israeli colleges and universities welcome international students

Transcription

LEARNING
AND
STUDYING
IN ISRAEL
FEBRUARY 2014
THE
PEOPLE
OF THE
BOOKS
ISRAELI COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES WELCOME
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
PROGRAMS ARE
INCREASINGLY POPULAR
IN MANY FIELDS
NEW OPTIONS OFFERED
FROM PRESCHOOL
THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
C O M M E R C I A L D E PA R T M E N T
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 | EDUCATION | 3
Dear Readers,
This issue of ‘Education’ invites you to learn
about an exciting variety of innovative and
unique programs now being offered in Israel.
If you are more comfortable with English than
Hebrew, you will be surprised to discover that
there are so many excellent degree programs
taught in English at Israeli colleges and
universities. Academic options highlighted in
this issue include studying Law at the College
of Business and Law in Ramat Gan; subjects
such as Psychology, Business Administration
and Communication at IDC Herzliya; and an
International M.A. in Security and Diplomacy
or an M.A. in Political Science and Political
Communication at Tel Aviv University.
If you are interested in a para-medical
field, Ono Academic College has a distinctive
Occupational Therapy department, and Tel-Hai
College's Stress, Trauma and Resilience Studies
program provides unique training for emergency
mental health professionals. Art enthusiasts –
and those interested in teaching art – should
consider one of the tracks at the Midrasha at
Beit Berl. YedaPlus is a highly professional
boutique institute that coaches future students
interested in applying to universities abroad as
well as in Israel, and prepares them in English
for standardized entrance exams.
This issue also features outstanding
educational options for children and teenagers.
It is interesting to learn, for example, that the
Jerusalem International YMCA's excellent
preschool has now adopted an anthroposophic
approach, and that the Walworth Barbour
American International School in Even Yehuda
continues to enrich its excellent program.
Two new initiatives are designed for
promising high-school students from foreign
countries looking for a first-rate education in
Israel. The Anières Elite Academy is a project
under the auspices of Naale that enables top
students to come to Israel to study engineering,
first in high-school and then at the Technion.
EMIS is a new English-language international
school for 11th and 12th graders from all over
the world that will be launched in September.
With so many amazing options – many of
them catering to English-speakers – the hard
part is deciding which one is right for you.
Rebecca Kopans
Editor
Tomer Appelbaum
04
Studying in Israel
Ingathering of the students
06
IDC Herzliya
Academic Garden of Eden
08
YedaPlus
Prepare to be accepted
10
Tel Aviv University
Politics in the age of global
communication
11
The Midrasha at Beit Berl
The art of teaching art
12
19
14
20
The College of Law and
Business in Ramat Gan
Raising the bar
Walworth Barbour American
International School in Israel
An excellent education
15
Eastern Mediterranean
International School (EMIS)
The school for change
Naale Elite Academy
Brain gain
21
Tel Aviv University
Study where it all happens
Tel-Hai College
Building resilience
22
16
Ono Academic College
Healing society
Outside the classroom
Extracurricular activities 101
18
Jerusalem International
YMCA The best preschool
Haaretz-IHT Managing Director: Aviva Bronstein Editor: Rebecca Kopans Graphic Designer: Sarit Malhi Commercial Manager: Anat Lupo Abba Media Department: Miri Barel Production
Manager: Dana Roter Haaretz-IHT Special Commercial Supplement 21 Schocken Street, Tel Aviv, 61350 Tel: +972-3-5121774. Please send comments to: rebecca.kopans@haaretz.co.il.
Haaretz-IHT disclaims all responsibility for the contents of the advertisements and for the pictures. ‘Education: Learning and Studying in Israel’ is available online at www.haaretz.com.
Sch
Use your English skills for a new career!
olar
ship
Academic Degree (B.Ed.DQG7HDFKLQJ&HUWLƉFDWHLQ7()/7HDFKLQJ(QJOLVKDV)RUHLJQ/DQJXDJH
Masters in English Teaching (M.Teach)
English Tutors Course
5HWUDLQLQJ&HUWLƉFDWH3URJUDPIRU$FDGHPLFV
Translation Courses
Beit Berl College, the English Department
www.beitberl.ac.il *9121
s
4 | EDUCATION | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
ition cost. “Another disadvantage is that the
academic options in English are more limited,” adds Shmuel.
The Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant
Absorption’s involvement with the students’ wellbeing goes much beyond paying their tuition. They also organize social
activities and trips around the country, and
provide tutors to help them with their studies. Moreover, counselors and social workers are in contact with them on a regular
basis to ensure that their transition is as
smooth as possible.
A range of options
Eliyahu Hershkowitz
Ingathering of
the students
Every year, thousands of young adults from all over the world come
to Israel in order to pursue academic degrees. The hardest part
is choosing among the numerous programs W Rebecca Kopans
T
here are two basic categories of
people who land at Ben Gurion
Airport and then head straight to
one of Israel’s universities or colleges. The first group consists of
young Jews from the Diaspora who decide
to make aliyah. They arrive in Israel after
having been accepted to an Israeli academic
degree program and begin their new lives
as olim by studying for a B.A. or M.A. The
second group is made up of “academic
tourists” who come to Israel to study but do
not necessarily have plans to remain in the
country after completing their degree.
Immigrant students
Every year, the Ministry of Aliyah and
Immigrant Absorption’s Student Authority
assists over 6,000 young people who come
to Israel to study. This year, there are approximately 2,000 new students who made
aliyah. Around half enrolled in academic
colleges, while 37% are at one of the universities and the remaining 13% are studying in other academic tracks, such as Art
School. While the vast majority – nearly
70% – come to Israel for their undergraduate (B.A.) degrees, more than 10% enroll in
graduate programs, 7% sign up for an academic preparatory program, and the others
study in a variety of other tracks.
“Although some of the people who contact us know exactly what and where they
want to study, most just know that they want
to be in Israel,” says Naomi Shmuel, the
national coordinator for English-speaking
students at the Department of Academic
Studies of the Student Authority’s PreAliyah Services. “I lay out options, taking
into account their background, previous
qualifications, age, Hebrew level and so
on. I usually recommend studying Hebrew
first, since it is such a huge change to live
here and function in Hebrew.”
According to Shmuel, many of those
who turn to her for assistance are young
adults who are “looking for an identity and
want to belong.”
Although the fact that college tuition
is much lower in Israel than in the U.S.
may play a role in the decision to come
to Israel, “financial considerations are not
the main motivation for most students,” insists Shmuel. “Just as Israeli kids typically
travel to South America after the army, for
Diaspora Jews Israel is the ‘big trip.’ It is a
way to gain independence and to discover
WHAT DO THEY STUDY?
Social Sciences and
Humanities
Engineering and
Architecture
Education
Business and Management
Exact Sciences
Para-Medical
Law
Art and Design
Medicine
Mechina
33%
19%
11%
11%
8%
6%
4%
3%
1%
4%
their Jewish identity,” she affirms.
The older ones, in their late twenties,
who usually come for graduate studies, often have other reasons to choose Israel. In
addition to the lower costs and the appeal of
an international experience, many students
in this demographic also hope to find a partner for life.
Support and assistance
The Israeli Government provides financial assistance and other forms of support to young adults who come to Israel
to study. Those pursuing a B.A. receive
NIS 10,000 a year for three years to cover
tuition costs, while M.A. students receive
NIS 13,000 a year. In order to qualify for
this financial aid, students must be new
immigrants to Israel (olim) and they must
study for a degree that they don’t already
have. There is also a cut-off age for eligibility: 23 for academic preparatory programs (mechina), 27 for B.A. degrees and
30 for M.A. degrees.
Shmuel points out that students from
countries where there are no national highschool exams must usually do a one-year
preparatory program (mechina) prior to
starting their academic degree. However,
Bar-Ilan University and most colleges do
not require a mechina.
Many immigrant students are interested
in the numerous English-language degree
programs available in Israel. These programs are generally more expensive than
the Hebrew programs and, as a result, the
government aid does not cover the full tu-
Young adults from the Diaspora who
want to pursue an academic degree in Israel
without the long-term commitment of making aliyah have several ways of doing so.
One way is to apply directly to specific
universities or colleges and make all the
necessary arrangements independently or
with the help of the academic institution. It
is usually not a problem to receive a student
visa for the duration of one’s studies.
A popular option is to come on a Masa
program. Masa Israel Journey, a joint project of the Government of Israel and the
Jewish Agency for Israel, offers over 200
study, internship and volunteer programs
all over Israel lasting at least five months.
Their Study Abroad department includes
dozens of academic programs, ranging
from semesters in Israel to full undergraduate and graduate degrees at a large choice of
Israeli universities and colleges.
“There are three main reasons people
want to study in Israel,” notes Yonatan
Barkan, Masa Israel’s Director of Academic
Affairs. “The first is the academic level
– Israel is at the forefront of academic research in many fields and its universities
have an excellent reputation. The second
reason is the price; tuition is much lower
in Israel than in many other countries. The
third reason has to do with the global education trend. It gives people a competitive
edge to show that they have had an international experience. It’s a huge advantage
during job interviews,” he explains.
“Every year, several hundred young
adults come to study in Israel through
Masa,” says Barkan. “They come from all
over the world, even from countries such as
India and China. Lately there has been an
increase in the number of non-Jews coming
to study here.” All the academic programs
offered by Masa are taught in English, so
that language is not an issue. Masa also
provides grants and scholarships to eligible
participants, depending on their age, country of origin and program cost.
By being part of a Masa program, foreign students join the Masa community
and benefit from everything that Masa offers the participants on all of its programs
– seminars, Shabbatonim, leadership summits, concerts, etc… These events are a
good way for people on different programs
around the country to socialize and make
friends.
All in all, Israeli universities and colleges
are interested in creating an international
atmosphere on their campuses and they
welcome foreign students with open arms.
