This 5 month long semester abroad program begins July 15th for the Fall Semester and January 14th for the Spring semester. It is available for both undergraduate and graduate students and includes:
- Studying in one of the best Arabic language institutes in Israel
- Living on Kibbutz Barkai
- 500 hours of Arabic language instruction (classic and spoken)
- 75 hours of Hebrew language instruction
- Middle Eastern studies, Jewish studies and Zionism studies
- Taking part in cultural activities and meeting other young activists in the region
Trips throughout the country
Highlights
- A great study-abroad opportunity
- Learn Arabic
- Arab-Jewish co-existence
What Will I Gain As A Participant In Intensive Arabic Semester?
- Acquiring a new language is an invaluable tool that helps you advance yourself both academically and in your career
- The unique experience of living in and exploring Israeli-Arab culture and experiencing both the Kibbutz life-style and life in an Arab village
- Volunteer community and social work allows you to “give back” to the communities you will be learning from and living in
- The incredible experience of living abroad and meeting others from around the world
The Intensive Arabic Semester combines the experience of living in Israel among kibbutz members, enjoying Israeli culture and meeting other young adults. The topic of coexistence in Israel is a major feature in the program and learning Arabic and Jewish studies allows for participants to learn about both aspects and acquire leadership skills. Each participant will receive personal guidance and full time counselors will be available throughout the program.
Activities / Excursions: Activities in this program include encounters with participants from different countries, trips and hikes throughout Israel and many special social and educational experiences.
Facilities / Lodging / Meals: Participants of this program will be residing on a kibbutz in a rural atmosphere, accommodated with air-conditioned double rooms and three meals every day. Learning facilities include computer classrooms and a well equipped library.
FALL SEMESTER: July 15 - December 15
Will Robbins: "When I graduated I had this idea that I could better understand myself by understanding more of the world. I called it an exercise in perspective, seeing that I had little money to travel the world to really experience its people, I had to choose wisely the destination that could offer me the most challenging exercise. For me that place was Israel,"
"Now, I am not Jewish and the fine people of Mississippi and my home in Alabama do not just throw around the word kibbutz often in daily life, so when I read about kibbutz, I had to read more and my research ultimately led me to the MASA and the Givat Haviva Intensive Arabic Semester. Learning Arabic and Hebrew language from an organization dedicated to reconciling Arab and Israeli relations seemed perfect for my exercise in perspective – I could challenge myself intellectually, socially and culturally amongst students from all over the world and so here I am – and I am certainly not disappointed "
Kerrie Sharon: "I decided to leave my job and life at home in order to pursue an interest in peace education and learning more about the ways that education was being used as a pathway to build confidence and co-existence between Arabs and Jews in Israel,"
"I have a firm belief in the power of education to build bridges in conflict situations from my work at home as a citizenship teacher. A personal interest in the conflict in Israel led to my being very interested in the various peace and co-existence education projects going on in the country and was looking for an avenue to come to Israel and work in this field. I eventually realized that I would have to speak the languages in order to undertake effective educational work so the program was ideal for me in terms of allowing me to be associated with Givat Haviva and learn about their work, whilst also developing language abilities."
"This program has allowed me to learn beyond the rhetoric, through classes and through meeting people from both communities – to learn to understand more deeply the motivations for Israel's actions, to find new ways of understanding the issues and dilemmas underlying the painful and enduring conflict."
Seth Norman: 28 year old from San-Fransisco, University of California at Berkeley alum, and a former officer in the US army, serving in Kuwait and Iraq.
"Last July when I returned to base in Frankfurt from Iraq I was given two weeks leave. I decided on a whim to spend them in Tel Aviv, basically looking for a little bit of privacy in peaceful surroundings after spending 15 months with 80 men in a 60 man tent,"
"I had a great time and signing up for the Intensive Arabic Semester answered my search to find a reason to spend time in Israel and learn more about my heritage. In Iraq I always had to work with interpreters and found it really frustrating seeing all this beautiful script everywhere and not being able to read or understand a thing."
"I was raised with the full understanding that I was Jewish, but with none of the religious and cultural foundations – this is all now being strengthened during my study period here in Israel."