When the Ameinu Board of Directors developed our new strategic plan two years ago, we outlined several areas of central importance. Among them was to develop meaningful, personal connections for American Jews with Israel, while another was our commitment to social and economic justice in Israel.
In order to help us fulfill these important objectives, one year ago Ameinu agreed to take over the Kibbutz Program Center (KPC) in North America. In additional to the traditional Ulpan Kibbutz and Kibbutz Volunteer programs, we offer an array of programs that connect participants to social activists in Israel addressing environmental issues, Arab-Jewish co-existence, problems of poverty and more.
I will let a few of our program alumni tell you how their experiences have impacted them and why I hope you will support our efforts.
Helen wrote to us: “What did the Green Apprenticeship Program do for me? It opened up a whole world of ideas about how people can grow food and build shelters without dependence on petrochemicals. I enjoyed the classes and the practical application of principles in the work projects. Living on a kibbutz had been a dream of mine, so it was a thrill to be on Kibbutz Lotan. I loved the Shabbat and holiday celebrations; the discussions over meals with people from different countries; and the friendships with Kibbutz Lotan members. The hikes and field trips were wonderful. I returned a much stronger person: mentally, physically, and spiritually.”
Sarah added that “the skills I have learned here through the GA program are so incredibly important, not just for “eco-freakos” but for every global citizen, and what better place to learn permaculture than in this beautiful desert, in this beautiful country, with these caring and inspiring people? What I take with me as I leave here is a sense of empowerment, the feeling that I can really do anything, and that I have the love and support of the whole Lotan community and beyond to do it.”
Participants in our Intensive Arabic Semester at Givat Haviva are equally enthusiastic about their experience. Kerrie told us that “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 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, a Kuwait and Iraq war veteran, added “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.”
I truly believe that Ameinu is doing indispensible work through the KPC. Research shows that the investment we are making now by introducing young people to Israel through these types of programs will result in a stronger identification with Israel and its progressive activists. These experiences will stay with them for a lifetime. And that is not all; this year alone we plan on introducing three new programs that will include social justice related volunteer work in various communities around Israel.
If you want to help us expose more young Jews to these opportunities, please demonstrate your support by joining Ameinu today or contributing to this effort.
This is a concrete way you can help build the progressive Jewish community of the future.
Thank you,
Kenneth Bob
President, Ameinu