Most even offer special degree programs
taught in English, as well as providing
various forms of support to their non-Israeli
and new immigrant students.
There is a plethora of different options
for foreigners wishing to study in Israel –
whether for a B.A., M.A. or Ph.D. degree.
They just need to decide which of the many
enticing programs suits them the best.
Academic Garden of Eden
IDC Herzliya is 20 years old and there is much to celebrate! A vibrant campus, active student body
and jam-packed schedule of classes and extra-curricular fun stand testament to the fulfillment of
Prof. Uriel Reichman’s dream – a Zionist, private and non-profit university built for the students in order
to train the future generation of leaders of Israel and the Jewish world W Jonathan Davis
W
alking through Israel's first
private not-for-profit university, one can't help but be
amazed by the rapid evolution of this prestigious academic institution. Only 20 years ago, the
site was an abandoned IDF air force base
with dilapidated structures. Today, it is a
lively campus with magnificent buildings,
perfectly manicured lawns, interesting antiquities, sculptures and artwork, and over
6,500 students – of which one quarter are
from overseas – who enjoy the process of
attaining undergraduate or graduate degrees, while taking part in exchange programs, working hard to succeed at the various honors programs on offer, or simply
loving life as students in Israel on a campus
where the students are the partners.
Building IDC Herzliya
We are not done yet! Although so much
has already been achieved in such a short
time, we are ready as ever to accept the
challenges awaiting us in the future. We
continue to build our “little academic house
on the prairie,” all the while finding new
and innovative ways to involve our students in the process and ensure that they
hold stakes in continuing to make IDC
the success that it has become. Slowly but
surely we are striving towards Founder and
President Prof. Uriel Reichman’s goal of
establishing a 24-hour campus – complete
with dorms, sports facilities, student union
buildings, restaurants and more.
We are proud of the recent completion of
the much-awaited School of Psychology and
School of Economics building, while reveling in the beauty of the recently renovated
Hangar (originally an air force hangar). The
Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School
of Entrepreneurship has just completed its
first semester and we look forward to breaking ground and beginning to build its future
home in the next few weeks.
These are a welcome addition to the
already existing buildings on campus, including the Radzyner School of Law and
School of Sustainability founded by Israel
Corp., ICL and ORL; the Lauder School of
Government, Diplomacy and Strategy; the
Arison School of Business; the Efi Arazi
School of Computer Science; the Sammy
Ofer School of Communications and the
Marc Rich Library.
Although its building is still not built,
the recently inaugurated new Adelson
School of Entrepreneurship is already
buzzing with activity. Taking its cue from
Reichman's 20-year journey of academic
entrepreneurship, this new department
offers academic courses catering to students from all of the faculties on campus,
including Law, Business, Government,
Economics, Psychology, Communications,
Sustainability and Computer Science – either as part of joint academic programs or
as stand-alone electives complementing
students’ fields of study.
Zionism and entrepreneurship
I cannot help but smile as I think of the
heterogeneous student body on campus
and am especially proud of our unique
“Israel at Heart” Ethiopian Scholarship
program. IDC’s students of Ethiopian
heritage receive free tuition, a monthly
stipend and unlimited tutoring, among
other things. I am particularly proud of
these young men and women as they step
onto campus with the drive and motivation to succeed at anything they take on
– and they do, with many of the graduates
attaining key positions in the Israeli private and public sector.
Huge sources of pride for Prof. Reichman
are his 1600 Raphael Recanati International
School “children.” It is a fact that 25% of
IDC Herzliya's student body is enrolled at
the RRIS studying for full academic degrees taught in English. The students are offered three-year B.A. programs in Business
Administration, Communications, Government and Psychology, and M.A.s in
Business, Government and Organizational
Behavior. The international students learn
alongside their Israeli counterparts and
Professors are readily available to students on campus
RRIS students learn about the land of Israel outside the classroom
are involved in all aspects of campus life.
They also enjoy an array of special extracurricular social and cultural activities,
such as trips around the country, weekend
seminars, Hillel events, Shabbat dinners
and much more. We really have become the
largest academic absorption center in the
country.
A constant stream of our students – both
Israeli and international – are regularly absent from their studies as they are serving
in the IDF reserves. IDC Herzliya's student
body is known to include a high proportion
of combat officers and other reserve soldiers serving in key positions – both men
and women – and they are frequently called
to reserve duty.
IDC puts these students on a pedestal
and, as a way of thanking them for their
staunch Zionism and commitment to their
country, they are provided with all the help
they need in order to make up what they
miss when they are in the army, including
special exam dates and free tutoring. Once a
year, there is even a Reservists Prom, where
students serving in the reserves are invited
to a lavish affair (organized and sponsored
by volunteers) as an official thank you for
their dedicated service. In a recent survey
conducted among 66 Israeli colleges and
universities by the IDF's Chief Reserves
Officer, IDC Herzliya was ranked #1 in the
way it treats its reservists.
Most satisfied students
IDC Herzliya prides itself on educating
the future generation of leaders to serve
Israel and the world at large, and those who
employ our graduates understand that they
are trained to hit the ground running and
that they have a background that combines
academics with practical skills.
We are delighted to be able to say that
IDC Herzliya alumni are already responsible for start-up exits in excess of $200
million! Many of these successful graduates were in the Zell Entrepreneurship
Program.
Currently in its 13th year, the Zell program provides students with an opportunity
to apply advanced entrepreneurial studies
to the creation of real business ventures.
Generously supported in vision and funding by Sam Zell of Chicago, the program
is designed for outstanding undergraduates
in their final year at IDC Herzliya. The program is taught in English in order to best acclimate the students to the global business
environment.
One of IDC Herzliya’s top objectives
is to employ professors who are at the top
of their fields, and mostly graduates of Ivy
League schools, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge,
Stanford and the best Israeli universities. In
addition to teaching the students, they are
also engaged in state-of-the-art groundbreaking academic research.
When he founded IDC, Reichman
dreamed of – and created – an academic
environment where the faculty and the
students are partners. Accordingly, professors are readily available to the students and, in fact, share a cafeteria. It is
to the credit of Reichman’s vision that
many of the students’ academic diffi-
Prof. Uriel Reichman (left) and Jonathan Davis at a graduation ceremony
“
In a recent survey by
the Israeli National
Student Union,
IDC Herzliya ranked
first, for the fourth
consecutive year, for
students' satisfaction
with the quality of the
teaching, as well as
with the facilities.
“
culties are solved over lunch or a cup
of coffee under the eucalyptus trees on
the cafeteria deck. Undoubtedly, this approach has contributed to the university's
growing popularity.
In fact, in a recent survey by the Israeli
National Student Union, IDC Herzliya
ranked first, for the fourth consecutive
year, for student satisfaction with the qual-
ity of the teaching, as well as with the facilities.
Full of treasures
In addition to academic excellence, IDC
Herzliya also provides its students with a
visually aesthetic environment in which to
study – striking architecture and magnificent landscaping, all enhanced further with
eye-catching pieces of art and archeological artifacts which are exhibited throughout
the campus, both outdoors and inside the
various buildings.
Our Museum of Communications at the
Sammy Ofer School of Communications
is another attraction on campus. This fascinating museum tells the story of the development of communications around the
globe from the early 20th century to the
present, placing special emphasis on the
documentation of media activities prior to
and during the establishment of the State
of Israel.
IDC Herzliya's campus is full of hidden gems, but there is no doubt that its real
treasures are its human capital – its diverse
and top-notch student body, its remarkably
professional faculty, and its devoted leadership – all of whom, together, have created
a unique academic Garden of Eden in only
20 years.
Jonathan Davis is IDC Herzliya's Vice President of
External Relations and Head of the Raphael Recanati
International School
For more information about IDC Herzliya,
visit www.idc.ac.il.
Prepare to be accepted
In addition to expertly preparing students for Israeli and foreign university
entrance exams in English, YedaPlus provides comprehensive admissions
coaching to those planning to study abroad W Rebecca Kopans
M
ore than anything else, the
key to being accepted to a
specific university lies in a
single number: the score one
obtains on a standardized entrance exam. However, to achieve the highest possible score on these tests, knowledge and ambition simply aren't enough.
Prospective students gain a competitive
edge by learning relevant test-taking techniques and practicing the skills necessary
for succeeding on a given test.
Enter YedaPlus, the boutique institute
that specializes in maximizing the chances
to be accepted to excellent university programs both in Israel and overseas. In addition to providing first-rate preparatory
classes for entrance exams such as the SAT,
GMAT, GRE and TOEFL, YedaPlus assists
with the entire application process – matching students to universities and assisting in
preparing the personal statements, while
guiding them through what is often a confusing and complicated procedure.
Top-notch staff
YedaPlus has two convenient locations:
in Ramat Gan's Diamond Center district
off the Ayalon highway and in Haifa's
Checkpost neighborhood. Its dedicated and
professional staff teaches all the preparatory courses in English. Since all of the entrance exams are administered in English,
including those required for Israeli academic programs, it's a significant advantage to
prepare for these exams in the language in
which one has to take them.
Another major benefit of studying at
YedaPlus is that class sizes are limited to no
more than 20 people. Each student receives
individual attention, and classroom sessions
are supplemented with private tutoring at
no extra fee. Furthermore, students are able
to get real time practice with simulations
and in the ‘marathon’ test sessions that take
place prior to the real exam. YedaPlus’ educational approach helps students maximize
their score by allowing them to repeat test
preparation courses as often as they like,
without having to pay extra, for a full year!
According to Director and Co-owner
Andrea Lang-Raz, “The success of Yeda
Plus's students can largely be attributed
to the top-notch teaching staff. We have a
small staff that teach multiple courses and
are highly committed and experienced. All
are English speakers who scored in the 95th
percentile or better on the exams they teach.
