The Carmel Fire

During Chanuka, Israel experienced one of its worth disasters with the Carmel forest fire. 43 people died. Many homes were destroyed as well. Of the 43 people who died 2 were from Jerusalem, parents of children who study at the school where my children attend.
The Yemin Orde Youth Village-home to over 5oo young people from around the world was almost completely destroyed. This Thursday night Mike's Place is hosting an evening to raise money for Yemin Orde-join everyone in raising money and awareness!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163397613703084

Acharei Hachagim

We are now "acharei hachagim" as they say in Israel and this is the first full week of study, work etc. It is hard to get into the swing of things after so much of a break. Try to develop a routine that is good for you-making sure to get up in the morning, attending classes and getting the most out of your experience here.
Take advantage of the city as well. There are lots of things happening many of them free. This Friday and Shabbat you can experience Jerusalem as never before with "Homes from Within" a special opportunity to see private homes and other places that are normally not open to the public. It is free so on Shabbat afternoon you can certainly participate as well. Check our website for details.

Be in touch-we would love to hear from you!

Debra and Daniella

The Chagim continue-on to Sukkot

With the Yamim Noraim behind us we are now moving toward Sukkot. There is nothing like walking around at night to the sounds of hammering as Sukkot start popping up everywhere. You can buy a Sukkah, Schach, decorations and a lulav and etrog on almost every street corner in Jerusalem. For some of you, families are coming-for others, this is probably your first Sukkot away from family and with your yeshiva/seminary closed this may be a difficult time.
Use this time -make the most out of it. This is an incredible country and Jerusalem is a great city.
Explore and enjoy-don't get stuck and end up sitting in your dorm room-this is your year- take advantage of it.
Remember that you can be in touch with us and we will do our best to help you during this time.

Check out our website for some great Chol Hamoed ideas

Getting into the spirit of the Yamim Noraim

Rosh Hashana begins tomorrow night and you can feel it all around. Supermarkets, the shuk everywehre just packed with people shopping and getting ready for the chag. It is such an incredible feeling to know that the entire country will be celebrating this holiday! If you have the opportunity it is worth the hike to go to 'Shiloach' in Ir David for Tashlich on Thursday. You will be standing by the waterway from the time of the 2nd Beit Hamikdash.

And if you are looking for a different way to experience Selichot during Aseret Yemei Teshuva how about a Selichot Bike tour. You can join the Samson Bicycle tour on Wednesday evening September 15th for this great evening. We also found a great place to rent a bike/helmet etc so Contact us for details.

Wishing you a Shana Tova

Debra and Daniella

Staying Healthy While Away from Home

You have been in Israel for a week, adjusting to new surroundings and making new friends. The Chagim are around the corner and you may begin to feel blue. You are not alone. Many of the feelings that you have are feelings that students in campuses around the world feel as well. You may not have as much pressure this year school wise-but there are other pressures.
Take a few moments to read this great article about the 5 Big Health Issues that Students Face.
And please do not hesitate to be in touch with us.

Debra and Daniella
here4theyear@gmail.com

Start the New Year off by Giving Back and Volunteer

Welcome and Shana Tova. As they say in Hebrew-Kol Hatchalot Kashot" loosely translated to mean that beginnings are hard and this is a new beginning for you.
Now is the time though not to think about how hard it is for you,but think about how hard it is for others. True you are not going to be home with your family maybe for the first Rosh Hashana ever-but neither will many of our soldiers-who will be guarding our borders to ensure that we have a safe Chag.
True too that you are going to miss Mom's home cooked meals-but there are many families who will have no meals over the chag.

So take a step forward and volunteer!! Check out some great opportunities on our website:
http://here4theyear.com/pages/featured-columns/volunteer.php

And wishing you a Shana Tova!!!

Debra and Daniella

Welcome to Israel-Behatzlacha!

The young men arrriving today-women tomorrow and the learning begins in the yeshivot and seminaries around the country. The Chagim are "early" this year with Rosh Hashana, September 9th. This does not give you much time to adjust to your new surroundings, meet new friends, start learning. There are also feelings of anxiety and loneliness that will naturally come up during these first few weeks. Especially as the chagim are just 2 weeks after you arrive here-you will suddenly have to deal with a whole different way of davening. Much of the familiarity of your own shul may be missing from the davening that you will experience.
For many of you young women this year may be particularly difficult-Rosh Hashana is a 3 day chag and your school may be closed. This means you will have to find a place to stay for 3 days. The anxiety of having to be a guest possibly with a family you do not know, daven in an unfamiliar shu, may just be overwhelming.
Remember that we at Here4theyear are here for you. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with us with any issues, concerns you may have.

