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PAGE 18 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE March 28. 1986
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ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Professional, Individualized Assistance
All Levels, In:
English Comp. • Reading Comprehension
Study Skills • Organizational Skills
Basic Math • Pre-Algebra • Algebra
Geometry • SAT Prep
Mon. —Sun. Flexible Hours
Suite 262 Enrollment is limited
120 Copeland Rd Hourly rate: $25
Conveniently Located in Sandy Springs
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“NO ONE DOES IT BETTER” J
Roberta Simonelli 843-3812 Tristram Coffin
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Hiking through her heritage
enriches Atlantan in Israel
by Dana Horowitz
Special to 1 he Southern Israelite
Take a nice Jewish girl from the
American South and stick her in
the middle of Israel’s Negev Desert
and what do you get'.’
How about me, a 22-year-old
Atlanta native who is spending a
year in Israel through the World
Union of Jewish Students.
The Institute, located in the de-
velopment town ot Arad, otters
\oung Jewish college graduates
and professionals an opportunity
to learn Hebrew, study Jewish tra
ditions and become acquainted
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Leasing all
with the realities of Israeli life.
The method is “hands on” and
“feet first" as WUJS participants
hike through their heritage and
engage in face-to-face dialogue
with Israelis from all walks of life.
Here we’re all Jewish. We come
here to work, study, learn the lan
guage and experience what we can
during the year in Israel.
I'm not the only person from the
American South currently in the
WUJS. Ruth Einstein, 23. from
Oak Ridge. Tenn., and Jeff Hoch-
berg, 23, from Miami are here also.
“1 really wanted to go to Israel.
It was a good time for it; I had no
major commitments,” said Ruth, a
professional cellist. “1 didn’t feel 1
could get on with my life until I got
this going to Israel out of my
system.”
Although the formal six-month
study period haslnot yet ended for
us three, Jeff has already accepted
a job in the northern part of the
country. He plans to attend medi
cal school in the future, but lor
now, he will teach math and Eng
lish to children in Or Akiva.
WUJS prides itself for attracting
young people from all over the
world, enabling them to catch up
on their Jewish education and pro
viding them with advice on further
study and work.
With that in mind, the Institute
was established in 1968. Since
then, approximately 4,000 young
Jews have participated in the pro
gram. Of them, one-third have
decided to stay in Israel.
Arad provides a laboratory of
Jewish enrichment. The town’s res
idents become familiar with the
students, helping them to over
come the embarrassment of “mak
ing hash” out of Hebrew.
It’s so intense, you can’t measure
it. You run into your Hebrew teach
er on the street or in the town cen
ter and you get to know the people
who work at all the shops.
I also participate in the WUJS
adopted family program. Each
week I spend Shabbat with my
“Israeli” parents. It is an opportun
ity to speak Hebrew and to learn
about one Israeli family’s lifestyle.
1 usually end up staying until
midnight and I usually find time
during the week to drop in and say
“hi.”
Along with the adopted family
program, WUJS offers tours to
some of the country’s historical
sites.
For instance, all three of us par
ticipated in an early morning climb
Dana Horowitz (left) with Jeff Hochberg and Ruth Einstein in Israel.
up Masada. We started before
sunrise after a day-long trek to the
waterfalls of the Ein Gedi Nature
Preserve and swimming in the
Dead Sea.
Students receive a behind-the-
scenes look at recent excavation
sites. We meet with Arab youth
and hike in the Negev Desert. Dur
ing the desert tour last Hanuka, we
lit a large menora beneath the
stars.
Such trips outside of Arad rein
force the lessons learned in Jewish
studies courses. Special interest
groups, reviewingcurrent events to
working with Arad’s Ethiopian com
munity also give students the
chance to participate in the com
munity-at-large.
We’re really talking about perti
nent issues in our Israeli sociology
course. And, in Hebrew poetry and
song, the lessons reinforce my He
brew.
Hebrew courses meet 20 hours a
week. The Ulpan program at
WUJS is considered to be one of
Israel’s finest.
Ruth explained that her class
will soon be reading articles from
Israel’s daily press. “Our course is
fast paced. We get about 85 new
words each week,” she said.
“Terrific," is how I would des
cribe our Hebrew class. Unfortu
nately, the students often fall back
into speaking English, but it’s neat
how everyone takes it so seriously.
We’re not gettingcredit for this, we
just want to do it.
Besides the classes, tours and
family meetings, WUJS students
learn about their counterparts
from all over the world. Students
come from North America, South
America, Europe, South Africa
and India.
“I grew up with only a couple of
other Jews my age,” admitted
Ruth. “Here, I’m meeting people
from different family, ethnic and
educational backgrounds.”
The Institute also has been in
strumental in bringing people to
gether whose relationships have
led to marriage. In fact, two mar
riages were announced at its recent
graduation ceremony
After graduation. WUJS partic
ipants are expected to spend at
least six months working or volun
teering in Israel. There’s no other
commitment.
That same freedom of choice is
allowed while students live in the
Absorption Center provided them
during their six months in Arad.
Although the Institute offers ser
vices in the Orthodox tradition
and keeps a kosher kitchen, stu
dents are not required to partici
pate in the services or eat in the
common dining room. In fact, the
pluralistic ideology of the Institute
supports an egalitarian prayer ser
vice started by students and offers
weekly, open, informal discussion
groups on Torah interpretation.
Learning about modern day Is
raeli life is also part of the pro
gram. Participants see all facets of
Israeli life, its highlights and its less
successful ventures.
“We have no illusions about
Israel being perfect,” Ruth said.
"Although we are encouraged to
think about aliyah, we learn that
Israel is a young country with
many social problems.”
With this, the students develop a
connection to Judaism and to Is
rael. They begin to understand
their personal heritage. Similarly
they grapple with their uniqueness
and differences as well as their sim-
iliarities and connection to each
other as Jews.
For more information about
WUJS, call the Israel Program
Center, AJCC, (404) 875-7881, or
Hadassah Zionist Youth Commis
sion (404) 876-1554.
Dana, daughter of Jack and
Sandra Horowitz, worked in At
lanta's Jewish Community Center
with the Very Special People
group. She plans to continue in
social work in Israel.