They feel that it is their mission to help each
and every student achieve the best possible
results.”
Preparatory courses are 2-3 months long.
Students can choose between courses that
meet two evenings a week for four hours at
a time, or courses that meet once a week on
Friday mornings for six hours.
SAT
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a
standardized test required for admission to
undergraduate degrees in the United States
and certain other countries. A well-kept secret is the fact that most Israeli universities
accept SAT scores in lieu of the Israeli psychometric test. “We strongly recommend
that, with the university's confirmation,
Israelis who are comfortable with English
take the SAT and not the psychometric
exam,” notes Lang-Raz.
Not only is the SAT easier than the psychometric, its preparation course takes
only about two months, as opposed to 4-5
months for the psychometric exam. Also,
the SAT is offered six times a year, whereas
there are only two dates for the psychometric exam. Another consideration is that the
SAT is much less expensive and, unlike the
psychometric exam, calculators are permitted and there are breaks during the test.
If those reasons aren't sufficient, people
who took both the SAT and the psychometric exam almost always achieved higher
scores on the SAT. “Since the SAT is accepted both in Israel and abroad, it's a wise
choice for anyone who isn't sure where he
or she will study,” asserts Lang-Raz.
The SAT consists of ten sections, divided into three parts: Writing (which checks
grammar and vocabulary), Critical Reading
and Math. YedaPlus's unique preparation
program has proven itself, with hundreds of
students succeeding on the SAT every year.
GMAT and GRE
The Graduate Management Admissions
Test (GMAT) is used by most MBA programs as the principal tool for selecting
MBA students. It is administered on a computer and measures quantitative, verbal
and writing skills. Israeli business schools
usually focus on the applicants' score on
the quantitative section, while international programs care about the overall scores.
Since the GMAT is always administered in
English, taking an English-language preparation course provides an extra edge for
non-native English speakers, as they will be
more comfortable with the English terminology than those who took a preparatory
course in Hebrew.
The Graduate Record Examination
(GRE), a standardized test required for admission to graduate programs in the U.S.,
Canada and several other countries, is designed for students seeking Masters and
PhD degrees in fields other than Business,
Law or Medicine. It is also required for
certain Israeli university programs, such as
the four-year Medical School track (GRE
Biochemistry) and some Psychology programs, as well as for those applying to the
prestigious Foreign Ministry cadet course.
Students applying to graduate degree
programs in Israel who hold undergraduate degrees from universities abroad are
often required to have GRE scores. The
GRE consists of three parts: Analytical
Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative
Reasoning.
TOEFL and IELTS
Another popular exam for which
YedaPlus prepares students is the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Widely used all over the world to assess
mastery of the English language for aca-
TESTIMONIALS
Lia Weiner
Accepted to a B.A at Yale
University
“YedaPlus gave me an excellent
learning environment with
structured time and an opportunity
to meet like-minded students.
They did everything they could to
facilitate my studies.”
Yamen Abbas
Accepted to a B.A. at Harvard,
Amherst, MIT and Columbia
“I just received incredible news!
Left: Students learn techniques for taking entrance exams. Above: YedaPlus's devoted staff
demic purposes, TOEFL is obligatory for
anyone applying to undergraduate or graduate programs abroad who has never before
studied in an English-language institution.
The TOEFL test comprises four sections:
Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.
Doing well on the TOEFL requires both
strategy and knowledge. At YedaPlus, students learn how to take the test, including
tricks and techniques, from the experienced
staff. Even people who are fluent English
speakers are urged to take the one-day
workshop that teaches them the correct testtaking strategies.
The International English Language
Testing System (IELTS) is very similar to
TOEFL, with the main differences being that
it uses British English rather than American
English and that it includes a live face-toface interview. In addition to the academic
IELTS test required by certain universities,
there is also a general test option for immi-
gration and work purposes in countries such
as Canada, Australia and the UK.
Admissions applications
YedaPlus makes it possible for Israelis
to have international experiences abroad
within an academic framework, which
serves to enrich their professional experiences when they return to Israel. Andrea
Lang-Raz stresses that “the application
process abroad is 100% different from
the Israeli system, which only looks at
psychometric test scores. Abroad, it is a
holistic process which takes into account
the applicant's entire profile – who they
are, their thoughts, their character, their
experiences, etc…” YedaPlus coaches applicants to foreign universities throughout
the admissions process, helping them build
a strategy, working with them to ensure
that their personal essays are as effective
20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Andrea Lang-Raz, the Director and co-owner of YedaPlus,
made Aliyah from the United States in 2002. She has a
Masters in Education from Columbia University and has
dedicated her 20-year career to teaching professional
English and helping students submit strong admissions
applications to universities. She has developed a unique
system for admissions strategy and application building that
is fundamental to YedaPlus's achievements and reputation in Andrea Lang-Raz
this field.
For the past 14 years, Lang-Raz has taught Business English at the Technion,
where she was honored with the title of Lecturer of Distinction. In addition to
being a certified Teacher of English as a Foreign Language, she has also taught
English through movement to children and has developed various Englishteaching and presentation techniques for different audiences.
Moreover, Lang-Raz is highly experienced in preparing senior management
from top Israeli companies to give presentations to English language audiences.
“In presentations as in admissions applications, the idea is to know what you
want to say and then to find the best, most effective way of communicating it to
the target audience. That was how I moved from Business English Coaching to
admissions applications for MBA candidates and now for all degree applications,”
she explains.
as possible, and preparing them for their
interview. Lang-Raz, who heads a team
of six international application coaches,
is personally involved with each case and
shares her vast knowledge and experience
with the applicants. “High scores aren't
enough,” she explains. “Foreign universities are looking for candidates with experience, leadership skills and internationalism, among other traits.”
Although Israelis mainly seek to go
abroad for their Masters or PhD degrees,
there is also a sizeable group interested in
getting their B.A. of B.S. at American universities. Colleges in the U.S. are more expensive than in Israel, but many American
schools offer scholarships to athletes and
to gifted students from other countries.
Furthermore, some of the top Ivy League
schools have a “need-blind” admissions
policy whereby they accept students regardless of their financial situation, and
guarantee financial aid to those who can't
afford the tuition costs, and in some cases
even subsidizing the flight tickets.
YedaPlus has adapted the system traditionally used for applying to competitive
MBA programs to include applications to
all academic degrees. The process starts
with brainstorming for content and identifying prominent characteristics and personality traits. The next step is to build a
strategy for presenting the student to the
admissions committee and matching the
student to appropriate schools and, finally,
refining the written application so that it
is written in a highly effective manner that
presents the candidate in the best possible
light. YedaPlus oversees the professional
preparation of the various segments of the
application – from the Resumé, Personal
Statement or Statement of Purpose, and
Writing Sample for PhD applications, to
reviewing Letters of Recommendation and
preparing for the Interview.
For a free orientation session and trial class,
call 1-700-709907. For more information, go to
www.yedaplus.com.
I got ‘early acceptance’ letters from
Harvard, Columbia and Amherst
with full financial aid! Needless to
say, I'm incredibly happy! I can't
express how much I appreciate
the help and encouragement of
the YedaPlus staff during the
application process.”
Hana Amara
Accepted to a B.A. at
Brandeis, full scholarship
“YedaPlus has helped me reach
my goals and further my education.
With their help I am going to the
university of my dreams. I would
like to thank them for their patience
and dedication.”
Shachar Amit
Accepted to a B.A. at NYU,
USC and UCLA
“Getting into the top film schools
was a difficult task, made easy
and enjoyable due to the kind
and productive assistance of the
YedaPlus staff, including Ran, who
helped me compose beautiful essays,
and of course Linda, whose endless
wisdom and experience in taking
standardized tests allowed me to
reach my full potential. Thanks!”
Politics in the age of
global communication
Why do so many international students choose to study Political Science and Political Communication at
Tel Aviv University? Probably because of the expert faculty, the experience gained during fascinating site
visits, the networking and career-building opportunities and the diverse student body W David Zeller
T
he program's appeal can also be attributed to the fact that it is located
in Tel Aviv, the “city that never
sleeps,” where students are constantly debating global and local
politics, both inside and outside the classroom.
ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS
•
An exciting year
Tel Aviv University's M.A. in Political
Science and Political Communication is
a one-year, full-time program taught in
English, which offers Israeli and international students academic excellence, attention to development of practical skills and
outstanding extracurricular opportunities.
During an exciting year in Israel, renowned scholars and leading practitioners
allow students to sharpen their abilities and
explore future opportunities. A variety of
academic trips guided by top specialists
enables students to meet with political leaders and prominent journalists and to visit
Israel's governmental, parliamentary and
media institutions, among other sites of interest.
The global student body hails from all
over the world, including from Asia, Eastern
and Western Europe, and North and South
America. This diversity leverages discussions that are an integral part of the program's curriculum, taking them to new directions and emphasizing the complexity of
politics in the age of global communication.
Students are encouraged to take up extracurricular activities and supplement their
academic work with internships at organizations ranging from preeminent political
and research institutes to communication
teams and diplomatic missions.
Unique interdisciplinary
approach
The program prepares students for employment in various roles, such as: Political
•
•
“
This program is unique in the way it provides
tools for studying the special relationship
between politics and communication.
“
Analysts, Campaign Managers, Lobbyists,
Parliamentary Assistants, Communication
Consultants, Journalists, Diplomats, Academics and more.
“This program is unique in its interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of
politics and in providing tools for the study
of the special relationship between politics
and communication,” notes Prof. Amal
Jamal, the Program's Academic Director.
“Studying Political Communication here in
Tel Aviv gives students a unique look at the
impact that the communication revolution
is having on the political conduct of leaders
in democratic settings. Leadership in our
region is challenged by the special attention
Local
Global
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
For your free introductory offer, please call: +972-3-512-1222
or e-mail: inyt@haaretz.co.il
Campaign code: 5138
Kincino Aramis Hernandes
Melgar, Mexico: “Academic
excellence, a practical approach to
politics, networking and internship
opportunities are why this program
is a strong option. Having the
Mediterranean beaches close by is
also important!”