We look forward to being there for you throughout the year.

Debra and Daniella
here4theyear@gmail.com

The Hidden Treasures of Jerusalem

These August days of summer in Jerusalem have been "steamy" to say the least. And we could not even look forward to cool Jerusalem nights-it has been hot!!!

Well we discovered a hidden jewel-"Emek Hamatzlevah"-The Valley of the Cross. This area between Gan Sacher and the Botanical Garden has a bike path and beautiful areas where you can walk and find a quiet spot to picnic and look at the stars which is what we did last night.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Emek Refaim and Ben Yehuda and take a quiet walk through this quiet oasis in the heart of the city. You can even walk through and go to the Israel Museum!!!

For more information about this and other great ideas of how to spend these days contact us at:

here4theyear@gmail.com

Debra and Daniella

The 10 Plagues of Facebook by Rav Shlomo Aviner

As more and more of us post, read and refer Facebook and other internet social networking sites, this is a very important piece to read! We have a responsibility to be socially responsible in all of our behaviors.
http://www.ravaviner.com/2010/07/ten-plagues-of-facebook.html

Drink,Drink, Drink....

And we don't mean alcohol - we are talking-WATER!!!

Jerusalem and all of Israel has been experiencing a most unbelievable heat wave-temperatures in Jerusalem this week have been over 100 F. and not really cooling off at night. It is so important to drink-because we are in the Middle East-and in desert conditions you don't realize that you need to drink until it is too late.

Reminders-don't go out without a hat, sunglasses, sun screen and a bottle of water! I may sound silly and maybe a bit like your mother but these days it is important.

Keep cool and hydrated.

Debra and Daniella

Tips to help make your year in Israel a great one!

The year programs in Israel will begin in just a few weeks. Please check out our website with lots of information about finances while in Israel, adjustment issues and other information.

And don't foget, there is still time to order your bedding and any other items you may need from us. Why "shlep" blankets, pillows, mattress covers etc when you can have it all delivered to your dorm room. We can even purchase an "egg crate" for your mattress!!

So be in touch with us at here4theyear@gmail.com and we look forward to meeting you.

Debra and Daniella

Jerusalem Comes Alive in August

If you thought there was alot to do in July-wait until August!! The Israel Museum has officially opened. There are so many events taking place there, concerts, the Wine festival. The museum is just incredible and worth a visit.

Heichal Shlomo will be hosting rooftop concerts on Monday evenings.

The Hutzot Hayotzer art festival begins Monday night as well-artisans from all over israel and around the world and great music as well.

And this is just a sampling of the great things happening is this incredible city!!!

And for more great ideas of things to do in Jerusalem and in Israel check out this great blog:

http://israelforbeginners.blogspot.com/

Jerusalem in July

Jerusalem comes alive during the summer with lots of festivals and other happenings. The Jerusalem Film Festival is now in full swing-think of "Entourage in Cannes"-lots of fun sitting in a theatre along with a director and a few actors and being able to watch their reaction to your reaction to a film. I had the privilege to attend the opening of the festival. The film was "The Roundup" the true story of the roundup of 13,000 French Jews during WWII-a story which was kept quiet until Jacques Chirac apologized. Actor, Jean Reno along with the writer, director and producer were on hand.

As we enjoy the sites and sounds of Jerusalem, we are also busy getting ready for the arrival of young people coming to the various one year programs. Go to our website: www.here4theyear.com
Its not too late to order bedding and other things you may need to make your dorm room feel like a home away from home.
So be in touch with us!!!

