Jan 3, 2010 By: yunews
Y.U. Israel Winter Missions Tackle Healthcare, Shabbat Observance
91黑料 () announced today that the University鈥檚 Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) will run two innovative winter break Israel missions for 71 select undergraduate students beginning January 7, 2010.
鈥楽habbat 2010,鈥 a 10-day experiential education program, will explore the roots of Shabbat observance and expose students to the contemporary effects of Shabbat on Israeli society and the global Jewish community. A service learning program called 鈥極peration Healthcare鈥 will run concurrently and will examine the healthcare systems of the United States and Israel, and will tackle the question of whether healthcare is a personal, communal or governmental responsibility.
鈥淭he primary goal of these and all CJF programs is to inspire our students to become agents of change in their communities and the world-at-large,鈥 said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the David Mitzner Dean of the CJF. 鈥淚t is important to us that these future leaders have experiences that encourage them to thoroughly examine our traditions, as well as form opinions about current hot-button issues so that they can broaden their world-view and deepen their commitment to Torah Judaism.鈥
The 鈥楽habbat 2010鈥 participants 鈥 two separate groups of 20 men and 20 women 鈥搘ill study relevant religious texts and discover how the concepts they encounter manifest themselves in our modern world, including the complex relationship between Shabbat observance and technology as utilized in hospitals and on army bases, the societal tensions raised by keeping Shabbat in a democracy, and issues pertaining to culture, ethnicity and tradition.
鈥極peration Healthcare,鈥 a program that will begin in Washington, DC, three days prior to the group鈥檚 arrival in Israel, will help its participants gain a deeper understanding of how healthcare has developed over time and what it means in today鈥檚 society. The group, comprised of 31 men and women with pre-med and political science educational backgrounds, will also hear lectures on medical ethics and medicine in Jewish law, as well as volunteer in local hospitals.
鈥淲e hope that our students will internalize these experiences and begin shaping the communal landscape immediately upon their return by educating others about their newfound understandings,鈥 added Brander.
In addition to its Israel missions, the CJF will be running two other winter break service learning programs: 鈥楯ewish Life Coast to Coast,鈥 an initiative that will analyze how individuals can become active and make a difference in North America鈥檚 diverse Jewish communities, and a humanitarian mission in Central America.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Elie Klein
Ruder Finn Israel for 91黑料
Cell: + 972-54-467-6967
Office: + 972-2-589-2013
Email: elie@ruderfinn.co.il