Aliza Goldsmith, USA: “My
time here has been absolutely
remarkable. I can't imagine
a better place in the world to
study Political Science, since we
are constantly debating global
politics both inside and outside the
classroom.”
Iva Isakov, Serbia: “I have
had some great networking
opportunities and have experienced
in this period of time more than
most people do in ten years.
Chances are you will be looking
back on it as one of the best choices
you have ever made. I know I do!”
Jacqueline Kelly, USA: “My
experience being a part of the
program has given me a lifetime
of opportunities and experiences.
It enabled me to take part in
fascinating internships, and
to attend and help co-ordinate
conferences. It also challenged me
as an individual.”
•
of the global media, and this turns our setting into a great aquarium for studying how
the globalization of the media influences
patterns of behavior of elected leaders,” he
concludes.
For more information: E-mail: politicom@post.tau.ac.il,
website: http://socsci.tau.ac.il/politicom.
NEW TEL AVIV CENTER
The Midrasha’s new center
in Tel Aviv for art, education
and culture, which opened at
19 Hayarkon Street in January
2014, is a welcome expansion
of the Midrasha’s activity and
involvement in the field of art
and culture in Israel. Located on
two floors, with a space of 500
sq.m., it includes an art gallery
(replacing the previous gallery at
34 Dizengoff St.), with designated
areas for screening video and
film, seminars and conferences,
community activities, lectures
for the general public, art and art
education archives, and a library.
The aim is to serve as a stage
for presenting the work of artists,
theoreticians and educators as part
of events for the general public. In
addition, the site offers its facilities
for special projects in need of
premises, and thus functions as
an active hothouse for cultural
activity.
Nadav Ben-Nun, the Midrasha
The art of
teaching art
Beit Berl’s Faculty of Arts – the Midrasha – is the leading academic
institution in Israel for training teachers and artists in the fields of
plastic arts and cinematography W Ella Lavon
T
he uniqueness of Beit Berl's
Midrasha stems from its decades
of tradition and from the generations of artists who have taught
there, while at the same time integrating new concepts, trends and variations
in contemporary art with an emphasis on
the “spirit of the time.”
Artistic pluralism
The Midrasha awards a B.Ed.F.A. undergraduate degree in education and fine art,
a B.Ed.F.A. in film, and a M.Ed. Masters
degree in art education. In addition, courses
are offered for certificates in art, film studies, art therapy, art teachers and a pre-academic art program for the Arab sector.
The Midrasha's teachers are among the
best artists and film-makers in Israel, and
they espouse a range of sometimes clashing
viewpoints, representing the spirit of the
Midrasha both in their own creations and as
teachers – a wide pluralism that embraces a
variety of worldviews, resulting in a fruitful and vigorous debate. This approach en-
ables students to develop their own critical
thinking and to formulate their own unique
artistic path.
The Midrasha strives to provide its students with a firm grasp of the art-related
body of knowledge, while reinforcing
and refining their own creative output. Art
is imbibed as a language and as a way of
thinking, while the practical infrastructure
of design is acquired.
The combination of studying art and
studying art education enables students to
be involved in culture both as creative art-
ists and as art educators.
This meeting between hands-on engagement in art and art teaching compels
students to define their own position and
philosophy relating to art in particular and
to culture in general. By studying different approaches and outlooks in the artistic
sphere, the students formulate their own
credo which they will later advocate when
teaching art.
Important cultural center
Over the years, the Midrasha has developed into a cultural center. Its teachers, most of them Midrasha graduates,
are among the most prominent artists and
film-makers in Israel, and have been responsible for designing important artistic
and cultural endeavors – both as artists and
as teachers who train the next generations
of artists.
The Midrasha’s formative, central place
in Israeli culture is manifested far beyond
the realm of art instruction. It is seen and
heard with fervor in the local artistic dialogue as well as on different occasions.
The Midrasha operates four galleries,
publishes a unique journal, hosts a wide
variety of guest lecturers, organizes study
days on different topics, engages in joint
projects with other cultural institutions and
hosts guest lecturers/artists from overseas,
among many other activities.
Open House at the Midrasha is March 16-20, 2014.
For more information about Beit Berl College, please visit:
www.beitberl.ac.il or call 09-7478788.
Raising the bar
The College of Law and Business in Ramat Gan has recently
inaugurated a program that is the first of its kind in Israel – a law
degree taught jointly in Hebrew and English, whose graduates will be
able to take both the Israeli and New York bar exams W Rebecca Kopans
T
he new program, which opened in
February 2014, is a perfect solution
for anyone interested in studying
law in Israel but whose Hebrew
skills aren't adequate to do so in an
all-Hebrew program. Although during the
first year most of the courses are conducted
in English, the foreign students are gradually integrated into classes taught in Hebrew.
The goal is that by the end of the three and a
half year program, they will have improved
their Hebrew skills so significantly that
they will succeed in passing the Israeli bar
exam – which is administered exclusively
in Hebrew.
“The world of law is changing,” explains
Professor Moshe Cohen-Eliya, Dean of
the Law School at the College of Law and
Business. “Unlike fields such as business or
medicine, law is difficult to make global,
since it is closely connected to culture and
language. However, in recent years, law has
also become much more international, with
large American law firms going global and
even opening branches in Israel.”
A natural outcome of this trend, according to Prof. Cohen-Eliya, is that law
schools are adopting a more international
approach. In fact, in countries such as India,
China and Spain, there are already global
law schools taught entirely in English. This
global outlook is replacing the traditionally
insular, country-based legal education.
Advantages of studying
in Israel
The College of Law and Business (CLB)
was founded in 1995 in Ramat Gan's business district by top law professors from the
Hebrew University and offers a first-class
academic degree. The college offers degree
Students from CLB's new bilingual law program
programs in law, business administration
$40,000-50,000 a year – in the U.S., one
and accounting, providing students with a
can come to Israel, where annual tuition
high quality education alongside practical,
is only around $10,000, and study for just
hands-on experience.
three and a half years,” he says.
CLB is dedicated to championing huIn addition to the huge savings in both
man rights and serving the surrounding
time and money, many Diaspora Jews are
community, which it does through its legal
eager to strengthen their Jewish identity by
clinics, tutoring programs and petitions to
coming in Israel. “I believe in ‘open door
the High Court on matters of social justice.
Zionism,’” asserts Cohen-Eliya. “People
It is an independent, non-profit
can come to our Law School
organization that is completely
even if they're not sure they
self-supporting and non-reliant
want to stay here in the longon government or public fundrun. If they want to return home
ing.
after a year, they can apply the
CLB was the first of all Israeli
credits they receive here and
academic institutions to apcontinue their law degree at one
ply to the Council for Higher
of the prestigious law schools
Education to open a four-year
with which we have an arrangement.” Furthermore, those who
Law and Business degree to be
complete the program are elitaught entirely in English. The
gible to take both the Israeli and
bilingual program that was recently inaugurated is the first
the New York bar exams, which
step in realizing this vision. Prof. Professor Moshe
is a very significant benefit for
Cohen-Eliya is optimistic that Cohen-Eliya
future lawyers who aren't sure
the all-English degree program
where they will settle down and
will be approved in the next few months, in
for those seeking an international career.
which case it will be launched in October
2016. CLB intends to offer a double degree
First class
in law and business which will be an elite
The initial class of 17 students who just
program designed to appeal to an international student body made up of foreigners
began studying in the new bilingual program is a heterogeneous group. Although
and olim.
they are mainly new immigrants from
Prof. Cohen-Eliya believes that EnglishNorth America, others hail from France,
language and bilingual academic programs
Germany, Belgium, Slovakia and other
have a special appeal to the North American
countries, representing a range of ages,
Jewish community. “College is extremely
backgrounds and Hebrew proficiency.
expensive in the United States, and law can
The program is taught by first-rate
only be studied at a graduate school level
lecturers, many of whom are from top
after four years of college. In Israel, you
universities in the United States. While
can study law as an undergraduate degree,
most of the first-year classes are taught in
and tuition is significantly cheaper. Instead
English – including Jurisprudence, Israeli
of spending seven years – and around
Photos: Louise Green
Constitutional Law and Legal Systems
– there are also several classes in the first
year conducted in Hebrew, such as Contract
Law and Criminal Law. There is also a special Legal Writing course, which is effectively an ulpan to teach the foreigners legal
writing in Hebrew.
During the classes taught in Hebrew,
a special tutor is available for the English
speakers to help them understand the lecture and to provide support. Students in the
bilingual program are also able to submit
papers and exams in English.
During the second and third years of the
program, as the students' Hebrew improves,
the proportion of classes taught in English
will diminish and most of their classes will
be in Hebrew. Overall, half of their credit
units will be in English and half in Hebrew.
Prof. Cohen-Eliya envisions the new
program to be an integrative track which
will enable the Israeli students to improve
their English skills just as the foreign students improve their Hebrew. “It is a winwin model,” he notes. “Israelis are also encouraged to take classes in English and we
would like to pair English speakers with native Hebrew speakers so that they can help
each other.”
The program will also offer students a
variety of possibilities for studying and
training abroad, including a course on
copyright in the Internet era held at Oxford,
Netanel Kimchi (left) and fellow students in class
a course on international commercial arbitration at the headquarters of the ICC in
Paris, clerkships at the immigration clinic
run by Harvard University and more.
Students will also be eligible to participate
in the prestigious Clara Barton International
Humanitarian Law Competition funded by
the International Red Cross.