Debra and Daniella

The Current Security Situation in Israel

One of things you may have learned and experienced this year is that the Middle East is a quiet yet somewhat volatile region. We are safe but yet we must always be careful. These past few days have demonstrated this. A flotilla of boats tried to sail to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Israel is not at all opposed to delivering aid and does also provide aid and support to that region. However, the country has a policy that all shipments must first dock in Ashdod and be inspected and then can continue escorted. Unfortunately, Israel has had the experience where humanitarian aid was in the form of ammunition.
The flotilla had been notified and warned several times during this past week. They chose to break Israel security law and continue sailing. This left Israel Defense Forces with no choice but to board the ships. They were not prepared for what insued, as has been described "a lynch mob" Israeli soldiers defended themselves and in the course of this defense both our soldiers and people on the ship were injured and some of those members of the ship were killed. The response from the world has been a denunciation of Israel's actions. As a result, there has been an increase in rioting and other violent responses on the part of the Arab population in Israel. Today many Arabs in the Old City are on strike.

During this period of unrest it is best to be careful. Stay in groups and stay away from areas where you may confront a difficult situation.

If you have planned a trip to Turkey it is recommended by the Israel Government to stay away from that region at the present time.

Keep safe and make this end of the year memorable.

Debra and Daniella

June is a Jam Packed Activity Month in Jerusalem; Take Advantage

You are winding down, filled with mixed emotions-sad to leave but excited about what lies ahead. This is the time also to take advantage of the great happenings in Jerusalem. What a great way to have a last "chill" with friends:
Here are some ideas:
1. On Wed June 2nd walk down to Agron St. and watch the agricultural parade. Kibbutzniks from all over the country come-what fun.

2. The Book Fair-"Shavua Sefer" begins next week in Gan Hapaamon. Get that last bargain before you go home. Meet authors and see what is out there.

3. The Israel Festival-great things happening for free both in the plaza of the Jerusalem Theatre and in Mamilla. Meet your friends for coffee this Friday afternoon and hear some classical music.

Send us your thoughts.

End of the Year Closure

It is hard to believe that many of you will be going home in just a few weeks. Last night I attended a Barnard Alumni Event with over 30 young women, who deferred their admission to Barnard to spend the year in Israel. Dean Denburg, Dean of Barnard reported that 7% of the incoming Barnard class has spent the year in Israel-astounding! And how welcoming the Dean is of these young women, to the point of traveling to Israel to meet with each of them and help ease their transition.
And that is what closure is about-Looking Back and Moving Forward. This is time for you to reflect upon your year in Israel. It is a time to think about what you gained from your year in Israel. What will you be able to carry with you during the coming year. Some of you will be attending secular colleges and won't have the opportunity to study Torah so many hours each day. This is the time to think about what you can work into your schedule-even if its 5 minutes!
Daniella and I would love to hear about some of your reflections of your year and what you plan to take with you as you move ahead.
Behatzlacha!

Debra

YOM YERUSHALAYIM

It is hard to believe that the year is coming to a close and many of you will be returning to your homes and going on to the next phase of your lives. But there is still much to enjoy in this great city of Jerusalem! Next week will mark the 43rd anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem- there are lots of celebrations. Festivities begin on Tuesday night May 11th with learning, singling and dancing at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav in Kiryat Moshe. During the wee hours of the morn, hundreds of young people will dance to the kotel and daven shacharit.
Later in the afternoon of May 12th, thousands of youth from around the country will converge upon Jerusalem. They will march down Agron St. toward the Old City-every gate will be open and people will come from all sides and finally meet at the kotel- a site not to be missed.

Look forward to dancing with you

Debra and Daniella

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut

The month of Iyar is a most moving time to be in Israel and truly feel a part of this great country. No matter what your politics are-being here and experiencing both Memorial Day and Independence Day are truly unforgettable. This is not Memorial Day or the 4th of July-this is really something indescribable.

Yom Hazikaron begins this evening with a siren at 8 PM. Be aware that stores and restaurants and other forms of entertainment are not open-everything closes by 7 PM The country comes together in silence at 8 PM with a one minute siren. There are gatherings in every neighborhood and the main ceremony is at the kotel. If you plan to go to the kotel you must be there before 7 PM to get through security. You can visit the kotel later in the evening and observe the soldiers guarding the torch lit in memory of those who were killed in battle and in terror attacks.
There will be another siren on Monday morning at 11 AM. The main ceremony will take place at Mt. Herzl, with other ceremonies around the country. If you are planning to go to Mt. Herzl plan to be there early, bring water and a hat avoid bringing a large bag so that you won't have a problem as security is tight.
The transition between Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut begins at 8 PM-reall a "mishiabud legeulah" feeling-as we experienced during Pesach. There is a main ceremony/extravangza at Mt. Herzl (tickets only) and many other celebrations throughout the city. (see below for a partial listing of happenings)
Yom Haatzmaut is nicknamed "Yom Hamangalim" as everyone is out picnicking and barbecuing in all of the parks. Of course the morning is spent watching or listening to the Chidon Tanach-and this year Prime Minister Netanyahu's son is one of the contestants.
You can certainly meander around Jerusalem and be a part of the Living Museum-this year taking place in Mamilla. Here Herzl speak in front of the house he stayed in!

