Tailor Made Programs for High School Groups

Yahel partners with camps and high schools wishing to offer service based programs in Israel. Tailor made programs are designed in close cooperation with our partners across the ocean in a way that is relevant to each individual school or camp. An example is a teen program run in collaboration with B’nai Jeshurun congregation of NY.

 

Our trips are centered on collaborative partnerships with Israeli communities and past programs were based in Gedera in collaboration with Friends by Nature, in Kiryat Gat in collaboration with Hineni, in Mrar in collaboration with Ofakim L’Atid and more.

 

 

Main Components Of The Program: 

 

Service:

Service projects sit at the core of our trips. Participants engage in daily service work in the community including working in community garden projects, urban renewal work and youth programming.

 

Past service projects include:

• Working alongside local residents in agricultural and community gardens

• Creation of a community garden in the village of Mrar together with local youth

• Painting the homes of elderly Ethiopian Israeli residents

• Renewal work in a local Ethiopian synagogue

 

Learning:

Daily learning sessions form an integral part of the trip and delve into many critical topics, including:

• Cross cultural training: an introduction to the rich and fascinating culture of host communities and a chance to hear first-hand stories of community members.

• Issue-based learning: delving into the social complexities of Israeli society by exploring issues within marginalized Israeli communities

• Social activism: meeting with inspiring Israeli social change activists and organizations and hearing how they are approaching some of the social issues in Israel

 

Highly professional and trained Yahel staff collaborate with group leaders to facilitate this learning in addition to meetings with community members and activists.

 

Immersion:

Participants  reside in home-stays or close by to the community in which they are volunteering. Programming, volunteering and cultural exchanges are organized together with community members from the neighborhood.

 

Touring:

Day tours and meetings with Israeli social change makers and entrepreneurs allow the group to engage with various issues related to social justice in Israel. These tours also allow participants to see and experience communities and organizations in Israel that they may not have been exposed to previously.

 

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.