Next year in Jerusalem
Pesach is over, so now it is time to think about Hashanah ha’ba’ah b’yerushalyim: spending next year in Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv or Haifa or anywhere else in Israel.
Even though 2013 is still eight months away, parents, students and young adults need to prepare for their future already.
In early May, the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) Israel Programs representatives are scheduled to visit communities across Australia to promote long-term programs to Israel in 2013.
“Parents need to start thinking about gap year programs for their teenager not only because there are so many different options for programs but also because there are administrative needs – such as filling paperwork and setting up visas and passports – not to mention, and most importantly for parents, applying for grants and scholarships. Deadlines pop up quickly, so it’s important to get on the ball soon,” said ZFA Israel Programs Director Sarah Myerowitz.
The information sessions will provide a broad overview of the available Israel Programs and answer questions about Masa Grants and Scholarships. Programs include traditional gap-year programs such as the Shnat program through the Zionist youth movements, Israel by Choice (IBC) and AUJS Aviv; career training programs in all different fields; volunteering opportunities; religious and academic study programs; and more. The ZFA Israel Programs team is also glad to see other major gap-year programs relaunched this year geared toward Australians: the Maccabi Sports Leadership Program and Hebrew University.
“With so many formal programs, we are confident to offer a program for nearly every interest – whether he or she is doing a gap-year before studying, launching a career, taking a break in his or her 20s, and so on,” Myerowitz said.
Information nights are scheduled for 7:30 PM on the following dates
· 2 May, Melbourne: Beth Weizmann, 306 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield South
· 7 May, Perth: Perth Hebrew Congregation, Freedman Road, Menora
· 14 May Sydney (East): Shalom College, ECLC, UNSW, Kensington
· 15 May Sydney (North): Masada College, 9-15 Link Road, St. Ives.
The ZFA is the Australian representative for Masa Israel, the umbrella framework enabling Jewish young-adults aged 17-30 to spend from 5-10 months in Israel on more than 200 different Israel programs.
I am sick and tired about these sqauables about making Jerusalem a free international city, dividing this holy city in half as capitals of two separate countries and all the claims of so called Palestinians to Jerusalem and having the whole country called Palestine and inhabited by Jews since more than three thousands years for themselves. Palestine was in history ruled by many different nationalities coming and going. There were always quite few Arabs living there, some of them of variety of different Christian denominations, others having many other faiths. In my long life I remember Palestine being under Britsh Mandate, then Brits living not entirely willingly and creation by the Ligue of Nations a legal ovnership of part of this country as a State of Israel. Just the name of this newly created state meant it to be for Israelites the other name used for centuries for Jews wherever they lived, scattered around the world. I have never heard of a nationality “Palestinians” until 1964, where Arabs living in Palestine assumed this name without any leagal process. There were names like Transjordania, or similar and others which I don’t remember, hence some Arabs were called legally Jordanians, but I don’t recall when this state was created. I think it was a kingdom. The king was visiting the 13 camps for the palestinian refugees. The reasons why they relocated themselves to Jordania from places inhabited previously in parts of Palestine under British Mandate is complicated. Why in 1999 over fifty years since
the British Mandate has ceased, living and breeding in Jordan they didn’t use name Jordanians I prefer to live to politicians. As far as I know about one and a half milion of Arabs is living quite comfortable in the Jewish state. Most call themselves Israeli Arabs though not all of them were born in this particular part of the country called Palestine. Noone treat them as refugees.
This is all very complicated. Most of the Arabs of different denominations of Islam are willing tlo visit Mecca and Medina. Couldn’t gthey live Jerusdalem to the Israelites who in the prayers always turn toward Jerusalem and hope to be there in their feast?