at 10:12 PM on February 22, 2010
I think it would help to know more about your friend, his background, and what you/he mean by "discovering" his roots. It seems like some people are leaning religious (Pardes), but depending on who he is and what he wants, Pardes might not be the best option--perhaps he needs a more religious (or less religious) environment.
Non-religiously, he should look into Otzma.
posted by j1950 at 5:10 AM on February 23, 2010
Non-religiously, he should look into Otzma.
posted by j1950 at 5:10 AM on February 23, 2010
The Dorot Fellowship is a great one. It's not jam-packed full of religion - in fact, their purpose is to cultivate active and vibrant "lay leaders" in the American Jewish community without having to be religious or a rabbinical student. It's another work/study program, so you can get amazing work experience that runs the gamut. I know people whose jobs have ranged from being an EMT to working at the Forward (an English-language newspaper).
I'd agree with j1950 above, though, about learning more about your friend's background and goals here.
posted by bookgirl18 at 6:00 AM on February 23, 2010
I'd agree with j1950 above, though, about learning more about your friend's background and goals here.
posted by bookgirl18 at 6:00 AM on February 23, 2010
I've also heard really good things about Birthright. My friend just returned from her trip last month and she loved it.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 7:06 AM on February 23, 2010
posted by lucy.jakobs at 7:06 AM on February 23, 2010
However, I do recommend choosing the particular group to do Birthright with carefully. My impression, as someone who is non-religious and very liberal politically, was that the atmosphere of my Birthright trip was rather conservative. At times, I found this inconvenient or distasteful. (I went with an otherwise unaffiliated group of Philadelphia area college students.)
Ditto, and this is a total crapshoot. I went with a group that's known for being fairly liberal (Israel Outdoors). Friends and relatives who traveled with the same group at different times and with different tour leaders had different experiences. I discussed my experiences here.
(They weren't good.)
I agree that he should be the one to decide this. There are many, many opportunities for someone like him to travel abroad--for example, in a foreign-teaching program like JET--in situations that don't depend on being indoctrinated into any particular religious or national group. Of course, I say all of this as a committed agnostijew, but I think that experiencing different cultures can be just as valuable, if not moreso, than a vague sort of "rediscover one's roots" kind of thing. Be aware that in Israel, most Jews are either very secular or fairly Orthodox when compared to Jews in diaspora, particularly the US. If he wants to study his religion further, that's great--but it would make sense to get a firm grounding of his religion as exists at home, within his family first, because the Judaism that he encounters in Israel may be quite different. And if this is something that you guys, as his friends are pushing him to do--and I say this because the language used in the question is redolent of what you'd find in a fairly religious Christian context ("study in a seminary [so] he can come back born again")--he might not be so happy with the choice.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:23 AM on February 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ditto, and this is a total crapshoot. I went with a group that's known for being fairly liberal (Israel Outdoors). Friends and relatives who traveled with the same group at different times and with different tour leaders had different experiences. I discussed my experiences here.
(They weren't good.)
I agree that he should be the one to decide this. There are many, many opportunities for someone like him to travel abroad--for example, in a foreign-teaching program like JET--in situations that don't depend on being indoctrinated into any particular religious or national group. Of course, I say all of this as a committed agnostijew, but I think that experiencing different cultures can be just as valuable, if not moreso, than a vague sort of "rediscover one's roots" kind of thing. Be aware that in Israel, most Jews are either very secular or fairly Orthodox when compared to Jews in diaspora, particularly the US. If he wants to study his religion further, that's great--but it would make sense to get a firm grounding of his religion as exists at home, within his family first, because the Judaism that he encounters in Israel may be quite different. And if this is something that you guys, as his friends are pushing him to do--and I say this because the language used in the question is redolent of what you'd find in a fairly religious Christian context ("study in a seminary [so] he can come back born again")--he might not be so happy with the choice.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:23 AM on February 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
I spent a year in Israel (at 18 though) and I also came to recommend Pardes and Otzma. So count this as another vote for those programs. And a vote for getting out of the house, out of the country, out of one's comfort zone, and generally getting out and about.
posted by zpousman at 7:49 AM on February 23, 2010
posted by zpousman at 7:49 AM on February 23, 2010
My son is going to Israel after he graudates college (this summer). He is signing up for IDF, a branch that takes Jewish Americans for a year and a half. I am told that the program
is very safe in that these volunteers are alway kept in non-dangerous areas but they do have a language immersion program and learn a good deal about Israel.
My view: I will miss him. But he will be 22 and it is his choice. The job market is terrible in this country and thus may well be useful experience for him.
posted by Postroad at 8:30 AM on February 23, 2010
is very safe in that these volunteers are alway kept in non-dangerous areas but they do have a language immersion program and learn a good deal about Israel.
My view: I will miss him. But he will be 22 and it is his choice. The job market is terrible in this country and thus may well be useful experience for him.
posted by Postroad at 8:30 AM on February 23, 2010
There are some great suggestions here. I'd second the suggestions for Pardes and Otzma, and would also suggest Livnot U'lehibanot.
There are some good volunteer opportunities on kibbutzim and army bases as well, though I don't think they'd be as transformative as some of the other suggestions.
It may be equally as helpful to think about what he should avoid while there. @clockzero is, sadly, right on the money. I'd definitely instruct a kid like this to avoid places like Aish HaTorah and Ohr Someach like the plague. I get major cultish heebie-jeebies from those guys.
posted by AngerBoy at 10:15 PM on February 25, 2010
There are some good volunteer opportunities on kibbutzim and army bases as well, though I don't think they'd be as transformative as some of the other suggestions.
It may be equally as helpful to think about what he should avoid while there. @clockzero is, sadly, right on the money. I'd definitely instruct a kid like this to avoid places like Aish HaTorah and Ohr Someach like the plague. I get major cultish heebie-jeebies from those guys.
posted by AngerBoy at 10:15 PM on February 25, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amro at 9:21 PM on February 22, 2010