“Happy to be here”
Netanel Kimchi, 24, grew up in Montreal,
Canada and knows Hebrew from his Israeli
parents. He recently moved to Israel in order to join the pioneer class of CLB's new
bilingual law program. Having always been
involved in pro-Israel activism in North
America, Netanel plans to formally make
aliya. “My goal in life is that when I'll be
40 I'll represent Israel on an international
level,” he says.
Very interested in both law and politics, he believes that an international
program such as the one at CLB can be
LEGAL CLINIC AT HARVARD
One of the great perks of studying law at the College of Law and Business in Ramat
Gan is the opportunity to participate in international exchange programs. Kayla Zecher,
25, a third-year law student at CLB whose family immigrated to Israel from Pittsburgh
11 years ago, was the first Israeli student to attend Harvard Law School's Immigration
and Refugee Clinic last summer. “For eight weeks I worked with refugees and asylum
seekers from Uganda,” she says. “At Harvard, they are experts on refugee law, which is
a young field that is not yet well-developed in Israel. I worked with an amazing supervisor and it was a great experience.”
Kayla plans to pursue the field of immigration law after she completes her degree.
For the past five years, she has been involved with the African Refugee Development
Center in South Tel Aviv and she currently works for a task force on human trafficking.
Although she enjoys her studies at CLB, Kayla says that she is “jealous of those in
the new bilingual program, since I am much more comfortable with English.” After her
experience at Harvard, she already has her eye on other exciting opportunities at CLB
partner universities in the U.S. for next summer.
extremely beneficial to his career. “I will
have the opportunity to take both the
Israeli and the New York bars, which is
very rare,” explains Netanel, “and I am
sure that it will open up doors for me
internationally.”
“I am very happy to be here,” he continues. “The professors are top-notch and
I enjoy listening to them. In fact, I just sat
through a three-hour class without going on
Facebook even once!”
Another student who just started the program for English-speakers is Ruth Cohen,
29. She grew up in London and made aliya
eight years ago.
Ruth already has several academic degrees, including both a B.A. and M.A. in
English Literature, and works as a corporate finance project manager for an Israeli
technology company. She is interested in
studying corporate law and believes that
a law degree from CLB “is a great way to
open my horizons.”
Like Netanel, Ruth says that she is “very
happy” with her decision. “It is nice to be
with an international group, and the standards are very high. There is also a lot of
support from the administration and I like
the fact that the dean has an open-door policy,” she notes.
For more information about the College of Law and
Business in Ramat Gan and the new bilingual law
program, please visit www.clb.ac.il or call 03-6000888.
“
During the classes
taught in Hebrew,
a special tutor is
available for the
English speakers
to help them
understand the
lecture. Students in
the bilingual program
are also able to
submit papers and
exams in English.
“
The AIS Heritage Wall
An excellent education
The more we visit the Even Yehuda campus of the Walworth Barbour American International
School in Israel (WBAIS) − for various events, the library or the AIS Summer Program − the more
we discover the excellent qualities of this unique school W David Fischer
A
t WBAIS, we encounter the
smiling faces of 550 children, from Pre-Kindergarten
through Grade 12, representing 50 different nationalities.
These children study in a challenging academic environment, receiving preparation
that will support them in the future.
American standards
WBAIS provides an educational program
based on United States curriculum standards and is accredited by the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools. It is
one of only five international schools to earn
the International Credential. Specialized
programs accelerate English language acquisition, prepare students for challenging
colleges, provide modern language instruction in Hebrew, French or Spanish, and differentiate instruction to address individual
learning styles.
This is achieved through meaningful
learning activities in a creative and positive learning environment in which students
genuinely enjoy learning. A low teacherstudent ratio of 1 to 10 promotes this type of
excellent education.
The student body is comprised of international students from diplomatic missions, non-governmental organizations and
multi-national companies, complemented
by a host country presence of Israelis.
This heterogeneous student body provides
unique learning experiences found only in
schools of this type.
Magnificent campus
Many articles have been written about
the magnificent campus in Even Yehuda.
However, reality supersedes the imagination – there is nothing like seeing it with
your own eyes. The campus is situated on
74 dunams, designed to meet the needs of
the students and to promote their growth.
While the campus is impressive, the
most important component of WBAIS is
a professional, dedicated and caring faculty who collaborate with students and
parents to implement the school’s mission.
This mission emphasizes respecting others, contributing to the community, helping
students reach their potential, exposing students to the broader world and instilling a
passion for lifelong learning.
In addition, WBAIS continues its efforts to “green the school.” Projects include
protecting the environment through the
Ecology Club, the GAIA project (Global
Awareness, Investigation & Action) and the
development and cultivation of green areas
on the campus.
Model UN Conference
From February 16-18, 2014, the school
hosted The Israeli Middle East Model
United Nations Conference (TIMEMUN).
At this conference, organized annually by
WBAIS for the past 14 years, the students
develop thinking, analytical and speaking
skills, as well as the ability to resolve problems through dialogue and communication.
They also learn how to debate (in English)
by simulating the format of the United
Nations Assembly.
Students study the material for several
months prior to the conference, which takes
place over three days and includes 500 students from Israel as well as other countries
in the world.
“Education for Values” is not just a slogan. At the American International School,
the small classes, the professional, warm
and caring teachers, as well as the attentive administrators in collaboration with the
parents, make the school a source of inspiration and hope.
In addition to the main campus in Even
Yehuda, WBAIS operates a branch campus
in Jerusalem.
For more information about the American International
School: www.wbais.net, Tel. 09-8901023,
email: registrar@wbais.net.
For further enquiries Please Call the registrar at: 09-8901023
or email: registrar@wbais.net or website:www.wbais.net
More information on our website www.wbais.net
Building resilience
TEL-HAI COLLEGE
A hub of academia, research
and community programs, Tel-Hai
College is a critical engine for the
development of the Galilee and the
State of Israel. Growing rapidly
since its establishment in 1996,
Tel-Hai is today a leading academic
institution that significantly
increases accessibility to higher
education to students of the
periphery, in the periphery.
Located in one of Israel’s
most strategic regions and most
beautiful landscapes, Tel-Hai
College attracts students and
faculty from across the country
to undergraduate and graduate
level academic studies in sciences,
humanities and social sciences.
The Stress, Trauma and
Resilience Studies Program is a
beacon of academic innovation
and also an inspiring example of
how academia can serve social
needs and community growth – in
the Galilee, in Israel and around
the world.
The Stress, Trauma and Resilience Studies
Program began as a single course in the
Department of Social Work at Tel-Hai College.
Today it is a full-fledged three-year program
that combines theoretical studies in emergency
mental health and social work with hands-on
practice in the field − the only one of its kind in
Israel and probably the world W Rachel Sachs
I
n 2006, terrorists entered the northern
border town of Rajar, sending over 100
schoolchildren to spend over 12 long
hours in bomb shelters – without food,
water or their parents.The students in
Tel-Hai College's Stress and Trauma course
came to their aid, planning a day filled
with activities designed to reduce stress
and trauma symptoms, and drawing attention to the immediate need for an extensive
program that would train first responders in
mental health emergency situations.
Top left: The beautiful Leven Campus, Tel-Hai College. Above and left: A delegation from
Tel-Hai's Department of Social Work helping typhoon victims in the Philippines
Graduates in key positions
The main goal of the Stress, Trauma and
Resilience Studies Program is to train first
responders, giving them the best professional skills for emergency mental health
intervention. The number of applicants to
the program has tripled over the years, yet
only 25 students who show added value
in term of resilience, leadership and social
abilities are accepted. The students' training
is based on original and innovative models
that were developed at Tel-Hai College,
and that focus on reducing and eliminating trauma symptoms as soon as possible,
sometimes within seconds or minutes of the
traumatic event itself.
Graduates of the program have become
an integral part of the national trauma relief
and support network – in the IDF, search
and rescue units, police, hospital emergency rooms and numerous other institutions
across the country that employ program
graduates and work with the students and
faculty in real-life events.
Recent data show that over 50% of the
new mental health officers in the IDF are
graduates of the program. Over a third of
the program's graduates continue on to
higher academic degrees, others volunteer
with humanitarian efforts around the world
and all graduates find work in either public
or private organizations in the field.
Reaching out to the
Philippines
The typhoon that hit the Philippines in
November 2013 left behind ruin, loss and
widespread devastation. Four weeks after
the powerful winds stormed the islands, a
small but determined delegation from the
Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program at
Tel-Hai College joined the overall relief efforts of the humanitarian organizations Brit
Olam and Natan.
“The delegation's mission was to perform focused interventions for the prevention of post-trauma symptoms. We
also came to train local professionals and
leadership to build community resilience,
as well as training over 1,200 teachers
and working with over 2,500 children,”
reported Dr. Moshe Farchi, founder and
director of the Resilience Program at TelHai College.
Tal, one of the two students who joined
Dr. Farchi, adds: “We were in a small town
called Guiuan, a tiny spot at the tip of an
island called Samar, one of 7,107 islands
that make up the Philippines. I could
never have imagined wind could be as
powerful as to tear apart an entire world.
I don’t think I have heard one bird chirp
since I got here. It is moving to see the
people return to their daily lives, slowly
but surely. It isn’t easy and their progress
is inevitably slow, but it can be felt. And
it is incredible to be a part of this strong
and smiling nation's process of rebuilding
itself, one day at a time.”
For more information about Tel-Hai College and its
Department of Social Work, go to: www.telhai.ac.il
Healing society
The Occupational Therapy Department at the Ono Academic College
believes that people with disabilities – cognitive as well as physical –
should be equal members of society. Its students apply their theoretical
studies to create actual change in the lives of people with disabilities in
Israel and in society as a whole W Moshe Suissa
E
veryone in Israel has heard of the
term “accessible,” but most of us
are only aware of the physical aspect: ramps for wheelchair-users,
sign-language translation for the
hard of hearing and traffic lights that talk
or beep to help blind people cross the street
safely. But there is one field which few are
aware of, despite the fact that it affects hundreds of thousands of Israelis – cognitive
accessibility.