For more information check out our website
Chag Sameach to all!

Debra and Daniella

Post Pesach Plans!

The chag is over-but classes do not resume until either Sunday or Monday. Friends who have been away are slowly returning and getting settled. If you stayed and enjoyed the chag, sites sound and amazing pesach food-you still have a few days to enjoy the country and take advantage of things now that the crowds are gone.
Some of our recommendations:
1. Go to Tel Aviv. There is an incredible glass exhibit at the Litvak Gallery (www.litvakgallery.co.il) Next door is the Tel Aviv Museum which now has an exhibit of sculptures by Degas. You can enjoy the beach and check out the many kosher restaurants now in Tel Aviv. (go to eluna.com)

2. In Jerusalem enjoy MIDNIGHT BIKING THROUGH JERUSALEM
> Come cycle through the streets and alleyways of the old and new Jerusalem in the quiet hours of the night. You will be led on this extraordinary 2-3 hour tour by an experienced and licensed tour guide.

www.jerusalembiking .com

The weather is glorious all over Israel-Midbar Yehuda is green and blooming. Go out and enjoy this amazing country!

Wow! So Much Happening over Chol Hamoed

If you thought that you might be bored over Chol Hamoed Pesach think again.
Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem will be host to the Amateur English Theatre Festival. Lots of great performances, including The Chosen. Go to: http://bac.org.il/bac/stage1/ for details and the schedule.

The Moshav Band is performing over Chol Hamoed and you have your choice of venues: Givatayim on Wednesday night, Jerusalem, Thursday night and Kibbutz Tzora. Click onto this link for details and reservations: http://jerusalemblueprint.com/events/results.aspx?tid=5

Watch the blog for more great ideas!

Happy cleaning.

Debra and Daniella

More things to do during chol hamoed

Wow! There is certainly alot happening over chol hamoed:
In Jerusalem

You and your friends are invited to a special Chol Ha'Moed Pesach Rav Kook jazz poetry concert at Rav Kook's house.

Beit HaRav Kook is a very holy place in Yerushlayim. It was here between 1923 to 1935 that Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook, TZ"L, acted as one the primary catalysts and leaders of the spiritual/national/universal process that is the unfolding of Israel. He is the prophet of our rebirth and his light offers great understanding and guidance as we work to liberate ourselves from all sorts of Egypts and Pharaohs.

HA'OROT: THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK is a musical journey integrating Rav Kook's illuminated poetry with some of Israel finest young jazz musicians and the spoken word artistry of Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein. Experience this during Pesach at Rav Kook's actual house is a great way of entering the liberating light of Rav Kook.

HA'OROT is: Rabbi Itzchak-words
Ido Bukelman -electric and acoustic guitars
David Alfandari-saxophones and flute
Ehud Ettun-bass
Chaim Peskoff-drums

Wednesday, March 31, Chol HaMoed Pesach, 8 PM
Beit HaRav Kook, Rechov Rav Kook 9 (beside Bet Ticho)

Tickets-50 NIS, students-30 NIS
For more info and to reserve tickets- Bet HaRav- 02-6251517 / Itzchak - 054 819 2391

How about outside of Jerusalem? Well you can test drive one of the electric cars by Shai Agassi's company, Better Place. Go to their website and check out the visitors center:
http://www.betterplc.co.il/category/visitor_Center

I'll be there!!!!

Debra and Daniella

Pesach Break-Planning for Chol Hamoed

The countdown continues to seder night. We hope that you have been able to take advantage of some of our ideas and also have explored on your own.
Chol Hamoed is also bustling in Jerusalem and in the rest of the country. Advice-always plan to leave early. The entire country is pretty much on vacation so sites get packed and the traffic can be crazy. But Israelis also dont tend to get an early start!

