NEW PROGRAMS TO SOUTH AFRICA AND GERMANY HIGHLIGHT OU’S NCSY SUMMER 2008; REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
A safari (with cameras not guns) through South Africa and leadership training with the revived Jewish community in Germany will be first time programs this summer as the Orthodox Union’s international youth program, NCSY, offers another jam-packed range of school vacation activities.
Registration is now open. An early registration discount of $150 is available by applying online using the coupon code “early-bird” before December 31. Past participants may inquire about an additional discount at summer@ncsy.org. Scholarship assistance is available.
NCSY provides educational and fun events for both observant and non-observant teenagers. At the forefront in the battle against assimilation, NCSY offers innovative programming which helps Jewish teens see the beauty of their heritage and a Torah-lifestyle.
“This past summer was just incredible,” declared Rabbi Steven Burg, International Director of NCSY.” We experienced a 35 percent growth in our programs in 2007, and we expect another great summer. We are anxiously anticipating the summer to connect Jewish teens to their heritage in an inspiring and meaningful way.”
Two new programs will be featured in 2008: NCSY Safari and JOLT Central Europe:
● NCSY Safari is an exciting journey through South Africa and Israel for high school boys and girls (grades 9-12), in which they will be able to track herds of elephants; observe the diversity of exotic birds; experience the beauty of the African bush; the breath-taking sunrise over the Indian Ocean; the stunning vistas of the Drakensburg Mountains; the pulsating rhythms of the Cape; as well as explore nature; and participate in a variety of sports. After their Africa experience teens will travel to Israel.
● JOLT (Jewish Overseas Leadership Training) Central Europe will begin in Israel with an inspirational journey of exploration and touring the Jewish homeland. Following which, teens will journey to Berlin, Leipzig, and Hamburg where they will learn about Jewish leadership, Jewish history on German soil, the Holocaust and celebrate with the revived community. In the Swiss Alps, they will reside on the picturesque campsites to help create educational programs that will connect them with Jewish children from across Eastern Europe. This trip is open to boys and girls in grades 10 through 12.
Returning summer programs for 2008 include:
EUROPE
•Eurotrip – Boys and girls in grades 9 -12 will visit Israel, Spain (including the adjoining British possession of Gibraltar), Portugal and Italy before going to Israel. Special highlights will include the birthplace of the Rambam (Maimonides) in Cordoba, Spain, and the birthplace of the Ramban (Nachmanides) in Genoa, Italy.
•JOLT Ukraine – With a special focus on serving as counselors and advisors in day or overnight camps run by the OU Joseph K. Miller Torah Center in Kharkov, Ukraine, boys and girls in grades 10-12 holding NCSY leadership positions will also travel to Poland and Israel.
ISRAEL
•ICE: Israel Create your Experience – This co-ed program (grades 10 and 11) will enable teenagers to experience Israel, from the mountains of the Galilee to the canyons of the Negev Desert.
•TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey) – Public school co-ed students (grades 9-12) will explore Israel by participating in activities such as archeological digs, hiking up Masada, visiting the Kotel, and swimming in the Kinneret.
•GIVE (Girls Israel Volunteer Experience) – A great success the past two years, this program will provide girls (grades 9-12) with the opportunity to volunteer at Israeli food banks, hospitals, and camps for child victims of terror; collect clothing for the poor; as well as tour Israel and participate in outdoor activities.
•Kollel – Boys (grades 9-12) will intensify their commitment to Judaism through beginners through advanced learning classes, while playing sports, engaging in recreational activities and touring Israel.
•Michlelet – Girls (grades 9-12) will learn Torah on either a beginners through advanced level, while touring Israel and participating in recreational and volunteer activities.
•NCSY Birthright – NCSY partners with “Taglit-birthright Israel” on a special ten-day tour of Israel for high school boys and girls in a program that is usually open only to ages 18-26.
UNITED STATES
•Summer at YU – Boys and girls in grades 11 and 12 will spend the summer at Yeshiva University in New York, where they will experience dorm life, learn in a Beit Medrash program, and choose classes from a variety of subjects such as law, international affairs, medicine, scientific research, finance and marketing.
•Camp Sports – Located in a Baltimore suburb, boys (grades 8-12) at all levels of learning will play sports and participate in other camp activities, while studying and growing in Torah.
•SEG (Summer Experience for Girls) – Located in New York’s Catskill Mountains, SEG gives girls (grades 8-12) an opportunity to travel to Hershey Park, tour New York City and even go to a minor league baseball game. They will be able to choose their own activities from a variety of possibilities, including swimming, sports, art, horseback riding, and aerobics. At the same time, they will explore different concepts of Judaism by participating in interactive classes given by rabbis and teachers, as well as experienced advisors.
For more information on these programs, and to register, visit NCSY’s website at https://summer.ncsy.org/ , call 1-888-TOUR-4-YOU, or e-mail David Cutler, NCSY Director of Summer Programs at summer@ncsy.org.