Cognitive accessibility
“Our world is centered on information,
and in many cases this information is not
accessible to people whose ability to understand it is limited or different,” explains
Dr. Shira Yalon-Chamovitz, Director of the
Occupational Therapy Department at the
Ono Academic College. “Cognitive accessibility is the way to make this information clear and comprehensible to the entire
population.”
This last paragraph is an excellent example: many people wouldn't understand it.
Cognitive accessibility makes it possible to
help these people cope with such complex
situations. Another example is large hospitals, where it is often difficult for anyone to
find their way around. Clearer and simpler
signs – accessible signs – would make it
much easier to avoid getting lost. At Ichilov
Hospital in Tel Aviv, for example, there is a
lovely project run by volunteers who themselves are disabled. They provide assistance
to whoever needs help reaching their destination in the hospital.
Another example has to do with telephone answering systems. Everyone knows
how it feels: you call customer support and
an automatic system spews out a series of
commands at the speed of light: press 1,
press 2, press 1 again, etc… Tens of thousands of Israelis simply despair and hang
up. Exactly for this reason, the accessible
service regulations were recently enacted,
requiring service providers to enable people to speak with a live operator or a clear,
slow-paced recording. “These are classic
examples of cognitive accessibility which
improves quality of life,” notes YalonChamovitz, “just as a ramp improve the
quality of life for people who use wheelchairs.”
ideal service in order to perform the jobs
and occupations that are important to them.
As occupational therapists, we have the
tools from the perspective of knowing the
environment as well as from the perspective
of knowing the person, including of course
people with disabilities."
New regulations
The Occupational Therapy Department
at the Ono Academic College places a
very strong emphasis on the environment
In addition to being the Director of the
– adapting a person's closest environment –
Occupational Therapy Department at the
but also in the larger sense of accessibility
Ono Academic College and a consultant to
in Israel. Thus, for example, in the course
the Ministry of Justice's Commission for
of their studies, the Occupational Therapy
Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
students learn about the subject of accessibility and carry out accessibility surveys.
Dr. Yalon-Chamovitz is also licensed as an
What is unique is the emphasis
accessible service expert and is
placed on the field of cognitive
currently the head of an innovative
accessibility.
institute for cognitive accessibility founded by the Ono Academic
As part of Ono Academic
College and Nagish.
College's belief in social responsibility and applied academics,
As a result of the Equal Rights
the students conducted surveys
Law for Persons with Disabilities,
in a range of locations, evaluating
two new professions were born:
the extent to which they are acthe first is licensed accessibility
cessible. Now that the accessible
experts for buildings, infrastructure and the environment; the
service regulations have gone
second is licensed accessibility
into effect, all service providers
experts for service. These are the Dr. Shira Yalon– both public and private – are
people who are supposed to im- Chamovitz
required to assess themselves and
plement the solutions and provide
their accessibility to the whole
answers to the general public on the subject
population.
of service accessibility.
The students evaluated the places where
These licensed service accessibility exthey are undergoing professional and cliniperts include numerous occupational theracal training: hospitals, clinics, schools,
pists, and for a good reason. “As a profeskindergartens, occupational frameworks,
sion, occupational therapy touches on the
hostels, community housing, etc… After
interface between people, their occupation
completing their review, they shared their
and their environment,” claims Yalonfindings with the institutions in question,
Chamovitz. “Actually, when we talk about
and in several cases the students' studies
service accessibility, we are referring to the
were used in order to improve actual accessibility.
creation of an accessible environment – an
The accessible service regulations in
environment in which people can receive
the area of cognitive accessibility in Israel
are among the most advanced in the world.
Although the actual situation in Israel today
is not good, the regulations are stringent
and progressive even when compared with
the most advanced countries. Ironically, the
reason for this has to do with the fact that
Israel is so far behind in this field. “In other
countries laws were legislated and regulations were passed many years ago, while
in Israel the legislation process is only now
taking place. For example, the accessible
service regulations were only passed two
months ago, so that we had an opportunity
to learn from the rest of the world,” notes
Yalon-Chamovitz, “and at the same time
we are able to include subjects such as cognitive accessibility that haven't yet been
considered by other countries.”
Licensed accessibility
experts
Taking responsibility
Occupational therapy students
Occupational therapy studies at the Ono
Academic College are interdisciplinary.
The students receive knowledge from the
medical fields – orthopedics, anatomy and
more – as well as from the social sciences
– psychology, sociology, etc… Moreover,
they are presented the unique approach
to occupational therapy which focuses on
human functioning and occupation, understanding how to take people who are
coping with a disability or difficulty and
bringing them to a state where they can
function.
The occupational therapy students absorb this body of knowledge and implement it in real-life situations. They don't
just study; they provide hands-on assistance to various sectors of society and help
them focus on what is most important in
their lives.
“We train our students to work with a
very wide range of populations – from preterm babies to the elderly, and everyone
in between,” clarifies Yalon-Chamovitz.
“Furthermore, we train them to work with
every type of challenge: physical disabilities, emotional disabilities, mental disabilities, sensual and cognitive disabilities. We
do this by giving the students the tools that
enable them to first of all understand human functioning.”
One of the most powerful tools in occupational therapy is activity analysis, which
enables the occupational therapist to evaluate everything a person does or considers
important in his life, understand the components of the activity and be able to provide a
response – improving the person's abilities
or changing his environment in a manner
WHAT IS COGNITIVE
ACCESSIBILITY?
that allows him to function better. Usually,
a combination of both is necessary.
Students at the Ono Academic College
study the most up-to-date evidence-based
professional know-how. But this is not
enough. Another unique focus of the Ono
Academic College occupational therapy
program is the emphasis placed on combining this know-how with concepts from
disability studies as a foundation for training the students. In simple language, people
with disabilities are considered a minority
group and the attitude towards people with
disabilities is that they are full partners in
society.
“In the treatment process, I don't approach the patient with the attitude that I
know a priori what is right for him. Rather,
we are partners in the process,” says the
department head. “It is a dialogue with the
service recipient, to understand what is important to him and how I can put my professional tools at his disposal.”
Partners in the process
The faculty of the Occupational Therapy
Department at the Ono Academic College
includes lecturers who themselves have
disabilities. For example, Dr. YalonChamovitz teaches a series of classes together with Mr. Yoav Kreim, who is wellknown as an activist in the field of rights
for people with disabilities. These classes
take the professional know-how and the expertise culled from life experience, and, in
a dialogue with the students, create a new
“
As part of Ono
Academic College's
belief in social
responsibility, the
students conducted
surveys to evaluate
accessibility. In several
cases, the students'
studies were used
to improve actual
accessibility.
“
foundation for an inclusive and non-patronizing treatment process.
The program includes a large number of
meetings with people with disabilities who
are active in promoting the rights of people
with disabilities in Israel. The students are
exposed to this subject first-hand through
guest lecturers who are contending with
disabilities themselves.
“To my delight,” points out Dr. YalonChamovitz, “we have been accepted as
partners in JDC's ‘Friending’ project,
where occupational therapy students and
students with cognitive disabilities study
together in the same class about the subject
of communications in the treatment process. This class is a requirement for all our
students and it is in cooperation with Beit
Issie Shapiro. As a result, our students take
part in creating social change as a part of
their academic curriculum.
“For us, as an academic institution, it
is almost taken for granted. Our approach
is that we are part of a society, and therefore we will not confine ourselves to
theoretical knowledge but, rather, we will
try to implement it in real life to promote
change in Israeli society. The interaction
with different people and the joint studying are part of our belief and hope that
in the future our students will become
occupational therapists who will be able
to provide a more egalitarian and cooperative treatment, while paying close attention to the patients' real needs. This
is in contrast to the traditional approach
that asserts that the therapist knows what
is best for the patient,” Yalon-Chamovitz
concludes.
For more information about the Occupational Therapy
Department at the Ono Academic College, visit
www.ono.ac.il.
“Cognitive accessibility
facilitates the ability to
comprehend information and
the environment where we
live,” explains Dr. Shira YalonChamovitz, Director of the
Occupational Therapy Department
at the Ono Academic College.
Cognitive accessibility's
target population consists first
of all of people with intellectual
disabilities. According to data
from the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Social Services,
approximately 35,000 Israelis
fall in this category. However,
this data isn't complete and many
people in the community at large
are not known to the welfare
authorities and do not receive
treatment.
Aside from people with
intellectual disabilities, several
hundred thousand other
people benefit from cognitive
accessibility, such as those with
learning disabilities or any person
who has difficulty with reading,
or those with attention deficit
disorder, as well as the elderly,
stroke patients and head injury
victims.
“At the end of the day,
accessibility is good for
everybody,” declares YalonChamovitz. “Just as most people
will prefer to use a ramp rather
than steps, the same is true for
cognitive accessibility. Most of
us prefer that the information we
receive, for example from cellular
phone companies or insurance
agencies, will be presented in a
clear language.”
The best preschool
experience
Do new directions in the Jerusalem International YMCA Leir Family Preschool mean the end of
long established agendas, or an expansion of existing ones towards new horizons? W David Miron
preschool, and partake in common activities such as swimming (in the YMCA pool)
and music classes. However, the group also
spends one day a week visiting and helping
at a local community garden. Tilling and fertilizing are seen as a method for imbuing a
sense of social and ecological responsibility.
Natural and wholesome
I
nto its fourth decade, the Jerusalem
International YMCA, known for promoting coexistence, is breaking from
its traditional schooling philosophies
into new territories. Aimed at broadening the school’s appeal, the program is now
offering classes with anthroposophic orientation. It has also decided to do away with
catered food services altogether. “These
two changes are complementary, and fully
aligned with our worldview,” says preschool director Alexandra Klein-Franke.