You'll probably hear lots of laughing over Chol Hamoed-check out the Off the Wall Comedy Club:
http://www.israelcomedy.com/eindex.html


Debra and Daniella
here4theyear@gmail.com

The Week Before Pesach in Jerusalem

The countdown continues-The seder is 8 days from today. This can mean no time at all or the feeling of "What am I going to do for the next 8 days". Well there is quite a lot to do. Aside from volunteering at a local soup kitchen, checking with your teachers whether they could use a helping hand this week-with kids home from school and lots to do, there is also a very important conference that you are welcome to attend.
The Torah and Science Conference will be held on Monday March 22nd at YU Israel campus in Bayit Vegan from 9:30 AM-5:30 PM The cost is only 30 NIS for students.
Click here for details for the conference.

As always you can contact us at here4theyear@gmail.com

Debra and Daniella

More Pre-Pesach fun things to do!

Today is Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Many of you-in Israel for the year have left Israel-either on Heritage to Poland, travelling in Europe or directly back to the U.S. to celebrate Pesach with your families.
BUT...there are a group of students who have remained in Israel-who will have the opportunity to celebrate Pesach in Israel. However, as I wrote in the previous posting-there is no real plan in place for you. Your school is closed although you "can" stay in the dorm. You need things to do during the next few weeks. Aside from some of the ideas I wrote about here is another fun thing to do!!

Osim Seder: A unique pre-Pesach crafts fair shopping extravaganza
Towards Pesach Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah in collaboration with Ruach Hadasha are organizing for you a Pesach crafts fair shopping extravaganza which includes recycled lamps, jewelry and fashion accessories, candlesticks, plants, kitchen and house items.

Also in the fair there will be a huge second hand clothing swap! Feel free to bring your old clothes from your closet.

* Participating in the fair will be representatives of organizations who work with; people with special needs, children at risk, artists that use recycled materials.

The price level is suitable for every pocket! All proceeds go directly to the artists and to social and environmental justice organizations.


Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah Beit Ar-El, 8 Gad St, Baka, Jerusalem.
Friday, March 26th 2010 10:00-13:00. FREE ENTRANCE.
For more information Deena 02-6722405*114 www.themerkaz.org


PLEASE SEND ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS AS WELL!!!!

Pre-Pesach: Things to do during Chodesh Nissan

Being in Israel for the Shalosh Regalim (the 3 festivals, Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot) is very exciting-you can feel the holiday spirit and preparation in the air. It can also be anxiety provoking, especially this time of year, when most seminaries and yeshivot close their doors on Rosh Chodesh Nissan until a week after Pesach. If you are one of the lucky students who will be remaining in Israel for Pesach-to experience the "aliya l'regel" during chol hamoed, you are also a bit concerned about what you will be doing for the 2 weeks prior to pesach-when the dorm empties out and there is no real plan in place for you.
Here is a list of some of the volunteer programs that will be happening during chodesh nissan:
1. L'vnot u'Lhibanot
has a fabulous volunteer opportunity for you. They are looking for volunteers to help homebound elderly prepare for Pesach. Contact Matan at 052-429-5379 for details.

2.As part of the special consulting team for Israel's National Emergency Management Authority, Isracare personnel teach Israeli Home Front Command units and rescue teams around the world how to deal with multi-casualty events. They have vast field experience in mass casualty events, both in Israel and abroad.They were also sent by the Israeli foreign ministry to Mumbai, helped out in the aftermath of Katrina disaster, and recently returned to Israel after coordinating search and rescue in Haiti. In short, they are recognized as the best in the world at what they do.

This training is different from a basic first-aid course. It will be geared toward developing essential skills necessary for search and rescue and coping with mass casualty incidents; it will combine:

· Classroom and Hands-on EMS (Emergency Medical Services) instruction
· Deep study of the halachot involved with EMS work
· Field drills, Dynamic simulations, Hiking, and Rappelling.

The participants will learn and challenge themselves through the application of critical-thinking skills to multiple field scenarios. The seminar is designed to teach contingency planning and to develop life-saving and life preservation skills.

