STUDENT GUIDE - Rothberg International School

Office of Student Activities (OSA)
Student Activities
The primary responsibility of the Office of Student Activities (OSA) is planning and implementing extracurricular
programs for students at the Rothberg International School. These activities include seminars, workshops, overnight
trips, short excursions and volunteer projects. Since the office was established in 1976, some of its goals
have included:
providing opportunities to become acquainted with Israel by means of overnight and day trips
providing diverse social and cultural activities
exposing students to the complex political situation in the Middle East
facilitating the absorption of those students who have made aliyah or are contemplating the possibility of settling
in Israel.
OSA serves as a center for making the students’ stay in Israel more pleasant and for handling the day-to-day
affairs and problems encountered by overseas students.
OSA is located in the Boyar Building, Room 402, Tel. 02-5882622.
The OSA Staff: To help fulfill these objectives, the RIS employs a select staff of Israeli students to serve as
counselors (madrichim) for the international students. This staff works both for and together with the students in a
number of areas, including helping them to solve administrative problems and to initiate different projects that
will make their year more enjoyable. The close proximity of the students’ dorm rooms to those of the madrichim
promotes supportive relationships, and the OSA’s open-door policy offers students a “shoulder” to lean on for
even the smallest frustrations inherent in their acclimation to a new culture.
Shabbat On-Call: Every weekend there will be a madrich staying in the student housing to whom students will be
able to turn if anything should occur. Tel. 054-8820830.
OSA Activities Package: All students enrolled in the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) receive 12 activity
points that may be used to register for all OSA day activities. All OSA weekend trips (marked in the OSA
activities brochure with an asterisk [*]) are open to all DUS students without any additional payment (points or
money). Students must register in advance at OSA (Boyar 402/404), to confirm their participation. Points may not
be used for any activities not under the auspices of OSA.
Students who would like to participate in additional activities may do so by paying a reasonable fee. Students who
have points remaining, but not enough to fully pay for a desired activity, will be able to use those points to cover
part of the cost (the amount will depend upon the cost of the activity). In order to ensure participation in the
activities they desire, students are advised to submit their requests at an early date. Information about trips and
activities can be found in the OSA activities brochure, produced several times each year.
Day Trips and Overnight Trips: Throughout the year, the OSA organizes a variety of overnight trips that generally
focus on a specific orientation. Fall and winter trips take students to the warm South, where they experience the
Arava, the Judean Desert, and the Negev Desert. Spring trips highlight northern Israel with the annual “Sea to
Sea” trip, a three-day adventure during which students hike from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee.
During the hot Israeli summer, students explore the North. Through these trips, students come in contact not only
with the Jewish Israeli population, but also with minority groups, such as the Bedouin and Druze.
Short excursions offer students a chance to explore Israel and broaden their understanding of Jewish and Israeli
history. Visits are organized to Yad Vashem, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Old Jaffa, the Bar Kochba caves
and other sites.
Religious Activities: OSA coordinates a wide range of religious programs to meet the diverse needs of all international
students. These activities are run in conjunction with the Dean of Students Office, the Student Union,
Beit Hillel and other organizations associated with the Hebrew University. For more information read the section
on religious activities below.
Volunteer Projects – Tzedek ( Justice): OSA arranges for students to volunteer in select, supervised frameworks,
such as elementary schools, hospitals, Big Brother youth clubs, and the like. OSA is constantly in touch
with the organizations and the student volunteers.
18 Rothberg International School