“There is more to come,” she adds.
Recognized for its inclusive multi-lingual approach, the Jerusalem International
YMCA Leir Family Preschool cares for
over 100 students of different faiths from all
over Jerusalem. Children attending one of
the program’s seven classes learn to accept
each other even before they can understand
what that means. To readers around the
world this claim to fame might seem trivial,
but it is in fact an exception in a country rife
with political and cultural tensions.
To the people of the Jerusalem
International YMCA, tolerance and embracing differences are taken for granted,
and the concept’s novelty has long since
been dismissed. Klein-Franke explains that,
“The focus of our program is to provide the
children with the best preschool experience
possible, so that no matter where they continue in life from here, they will always carry this experience with them.” This claim
is backed by the fact that preschool alumni
are now sending their own children to the
YMCA Preschool.
Anthroposophic philosophy
The decision to open an anthroposophic
oriented class represents both a natural de-
cision for Klein-Franke, as well as a strategic one. “We are diversifying our program and offering parents more options,”
she says, while pointing out that, “we are
guided by the spirit of anthroposophic
educational philosophy, if not by the letter.” Schools of this sort are also known as
Waldorf or Steiner Schools.
The approach relies on experiential skillbuilding activities, which allow children to
develop their own interests and imagination. Focus is placed on the use of natural
materials which tend to offer a richer sensorial spectrum. “The breakneck rhythm of
life is slowed down here,” explains KleinFranke. “Consumerism is avoided and indoctrination is out. We yearn for a simpler
era, when things took time to materialize,”
she adds.
The children in the new class spend
daily play-time with the other kids in the
“
Behind each
child is an entire
family, and ahead
of them lies a
future that they
will shape using
values we instill.
“
Compelling educators are KleinFranke’s secret ingredient for success. She
contends that the effect such people have
on children continues to ripple throughout
their lives. “We wanted to diversify into areas I felt strongly about, and we were keen
on bringing about this change with the help
of our experienced staff. Most of them were
not familiar with this approach,” she explains. The YMCA funded a year of training for their selected staff, and also brought
aboard professionals steeped in the matter,
before enrolling their first student. “It’s a
home-grown project,” says Klein-Franke,
who hopes to build on the project’s success
and open more classes next year.
The decision to do away with catered
food services is intrinsically related to the
desire for things natural and wholesome.
The program director explains that, “as
good as the best caterer can be, it still can’t
beat real home-style cooking.” Working
with an organization that helps unemployed, full-time Moms make a living,
Klein-Franke plans to have all food preparation take place on the premises daily. “We
plan to absorb this added expenditure because we feel it is of cardinal importance,”
says Klein-Franke.
The program has also seen the addition
of an art therapist to the preschool staff, and
art therapy activities have been integrated
into the routine schedule. “Part of our underlying philosophy is that each child is
unique, presenting individual skills and
traits, that we view as gifts to be unwrapped
with great care,” concludes Klein-Franke.
Instilling values
YMCA CEO Forsan Hussein looks on at
these unraveling changes with obvious content. “Of all the activities and services we
offer, none fulfills our vision better than the
Preschool. Our message is carried far beyond the individual child enrolled,” he explains. “Behind each child is an entire family, and ahead of them lies a future that they
will shape using values we instill.” In Mr.
Hussein’s view, the intrinsic values associated with the Waldorf education approach
are even more likely to realize his dream
of educating the next generation of Israel’s
ethical leaders. “We want our preschool
children to grow into self-aware adults who
accept others for who and what they are,”
he concludes.
For more information about the Jerusalem International
YMCA and its Preschool, go to www.ymca.org.il.
The school for change
EMIS, a new international high school near Tel Aviv that will open in September 2014, is
recruiting outstanding students from the whole Middle East region and the rest of the world
with the aim of fostering intercultural understanding and social leadership W Ella Lavon
T
he Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS) is a new
English-language international
high school program and boarding school that will welcome its
first class of students in September. The
school will encourage an international and
intercultural worldview and will promote
personal and social leadership through a
shared two-year (11th-12th grades) preuniversity education and living experience.
EMIS will be situated within the beautiful Hakfar-Hayarok, a pastoral kibbutz-style
campus on the border of Tel Aviv and Ramat
Hasharon. Hakfar-Hayarok is well-known
locally for being a premier environmental
leadership school and youth village. EMIS
students and staff will have access to the village’s existing facilities and will be able to
enjoy its broad activity offerings. The EMIS
facilities, including dorms and classes, will
be built using sustainability principles.
Regional and international
The new school's student body will be
comprised of 20% Israelis, 20% Arabs and
Muslims from the Middle East region and
60% other international students – making
it a regional and an international experience
that will empower young leadership in this
region and worldwide.
EMIS will deliberately be located in
a region that has both much to offer and
so much to gain from such a school – the
Middle East, and specifically Israel. “Our
mission is to make education a force for
Teens from around the world enjoying the EMIS Arava summer camp
peace and sustainability in the Middle
East,” explains Oded Rose, the founder and
Chairman of EMIS.
The school is Rose's brainchild; it has
been his dream to found an international
THE I.B. DIPLOMA PROGRAM
The International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Diploma Program prepares high
school students for success in higher education and life in a global society. It
is an academically challenging and balanced program designed to address the
students' intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being. The program has
gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.
The I.B.'s extended essay requirement asks students to engage in independent
research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects
they are studying. I.B. Diploma Program students must choose one subject from
each of five groups, ensuring breadth of knowledge and understanding in their
best language, an additional language, the social sciences, the experimental
sciences and mathematics. In addition, students may choose either an arts
subject or a second subject from one of the other five groups.
Three or four subjects are taken at a higher level (240 teaching hours), while
the other subjects are taken at a standard level (150 teaching hours). Students
study and take examinations in English.
Written examinations are marked by external IB examiners. Students also
complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked
by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to
external examiners. In addition to academic skills, Diploma Program assessment
encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills where appropriate.
Assessment tasks are designed to support and encourage good classroom
teaching and learning.
school in Israel ever since he himself left
Israel as a teenager to attend an international
high school in Canada. He is fulfilling his
dream by teaming up with a dedicated group
of international and local business leaders,
educators, social activists and UWC graduates who want to make a difference in the
Middle East, a region of conflict.
Innovative curriculum
EMIS will welcome students aged 16-18
years old who will go through a meticulous
selection process in their own countries
before they are sent to Israel for two years.
“We are carefully selecting leaders and curious learners who want to meet like-minded students in a two-year life-transforming
international experience,” says Rose.
The admissions office is now open to
outstanding students who are active in their
community. Selected students will be offered need-based full or partial scholarships, ensuring selection is on merit and
potential alone.
EMIS will offer the International
Baccalaureate (I.B.) Diploma, which is accepted by virtually every university around
the world as the leading high school diploma globally. Additionally, the curriculum
will include an exciting mix of community
service, international affairs, outdoor ac-
tivities and creative pursuits.
EMIS will harness Israel's expertise in
eco-education as well as promote social
and business entrepreneurship through
partnerships with leading local academic
institutes and renowned Israeli high-tech
and clean-tech industries.
Peace-building
summer camp
For the past four years, the EMIS
Foundation has organized and ran the Arava
Valley of Peace summer course. Over 150
students from over 30 countries have participated, including 40 participants from six
Arab countries.
The Arava program follows the EMIS
mission and focuses on environmental,
peace building and cultural activities. Last
summer, 41 students from 22 countries
attended the program, including 14 participants from the Palestinian Authority,
Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Iraq.
EMIS is endorsed by President Shimon
Peres. It receives support from the Israeli
Education and Foreign Ministries, as well
as a number of foreign governments and
foundations.
For more information about the Eastern Mediterranean
International School: www.em-is.org, info@em-is.org,
+972-55-2273978.
“
A new partnership
between three
educational
organizations
helps teenagers
from Israel and the
Diaspora achieve
an advanced
academic degree in
engineering.
Darryl Egnal
Anières Elite Academy students (from left) Eliezer Gershonov, Dasha Levitan and Alexander Cherkov
Brain gain
Israel has long been a country that shares its brainpower. While many of its
sharp minds end up living and working on foreign soil, there are many gifted
and highly educated people who move to Israel. Some feel that Israel is
experiencing a brain drain, but the brain gain balances the story W Darryl Egnal
A
new partnership between
three educational organizations is adding to the Israeli
“brain gain” through a program that is engineering engineers in Israel – both native Israelis and
Jewish youth from the Diaspora.
Naale Elite Academy, World ORT’s
Anières Elite Academy and the Technion–
Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa
have joined forces to launch a science and
technology scholarship program for international and Israeli students. The program
for Israeli students will be seven years long
(starting in 10th grade), while the foreign
students will also complete a pre-program
year (9th grade) to acclimatize and learn
Hebrew. The program continues until their
university level engineering studies have
been completed.
Selecting the top students
Known as the Anières Elite Academy
program, it addresses the need for a longterm approach to help teenagers achieve an
advanced academic degree in engineering.
During the first stage of the program, students live and study at the WIZO Nahalal
Youth Village in northern Israel through
Naale, a well-established program that
enables young Jews from the Diaspora to
complete high school in Israel. After high
school, they study at the Technion–Israel
Institute of Technology in Haifa.
“Naale Elite Academy has a very comprehensive testing process to ensure that
only students who will be able to cope with
all aspects of being away from their parents
are accepted, including academic ability,
maturity, independence and psychological
aptitude, among others,” says Ofer Dahan,
director of Naale Elite Academy, Western
World Region.
A good education
Alexander Cherkov is one of the first students on the pilot program. The 15-year-old
from Moscow doesn’t know what course he
wants to follow at the moment, but his love
of Physics ensures it will be part of the plan.
