YAHEL SOCIAL CHANGE PROGRAM
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Important Deadlines:
Last few spots available! Accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Program Information
Program Dates:
September 25, 2017 - June 30, 2018
Service
The core of the Yahel Social Change Program is volunteer work. Participants work side by side with volunteers and staff of local organizations – joining ongoing work in the following projects:
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Academic Assistance: Assist English teachers in a formal school setting as well as working with students in afternoon learning centers.
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Tutoring: Tutor students in English as part of the ‘Homework at Home’ academic assistance program run by Friends By Nature organization, as well as other programs.
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Non-Profit Work: Intern in the office of Tebeka (an Ethiopian-Israeli legal rights organization), assisting in writing grants, social media development and more.
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Community Gardening: Work together with local residents in a community garden in the Ramat Eliyahu neighborhood.
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Youth Activities: Take part in facilitating recreational and educational activities for at-risk youth in the neighborhood.
Learning
The learning component is an integral part of the Yahel Social Change Program and touches on many aspects of the experience.
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Contextual Learning: Participants learn about the complexity of social, religious, economic and other issues faced by residents of Ramat Eliyahu in particular, and in Israel in general.
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Jewish Learning: Yahel’s Jewish learning curriculum engages participants with some of the core ethical questions related to their service experience. Using both ancient and modern Jewish texts, this component is conducted in a pluralistic setting.
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Cross-cultural training: Facilitates the integration of participants into their host community.
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Participant-led Learning: Allows participants to bring their own interests into learning sessions and gain experience in building and facilitating group learning.
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Reflection: Reflection is essential to the experiential education model and will be facilitated in a variety of formats – individually, in groups, in written form, verbally and silently.
Participants meet with major Israeli change-makers, community members, activists and experts from different fields. In addition, Yahel staff members lead group discussions and support participants’ individual learning throughout the experience.
Immersion
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Community: Throughout the program the participants are based in Ramat Eliyahu where they live, learn and volunteer. The relatively small size of the group (10-12 participants) is conducive to the creation of personal ties and enables activities with peer groups.
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Host Families: Participants are paired with host families from the community, who invite them for meals, family events and sometimes holidays.
Walk away from this program with:
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An understanding of multiculturalism and diversity in Israel.
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An understanding of community organizing work.
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Connections to individuals in Israel who are involved in social and environmental change efforts.
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Professional experience relevant to many fields including social work, education, community development and more.
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Inspiration to be an active change maker.
Travels and Seminars
The Yahel Social Change Program includes day trips as well as three seminars and additional weekend trips . These trips are an opportunity to experience Israel off the beaten track, witness social change initiatives around the country, relax, and have fun.
Examples of Trips:
Ethiopian Jerusalem Day Trip: learn about the ancient and modern connections between Ethiopia and Israel and experience the Sigd holiday, an Ethiopian Jewish tradition now celebrated by thousands each year.
“Community” Seminar in Northern Israel: Explore different concepts of community in Israel through the changing models of the kibbutz movement and homestays in a Druze community.
Environment and Sustainability Issues Day Trip: Meet with activists working to change environmental policy in Israel and learn about sustainable living on an educational farm.
Social Change in the Negev Seminar: Get to know the Negev’s diverse population and learn about activists who are starting social enterprises, working with Ethiopian immigrants on sustainable agricultural projects, and promoting the rights of the Negev’s Bedouin population.
Multicultural Activism Day Trip: Meet changemakers who are promoting multiculturalism in Israel through music, art, education, and Jewish study.
Rishon LeZion and Our Partners
For the duration of the program the group will be based in the Ramat Eliyahu neighborhood in Rishon LeZion.
Rishon LeZion is the fourth largest city in Israel (population 250,000) about 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv. Ramat Eliyahu is the oldest neighborhood in the western part of Rishon LeZion and has absorbed many immigrants over the decades, including Ethiopian immigrants in the 1990s. Today there are about 25,000 residents in the neighborhood and immigrants make up 42% of that population.
In Ramat Eliyahu Yahel partners with several different project such as:
Project Atzmaut is a long-standing organization that provides tools for Ethiopian immigrants to integrate into Israeli society. Their activities are centered around education, employment and family life.
Friends by Nature - Community Empowerment is a non-profit organization established in 2005 with the goal of strengthening and empowering Israeli-Ethiopian communities. After many years working with different programs trying to give assistance to Ethiopian communities, the founders of Friends by Nature concluded that community change would be most effective if it came from the communities themselves. All programming focuses on strengthening the sense of identity and the family unit in ways that are culturally sensitive and show a deep appreciation for the immigrants’ unique cultural background.
Yahel also collaborates with other organizations within the community where we place our volunteers.
Additional Details:
Medical Insurance
The Yahel Social Change Program includes medical insurance. The health insurance does not cover pre-existing medical conditions. Medication, whether prescribed or otherwise, is the financial responsibility of the participant. The insurance takes effect on the day the program begins; participants are encouraged to travel to Israel with their own insurance.
Safety and Security
The safety and security of participants of the Yahel Social Change Program is of great importance to us. Yahel is registered with the Society for the Protection of Nature control center (Moked Teva), who operate 24/7 and give us security directives. Additionally, we receive all security alerts posted by the Security Department of Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and its subsidiary company The Israel Experience in real time. The security situation is closely monitored throughout the program and Yahel reserves the right to cancel or change itineraries due to security concerns. Participants should follow safety instructions from Yahel staff at all times. Yahel is not responsible for the safety of the participants during their free weekends.