|
Connecting the Next Generation with Israel and the Jewish People
Jewish youth movement leaders play an instrumental role in shaping the future of their Jewish community’s Jewish identity and connection to Israel. Their training becomes more of a priority the more Jewish youth become distant from their Jewish identities. Since 1946, the Jewish Agency’s Machon Project - Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad has trained more than 12,000 graduates from all over the world. Its graduates occupy key leadership positions in World Jewish communities and the top echelons of Zionist Jewish education. Almost one-third of the institute’s graduates have immigrated to Israel over the years, integrating at every level of society where they are making a significantimpacton the development of Israel as a Jewish, democratic state.
Youth Movements
Zionist youth movements play a tremendously important role in Jewish communities across the Jewish world, including Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and in Israel. They are a dynamic and powerful source for inculcating the next generation of Jewish leaders with Jewish principles, a strong Jewish identity and commitment to the Jewish people and State of Israel.
Jewish youth movement leaders play an instrumental role in shaping the futures of their communities’ youth. The need for youth movement leaders and their training becomes more urgent as more Jewish youth become distant from their Jewish identities. For them, Jewish youth movements such as BBYO, Bonim Dror, Bnei Akiva, and HaTsofim are strengthening the Jewish identity and connection to Israel for thousands of Jewish youth each year – securing their futures as Jews for generations to come.
Training the Next Generation of Jewish Leaders
Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal has become dedicated to strengthening the Jewish Identity of Jewish youth living in Israel and the Diaspora by supporting programs carried out under the auspices of the Jewish Agency’s Education Department. Among the many programs Keren Hayesod supports is The Machon - Institute for Youth Leaders From Abroad founded in 1946 to train graduates from Major Zionist and Jewish youth movements.
Since its inception, more than 12,000 graduates have passed through the gates of the Machon. The Machon family comprises young women and men from South America and Argentina; Mexico and USA; Europe; South Africa and Australia and the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The Machon trains approximately 500 youth movement leaders each year.
The contribution of the project’s graduates can be discerned today within the leadership of Jewish communities and the top professional echelons of Zionist Jewish education, as well as being felt in every area of Israeli public life.
The training program combines a formal academic studies curriculum with a practical component, as well as volunteer activities and an in-depth Israel experience. Programs run from September through June and February through December (for participants from different World Hemispheres). The Machon’s objective is to develop participants’ commitment to the Jewish People, either as agents for change within their communities or, after making Aliyah, in Israeli society itself.
The curriculum comprises a cognitive dimension expressed in courses of study related to Israel, Judaism, community, and education as well as an experiential dimension which provides hands-on encounters with Israel and Israeli society, and involvement in the Israeli community, through social action schemes in different locations during the year.
The Machon functions as an educational community maintaining an autonomous pedagogic space with its own supervisory framework, as an integral part of the development of a future leadership cadre for the Jewish People.
The Institute is divided into sections according to language: English, Hebrew, French, Spanish & Portuguese speakers. It also offers a separate framework for Orthodox students.
A donation of US$1,800 - US$3,000 will support one young Jewish adult in their year training program as Jewish youth movement leaders.*
* The costs include management and operations
Support Jewish Zionist Education
|