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Hillel, OTZMA Launch Israel Fellowship for College Graduates
January 18, 2005Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friendHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and OTZMA have announced the launch of a new post-college program in Israel, the OTZMA-Hillel Fellowship. Hillel's first post-college training program, the Hillel-Otzma Fellowship will welcome its first class of participants in August 2005. Individuals interested in the program should write otzma@hillel.org.
Hillel will add unique components to the OTZMA program, which is a service-based leadership development program for young adults ages 20-26 that combines social action, civil rights and community building. Building on the existing OTZMA platform, Hillel will offer opportunities for internships with Hillel in Israel, a special professional development track for prospective Hillel staff, and the opportunity for local Hillels to have a "correspondent" in Israel who will provide first-hand perspectives of life in Israel.
"After discovering Israel's rich culture and history on Hillel's birthright israel programs, many of our students have been looking for a way to return for a longer experience and become more integrated in Israeli society," said Hillel President Avraham Infeld. "The OTZMA-Hillel Fellowship offers them a wonderful opportunity to live, work and explore Israel further while maintaining their connections to Hillel."
OTZMA is coordinated in North America by the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of all federations in the United States and Canada. In Israel, the program is implemented within the framework of the Education Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel. The 10-month program is divided into three tracks. Track I is spent in an immigrant absorption center, and during these three months, participants learn Hebrew in an ulpan setting, volunteer at the center and also in the community at large. Track II is the community service track. In between Track II and Track III is a three-week elective program where participants choose from either studying Jewish text in Jerusalem or volunteering on an army base. The final track, which is also three months, is spent either on a kibbutz or participating in a professional work experience. The OTZMA year also includes numerous education days, seminars, group trips and two vacations.
Through close cooperation with the federation system and the new MASA program of the Jewish Agency and the Government of Israel, the price of this program will be greatly subsidized and need-based scholarships will be made available, allowing students to participate for $6-7,000, which includes housing, food, transportation (both internal and international flight from New York) and programming for 10 months.
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