Alexander was 14 when he found out about
the traditional Naale program. He took
the entrance exams and was accepted, but
his parents felt he was too young to leave
home.
He took them again a year later. “When
I passed all the Naale exams again, Naale
suggested I do the Technion exams as
well,” he says. “I passed them all too. I love
technical subjects and since I heard about
this program, I knew I wanted to study at
the Technion. I know it is a good place for
me. There is nothing like this in Russia.”
Bulgarian student Eliezer Gershonov has
dreamt of studying in Israel since the third
grade. Now that he’s here, he can’t really
believe it. “I found out about the Anières
program from the Naale representative,” he
says. “She told me I was an excellent student and asked if I wanted to study in Israel
and get a higher education there. There was
no question. When I heard I had passed all
the tests and was going to Israel, I was so
excited. My dream has come true.”
Eliezer's favorite subjects are Math,
Physics and Chemistry, but unlike
Alexander, he knows what he wants to
study. “We had a tiyul, an excursion, to
the Technion when we first arrived. They
explained all the courses, like mechanical engineering, robotics, aeronautics… I
thought, ‘I like Math and Physics so why
shouldn’t I be an aeronautical engineer?'
And so I just decided then that I would do
it.”
Boys aren’t the only ones on the Anières
program. Dasha Levitan, who also comes
from Russia, decided she too wanted to get
a good education in an Israeli school. Her
favorite subject is Math and she wants to
use her love of Math to compete. “I want
to get a good education in Math,” she says.
“This is the most important part for me. And
I want to participate in Math Olympiads all
over the world.”
By engineering engineers in Israel, the
Anières Elite Academy partnership will
play its part in strengthening a nation that is
well-known for its foresight and success in
science and technology.
For more information about Naale and about the Anières
Elite Academy program, go to www.elite-academy.org.
“
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
•
Anières Elite Academy is a
new and exciting science and
technology scholarship program
for international and Israeli
students created by World ORT.
The students study science and
technology in high school and
continue to the Technion–Israel
Institute of Technology for a
university degree in engineering.
World ORT, established in
1880, is the world’s largest Jewish
education and vocational training
non-governmental organization,
with activities in more than 60
countries.
Naale Elite Academy was
established in 1992 as a joint
initiative of the Prime Minister’s
Office and the Ministry of
Education. Its mission is to enable
Jewish high school students
worldwide to study and to finish
high-school in Israel. More than
12,000 select high school students
from the United States, Europe,
the FSU, South America and South
Africa have graduated through the
program.
The WIZO Nahalal Youth
Village was established in 1923
in northern Israel with a vision to
provide a home and an education
for its students. The school is coeducational with a student body
of approximately 1,400 students
in grades 7-12. The Youth Village
focuses on the development
and growth of each child while
providing a high level, innovative
education.
The Technion–Israel Institute
of Technology, Haifa is one of
the world’s leading institutes of
science and technology. Three
professors from the Technion won
Nobel Prizes, and its graduates
account for the majority of Israelieducated scientists and engineers
as well as a large percentage of the
country’s entrepreneurs and hightech managers.
•
•
•
•
Study where it
all happens
Books, lectures and presentations are still part of
the schedule, but the International M.A. in Security
and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University – Israel's
largest, premier research university – also includes
a Middle East crisis simulation, the Ambassador
Forum, field trips to the borders of Syria, Lebanon
and the Gaza Strip, and much more W David Zeller
J
ust as fashion lovers will find the
best institutions of learning in Italy,
and those for potential chefs in
France, the place to study security
and diplomacy is Israel.
Studying here, in the heart of the Middle
East, is an advantage to anyone interested
in these fields. Israel is at the epicenter of
the world's attention, containing a wealth of
professional expertise in security and diplomacy.
to participate in this unique program, which
in turn paves the way for professional advancement.
The program's students and alumni have
secured jobs and internships in think tanks,
embassies, media and advocacy organizations, the United Nations, and other public
and private bodies.
Best career investment
“My year in the program was pivotal in
wanting to work for the French Ministry of
Defense. Delving into security challenges
all year, and exchanging perspectives with
army officers in Israel undoubtedly shaped
my ambition to enlist in the French Army.
I cannot praise enough the quality and the
added value of this program.”
Neil Segel, United States, Class of 2013:
“I was encouraged and assisted by the program's administration to pursue multiple
internships. Thanks in large part to my
experiences, I am now currently a Trade
and Development Officer at the Israeli
Economic Mission to the Southern United
States. I can confidently assert that without
these practical and complementary experiences I would not have been hired at my
current position.”
Hakam Shawan, Jerusalem, Class of
2011: “Truly the best investment I have
ever done in my entire career. The program
allows one to start practicing what is being
presented in various classes. Today, I serve
as a Staff Relations Advisor to the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency.”
Exemplifying that unique knowledge and
skill set, the International M.A. in Security
and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University
brings together internationally-renowned
scholars and leading practitioners.
Every year, approximately 50 students
are chosen out of hundreds of applicants.
Students come from all over the world, representing more than 25 different countries,
“
My year in the
program was pivotal.
I cannot praise
enough the quality
and the added
value of this program.
“
Testimonials
• Jessica Pennetier, France, Class of 2012:
•
•
For more information about the International M.A. in
Security and Diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University:
Tel. 972-3-6409540, email: secdip@post.tau.ac.il,
website: socsci.tau.ac.il/sec-dip/.
Dudu Bachar
Students at IDC Herzliya and Tel Aviv University having fun outside of the classroom
Extracurricular activities 101
Pursuing a higher education is hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun. Israeli universities and
colleges offer a range of extracurricular activities for those wishing to explore their hidden talents,
make new friends or just blow off some steam W Natalie Page
O
n most Israeli campuses, the
most fun day of the year is
Student Day, the annual beginning-of-the-year festivity which
typically features leading entertainers. At some universities, students
even get to vote online for their performer
of choice. Some campuses go so far as to
stretch Student Day entertainment over
several days, filling the time with activities,
performances, pool parties and a lot of alcohol. In addition to Student Day, there are
often other fun days sponsored by corporate entities, typically beverage companies,
where students have the opportunity to engage in unlikely challenges, such as sliding
off a campus building.
The rest of the year, most of the partying
can be found off campus, in student pubs and
bars or student-exclusive party lines, with
prices usually adjusted to the limited financial capabilities of their clientele. While the
big nights out in the major cities are Thursday
and Friday, those studying at colleges in the
periphery tend to make the most of the weeknights, since they usually go home for the
weekend. The students of Sapir College in
Sderot, for example, alternate among the local kibbutz pubs in the region.
For those staying put on the weekend,
many student unions organize communal
pot luck Kabalat Shabbat dinners. There
is even the growing tradition of Kalabat
Shabbat, rumored to have originated at
Haifa University, where emphasis is put on
the cultural − rather than religious − aspect
of Friday night dinner, such as the sense of
family and having a good time.
Yoga, theater and more
On most campuses, there is a plethora of
affordable extracurricular activities from
which to choose, ranging from yoga and
Pilates to theater, photography, singing,
dance, debating and more. At Ben-Gurion
University, there is a Rocky Horror Picture
Show Theater Group, which puts on a highly sought-after performance once a semester. Tel Aviv University has countered with
the Small Stage Festival, a platform for
showcasing the independent art of students
studying theater and other art forms. The
theatrical offerings are complemented by
street and puppet theaters and musical performances. To encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities, some
universities organize a hobby week bazaar
in the beginning of the year.
A different kind of outlet can be found
in the campus sports centers, which all universities and some colleges have. Here, at a
reasonable price, students can gain access
to a pool, gym, sports courts and exercise
classes. There is nothing like a quick workout to release tension before a big test, or a
few laps in the pool to clear your head after
handing in a seminar paper.
If your roommate got on your nerves
again, or you just need a study break, the
campus student club is always a good place
to relax and socialize. There are also political clubs and social clubs that one can join,
such as the Hillel Center, which can be
found on many campuses.
On the larger campuses in particular,
there is always something going on, be it
a movie screening, stand-up comedy session, lecture, or a social game. At Tel Aviv
University, for example, Wednesdays are
reserved for “Rock on Campus,” where
well-known and young artists take to the
stage. This is followed the next day by
“Thursday on Campus,” a cultural event
that mixes music, dance, sports and arts activities on the campus lawns. At the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, the Musicology
Department is behind the “Monday
Afternoon Concert Series.”
Volunteering
Giving back to the community is a
standard part of academic and student
union agendas, and there is always some
volunteering initiative one can join. The
student’s of Ben-Gurion University, for
instance, often find themselves before the
holidays spreading a fresh coat of paint
in the houses of underprivileged city
dwellers.
Many Haifa University students join the
activities arranged by social workers in
Haifa’s poorer communities.
This contribution is particularly pertinent in times of unrest. During Operation
Pillar of Defense, some Beersheva students
volunteered to entertain kids in Soroka
Medical Center’s bomb shelter, while
those from Sapir College stood guard in
Sderot bus stops, assisting children to find
cover when the sirens went off.
And if all the offerings above were
not enough to fill students’ extracurricular schedules, there is always the time
honored tradition of basking in the sun
on one of the campus’s lush lawns. One
can only take comfort in this richness
of offerings, for it is only by opting to
“move beyond the books” and becoming an active participant in student life
that the years spent obtaining a degree
become a truly memorable, at times even
life-changing, experience.
Alanna
Ireland
Rafael
Venezuela
Danielle
South Africa
$ƩN
USA
BA
Davide
Italy
Irina
Russia
Even
Australia
Ella
France
Mimas
Israel
Yosef
Greece
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH
THURSDAY
$35,/ʘ30
IDC HERZLIYA
Heli
Finland
Aaron
Canada
Camelia
Singapore
Daniel
Brazil
)UHGHULND
Germany

israeli colleges and universities welcome international students

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