here - The World Union for Progressive Judaism

Netzer Olami's International Conference - 2011
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צנ לש תימלועה הדיעוה
Structure of the program
The year is divided in to three parts, where in some, the participants have the ability to choose
the component that suits their personality and aims.
Shnat North
This year due to some issues, we decided together with the sniffim to change the structure of the
year. The year is built out of 3 main parts: Kibbutz Options Jerusalem experience.
After a week of orientation in Jerusalem, the whole group will have a group experience on
Kibbutz for a month. During this period, the will form a community, learn Hebrew and
volunteer in the Kibbutz. This period will be followed by 2.5 months of 'options', in which each
participant will choose one of the 3 possibilities offered:
• A community experience in the Galilee- living and volunteering in the Karmiel, in the north of
Israel. Karmiel has great volunteering places, offers host families to the participants, and has an
active Progressive community. This program is being run by the UJIA.
• Shvil Israel- walking the land of Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). Shvil Yisrael is an
established hiking route that threads through the length and breadth of the country which
hundreds of Israeli's complete each year. The group will walk and camp throughout Israel,
starting right under Mount Hermon and finishing at the Taba border crossing in Eilat! During
the hike, there will be visits to Progressive, learning about Israel's nature, eco-travel and
ecologically friendly lifestyles, etc.
• Kibbutz period- lining and volunteering in one of the Progressive Kibbutzim in the Arava.
The last 4 months of the program will take place in Jerusalem, together with the new southern
hemisphere participants, where each participant will have to choose one of the following
options:
• Etgar- Etgar literally means challenge. The Etgar program is specifically tailored and
built for Netzer Shnattim. The program is put together and run by the Netzer Olami staff. The
aims of the program are to create a strong learning community, educate the group about Israeli
society, Jewish History and Culture, and to gain a better understanding of Progressive Judaism.
These are all achieved through living as a Reform Zionist community, a community which
studies, plays, prays, eats and lives together. Etgar is a holistic program as it expects the
participants to take what they have studied, examine it, and decide how they choose to
implement it into their individual lives and into their community.
• Machon- The name Machon comes from “Machon L’madrichei Chutz L’aretz” (the
“Institute of youth leaders from abroad”). Machon has been run for over sixty years by the
Jewish Agency as a Zionist youth leadership development program. The topics covered change
from week to week, giving participants a rounded Jewish education. The Machonikim sleep in
dormitories on the campus and all meals are provided in the communal dining room. Just as on
Etgar there are regular short and longer trips around Israel as part of the educational program.
Shnat South
The southern year is built out of 3 main parts: Jerusalem experience volunteering in a city
Kibbutz. This year, the first part will take place together with the northern participants.
The two programs might have the same elements in them, but they are very different from each
other. The Southern year tends to be smaller in terms of numbers, and longer.
Participants
Most of the participants that come n the program grew up in the movement, and have a 2 year
commitment upon return to their snif. Breakdown of number of participants in the last few
years:
Shnat North Shnat South Total
2007/8 24 26 50
2008/9 49 16 65
2009/10 27 34 61
2010/11 35 10 45
Total 135 86 221
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