30 students from Chicagoland Jewish High School began their 3 weeks seminar in Israel during the first week in January. The trip is organized by the Youth Programs in Israel of the USCJ Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center

The students enjoyed staying at the Fuchsberg Center, which they called home, They were impressed by the beautiful facility, it's central location and being close to the Nativ students.

During their stay, the students were hosted for Shabbat services and meals by families of the Masorti community of Maayanot, Jerusalem.

They were introduced to the Masorti life in Israel by Rabbi Jim Lebeau the director of the Fuchsberg Center and by Rabbi Andy Sacks,director ofRabbinical Assembly in Israel.

They prayed at the “Kotel Masorti” and with the Nativ students at”Congregation Moreshet Israel” on Friday night. Later in the trip they met with members of the new group of families which settled at Kibbutz Hannaton. They met with Rabbi Yoav Endi to discuss the meaning of “chalutziut-Zionist zeal in 2010”.

On Sunday, January 10, the group helped pack 300 packages for IDF soldiers at the Fuchsberg center. Barbara Silverman who founded the project “Package from home” joined her granddaughter Rebecca, one of the participants on the trip.

packages for IDF soldiers

This group represents the first of this year’s Solomon Schechter day school high school trips all organized by the Youth Programs in Israel at the Fuchsberg center.

The high schools of Westchester, NY , West Orange, NJ & Long Island, NY will all follow. The programs range from 4 weeks to 4 months. Each program is different and includes study, travel seminars and home hospitality.

In a survey done last year by the Jewish Agency which included most of the teen trips to Israel the “Chicagoland” trip was singled out as one of the most outstanding programs:

- “Only a minority of sending organizations are developing sophisticated understandings of the benefits of the Israel trip and structuring their trips accordingly. The most sophisticated resemble the educational program pursued by the Chicagoland High School which is organized by the USY office in Israel.”

- “A lot of energy is invested in trying to connect to the Conservative movement in Israel. The school wants its students to develop more of an institutional connection to the Conservative movement in Israel. “

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