If you have not made plans for Bein HaZmanim yet, this program is a special way to contribute to Klal Yisrael. Please see Isracare's website at http://www.isracare.com/home.php and ZAKA's website at http://www.zaka.org.il/index_e.php for more information about the organizations. To register please send an e-mail to info@Isracare.org

3. The organization Ezer Mizion has many volunteer opportunities available during this month-whether it is helping out in a soup kitchen or working with homebound elderly to get ready for Pesach. Please contact Ruchama at 02-537-2437.

4. Isracare in conjunction with Zaka is offering a week long training course. Isracare/Zaka Bein Hazmanim Training Program is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday March 23st through Friday March 26th. The price for the course is $695.00 US.
Please note that they can only run the course if we have enough students (around 45), so please keep in touch with them directly at info@isracare.com
contact us at here4theyear@gmail.com for more details about this program.

We recommend that you let your yeshiva/seminary know that you will be in Israel for Pesach. Some of the yeshivot are organizing special tiyulim and programs for the students who are staying around and also making sure that they have a place to go for meals during Pesach.

Encourage your child to talk with friends and family and yeshivot early on-don't wait for the last minute and then be stuck with no plan!!! There is a lot to do and see and a great time to be in Israel so enjoy!!!!

PURIM IS IN THE AIR

Purim basically begins on Rosh Chodesh Adar in Israel-with kids already in costume almost daily. There are a number of wonderful volunteer opportunities that you can participate in this week. One in particular that I recommend is to deliver Mishloach Manot at the Diplomat Hotel in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem. This "hotel" is home to over 400 immigrants from Eastern Europe who for whatever reason fell through the cracks and have been living in cramped hotel rooms for years and are very isolated. There is nothing like the feeling of handing a package to someone and receiving a smile, a piece of candy, and a warm greeting! For more information about this contact me at: here4theyear@gmail.com

Remember, Purim is not just about drinking... Purim is about 'Matanot l'evyonim', hearing the megillah and having a meaningful seudah.
Please read this piece recently published in the YU Commentator

Purim Sameach

Be Aware of Mumps Break Out

We have all been aware of the recent threat of Swine Flu. The Israel Health Ministry has made flu shots available to foreign visitors (see our website-: www.here4theyear.com for details)
It has now come to our attention that there has been an outbreak of Mumps in Israel. It might be a good idea to check your child's immunization record and/or have your child have a simple blood test to check to make sure that he/she is immunized.
Feel free to contact us at: here4theyear@gmail.com for any assistance.

Read the following article:

CDC: Largest Outbreak of Mumps Since 2006 in New York, New Jersey More than 1,000 people in New York and New Jersey, many of them adolescent Orthodox Jews, have been sickened with mumps since August of last year. The outbreak began at a summer camp for boys in Sullivan, NY, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Orange County NY has the greatest number of cases. Almost 500 have been confirmed since early November. Neighboring Rockland County has 317 confirmed cases. In New York City, 79 cases have been documented in Brooklyn. Another 159 had spread to Ocean County, NJ. The CDC expects to announce more cases this week. The cases have been linked back to an 11-year-old boy who was at the camp. He had recently returned from the United Kingdom, where a mumps outbreak had spread to 4,000 people. Approximately 25 of the children were his bunk-mates, who then brought the virus home to their communities. Mumps is a contagious viral disease that leads to a painful swelling of the salivary glands. Symptoms include face pain, fever, headache, sore throat, and swelling of the face, particularly the temples or jaw. In males, additional symptoms can include scrotal swelling or a painful lump in the testicles. Once contracted, there is no specific treatment for mumps except for pain relief. Mumps most commonly occurs in children ages 2 to 12 who have not been vaccinated, however the infection can occur at any age. The MMR vaccine – protecting against measles, mumps and rubella – is given twice in childhood. The first is given between 12 and 15 months of age. The second vaccine is generally give between the ages of 4 and 6. The CDC states that about 75% of the children in this most recent mumps outbreak were vaccinated appropriately. However, the vaccine is not 100% effective. According to Dr. Jane Zucker, assistant commissioner of immunization, “We know that approximately one in every 20 people who are vaccinated may not develop antibodies.” Recently, the MMR vaccination has been in the news due to the retraction by the journal Lancet that previously implicated the vaccine as a potential cause of autism. Some parents choose not to vaccinate children for this reason. Writing for the Jewish Action Online, a magazine of the Orthodox Union, Dr. Reichman, an associate professor of emergency medicine, philosophy and history of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, says that parents in the Orthodox Jewish community are no more or less likely to avoid the MMR vaccination for their children.

