Kibbutz Program Center Alerts, News, and Updates

Dear partners and friends,

We wanted to share with you impressions and pictures from the “Speaker of the Knesset Quality of Life Award” ceremony  which took place on Jan 10th 2012.

Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz presented the award rationale: “Ma’ase leads in its field, is exemplary as an incubator of leaders, and in its work to reduce social disparities in Israel, while creating the infrastructure for a more egalitarian society.” This award enforces and reminds us of our obligation to continue our important work – It is a challenging task for the benefit of all Israeli citizens.

It is an honor for Ma’ase to be recognized for its work and that of the volunteers we have the privilege to accompany – this award is theirs.

Thank you for your trust and partnership,
Miki Nevo – Ma’ase Director
Ma’ase staff and volunteers

Spaces are filling up quickly for our Kibbutz Ulpan programs in the first half of 2012 so sign up for one today! Choose from one of the following programs before time runs out:

• Mishmar Hasharon February 8, 2012- July 8, 2012
• Ramat Yochanan February 12, 2012- July 13, 2012
• Mishmar HaEmek March 1, 2012- July 30, 2012
• Sde Eliyahu March 4, 2012 – August 5, 2012 – Kibbutz Ulpan Dati
• Yavne March 12, 2012 – August 1, 2012 – Kibbutz Ulpan Dati
• Tzuba May 2, 2012 – September 21, 2012
• Ein Hashofet May 15, 2012 – September 26, 2012

Since arriving to Israel in August, life has changed pretty dramatically for our Ma’ase Olam – Israel Teaching Fellows. While some of the culture shock may have worn off, our Teaching Fellows are really settling into the Rehovot community and are all working Rehovot’s schools, forging new relationships with people they’ve met there, and continuing in their newly-adapted daily routines.

Not to say that things have slowed down at all. The Ma’ase Olam Rehovot Madrich (guide), Lior Shoham, was gushing with praise this week in talking about what our group of North Americans has been doing over the past couple weeks.

At every level, our Teaching Fellows have exceeded what was required of them as teachers and mentors, both in and outside of the classroom. The principals at each of the schools where our participants are teaching have commended their work ethic and the quality of their work. The Rehovot English Language Education Supervisor commented that our Fellows teach like they’ve been English teachers for years after observing their work. That praise, we are proud to say, speaks volumes to the work that Ma’ase Olam participants are providing to the people of Rehovot. The participants themselves have observed how their students are progressing in their English, and their colleagues have confirmed that the students look forward to their English classes more than any others.

Click HERE to read on!

“The diversity. The people. The lifestyle. The adventure. Nowhere on earth can you have an experience as meaningful and exciting like that of Kibbutz Ulpan… I couldn’t speak a lick of Hebrew and knew very little about Judaism before I left, five months later after Kibbutz Ulpan at Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan I was speaking fluently with Israelis and was thrilled to find that Judaism had become a huge part of my every day life.”
-Sean Youngberg from Virgina  – Proud KPC Alum

“For the past 2 years we’ve had the privilege of having Lotan participants members come in for a week at a time to our Setting Strong Roots Community Garden…The communal areas in the garden have been greatly enhanced and creatively beautified by the expert work and dedication of the groups coming in from Lotan. We’re talking about a Field Kitchen with a mud stove a sink a grey water system and a mud tire half wall – all built by these amazing people! The new bonfire area or the tire turtle for the kids all bring in more richness to replace the garbage, and with it new traditions like- Spring Herb Cooking Fest in the field Kitchen, Communal Lag Ba’omer fire and more.”

Noga Zohar – Executive Director at Earth’s Promise

“As an Israeli-American, I’ve always desired to work on a kibbutz. It’s somewhat of a rite of passage for young Jews to live and work on one. Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Joe Lieberman are among the Jews who’ve volunteered on kibbutzim. Living on Ma’agan Michael, one of the largest and most prosperous Kibbutzim in Israel, offered me a chance to better connect with my identity and ideology and participate first-hand in a movement that has been so formative to Israel’s development… I am certainly thrilled to have had this experience in my personal history–something I was only able to do up to a certain age–and do what so many Zionist and Jews have done before me”

-Daniel from New York