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Choosing a Program
HEY, YOU!
At the Israel Program Center we are here to talk to you! Who YOU
are will determine the kind of Israel program you will enjoy. The trip will
be unlike anything you have experienced before. Ask yourself questions about
what you would most like to get out of your summer, your semester, your year.
Don't hesitate to call us and talk it over. We are here to help! (206) 774.2236
saral@jewishinseattle.org
SO MANY PROGRAMS, SO LITTLE TIME...
Finding a Program:
www.israelexperience.org:
The Mother Site for Israel programs. This will lead you to descriptions of,
at the latest count, 256 different programs, with links to each and every web
site. A search engine helps you sort them out. Constantly updated, this website
is a lot of fun with its humorous articles, alumni accounts, and high tech hip-ness.
Safety and Security:
www.jajz-ed.org.il/iex/2001/INDEX.HTM:
Read about what parents and participants have to say about their time in Israel.
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IN THE KNOW. . . ON THE GO!
Which programs meet your needs and interests? If the web site
or brochure intrigue you, don't hesitate to contact the program organizer directly
with questions like these:
Who is the sponsor?
What is the philosophy of the sponsoring organization?
Do you have literature you can send me?
Can you provide names of previous participants that you can send me?
Who will I be traveling with?
What is the age range and size of the group?
What is the male/female ratio?
Are they from similar religious backgrounds or geographic locations?
What kind of staff accompanies the group?
Does an educator travel with the group?
What kind of training do counselors, guides and educators have?
What is included in the program itinerary?
What is unique about the program?
Which sites will I be visiting?
Are there formal classes or special speakers?
Will I have volunteer work opportunities?
Will I have free time?
Does the group spend time with Israeli peers?
Where will I be staying (hostels, hotels, schools, kibbutz, army bases, homes,
campgrounds)?
What about health and safety?
How physically strenuous is the program?
What kind of medical services are available?
Is special insurance needed or advisable?
How are emergencies handled?
What are the security arrangements?
What are the religious observances?
Is kosher food always available?
How are Shabbat and holidays observed?
What expectations and arrangements are there for prayer or study?
How are policies enforced?
What are the policies on drugs, alcohol, intimacy and smoking?
Under what circumstances are participants sent home?
What if I have special needs?
Do you provide for special dietary or disability needs?
How can I keep in touch?
How do my parents contact me if there is an emergency at home?
Will the program communicate with my parents during the trip?
Can arrangements be made for me to visit family or friends in Israel?
Are cell phones provided for the group or individuals?
What are the costs and is financial aid available?
What is the complete cost of the program?
How much spending money is recommended?
Is financial aid available from the program or sponsoring organization?
What happens before or after the trip?
Are there orientations, training, reunions, etc?
Source: UJA Federation of New York
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YOU SAID IT!
Quotes from Seattle travelers…
"The whole trip was one big 'wow'.
"Our guide would unravel the history of each site we visited
until it spoke to us personally.
"It is hard to imagine who I would be today if I had never
gone to Israel."
"It is funny how something so far away can come to feel
so close after such a short time, how people on my trip came to feel like family,
you know?"
"Every small experience in Israel seems so important when
I look back at the trip as a whole. I don't know why, but probably because everything
we did there answered questions I didn't even know I had…"
"I have traveled all over Europe, and I can't believe
I am saying this, but nothing compares to how you feel being in Israel. I don't
even really think of myself as so Jewish, but in Europe you are a visitor, and
in Israel, well, you are part of the Jewish people, so many different people
there all together, it is really amazing…"
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See the WWW.Links page
for more Israel resources and Israel travel opportunities.
By the way. . .if you would like to receive more information
about programs or services through the Jewish Education Council of Federation
of Greater Seattle, please fill out our Sign-Up
reply form.
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