New Gap Year Program for the 2010

Just read that Aish Hatorah is introducing a new IDF-Mahal program for the coming school which will also be open to seniors in high school. Could this be an initial move following the article in the Jewish Week?
We think it is great that programs hopefully are beginning to look "out of the box" a bit.

Here is the Aish HaTorah program announcement:

Aish HaTorah has developed an exciting new IDF-Machal program that is different than previous IDF-Machal programs. High School Seniors can now enlist in a 12 month Machal Program that will enable them to return home in time to start college by the following Fall Semester. Previous Machal programs required 14 months service in the IDF in addition to 2 months pre-enlistment training and an additional 2 months for pre-training
application (18 months total). Those programs meant that candidates enlisting in the IDF always had to devote 18 months to the process and miss starting college in the fall a year after graduating high school. They
could only start in the Spring of the following year.

Aish's program offers two start dates and both will enable students to
begin college a year after graduation from high school. The program
includes pre-enlistment training of two months and a 12 month enlistment in
the IDF. For details please contact:

Rabbi Baruch Tretiak: btretiak@aish.com . +972-52-860-0062
A.Y. Katsof: akatsof@aish.com . +972-526-231-421

Marty Schlakman: mschlakman@optonline.net . +1-201-841-7048

Saul Levy: saul@geotonusaa.com . +1-201-927-9444

More on the Gap Year

Daniella and I wrote a response to the article in the Jewish Week

http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c53_a17832/Editorial__Opinion/Letter.html

Persistent Problem
by Debra Weiner-Solomont and Daniella Peyser

The article “Fast Times At Gap Year High” (Jan. 15) only brought to light what we, professionals and families living in Israel, have been saying for years. In April 2000, a conference on “Students at Risk” featured a session on “Substance Abuse in the Yeshivot.” (The transcript of the workshop can be found at www.atid.org/events/clinicalviews.rtf.)

The issues of drug abuse, unsupervised free time, and lack of motivation on the part of yeshiva administrators can be found in this transcript — and this conference took place 10 years ago. After all these years, the questions that needs to be asked are: Why do young people come to Israel and feel that they can conduct a lifestyle with total disregard of rules, and what is expected

of them?

The behavior manifested by these young people is indicative of a sense of entitlement arising from a generation of affluence and of never hearing the word “no” from parents. Unfortunately, it seems that a generation has grown up with a lack of responsibility or accountability.

Compare day school students from the U.S. to their Israeli peers, who are preparing for army service. In addition, there is little or no opportunity for the Americans to learn about and experience Israeli culture. There are a number of yeshivas that house both an Israeli and an American program, but with no integration between them.

After the pressures of high school and college applications, the U.S. youngsters find themselves in Israel, where the drinking age is 18 (although that may soon change) where there are no longer grades or pressure to get into college, and little adult supervision. Israel is like a candy store. One cannot compare this to being a freshman in college. Sure, college kids also go out, get drunk etc., but once your child gets his or her first D in a class, the “party is over.” In Israel there is absolutely no accountability, so the party can continue all year.

The bottom line is that the programs need to change with the times, the high schools need to re-evaluate their programs during the senior year and parents need to be more informed about where they are sending their children.

Jerusalem

The writers are founders of a Web site to provide support and informational services to American young people and their families, www.here4theyear.com.

Gap Year? What do you want to get out of it?

There has been alot of discussion about the value of the one year "gap program" lately. First Rabbi Jeff Saks of Atid posted 2 anonymous essays written by people who work in yeshiva and seminary programs. http://www.atid.org/resources/op-jed/edutainment.asp

This was followed by an article that appeared in the Jewish Week this week:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c40_a17661/News/Israel.html#top

Much food for thought for both parents and for the year programs. What is the parent and high school responsiblity in preparing the child (yes he/she is still a child) for the year abroad. What is the yeshiva/seminary responsiblity?

Time for both sides to reevaluate and decide if the program of a decade ago still meets the needs for the kid of today!