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| By Helen Cavanagh April 5, 2007 |
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| A group of MASA students in Israel (Photo: MASA) |
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Last week the Israeli government declared its MASA program to be a success, and approved its expansion. MASA brings Jewish youth to Israel for a period of five to ten months of volunteering and study at more than 140 programs and institutions throughout the country, heavily subsidizing the trip and offering generous scholarships.
This year MASA -- which means "journey" in Hebrew -- expects to bring nearly 10,000 students and volunteers to Israel. The plan is to bring 20,000 young Jews by 2010.
During MASA's first two years, there has been a 100% increase in the number of educational and volunteering programs in Israel. The plan is to focus on programming on Israel's periphery, especially in the Negev and the Galilee.
Each participant of MASA is expected to contribute a minimum of twenty hours of community service. That means that this year the participants will donate about 200,000 days of volunteering to Israel, helping out in diverse social and cultural environments.
MASA was created and is funded by the Prime Minister's Office and the Jewish Agency. The budget for last year's activities was $36 Million, half donated by the government of Israel and the other half allocated by the Jewish Agency and private funders. Approximately $22 Million is spent on scholarships for 5,000 of the participants.
A hothouse for growing students Jewishly
Deputy Cabinet Minister Israel Maimon enthusiastically described the MASA Israel Journey project as a beautiful garden created for the future of Israel. "With this project we're planting seeds to grow a crop of young Jewish leaders. And we expect many flowers to bloom because of it."
It was former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's dream two-and-a-half years ago that every young Jews would spend a year in Israel," Maimon said, "and since 2004 when we launched MASA, we've been working to make Sharon's dream come true."
Trying to rival the success of the Birthright Israel mega-project, the MASA organizers have mounted a massive marketing campaign to reach Jewish young adults worldwide.
All programs include learning Hebrew, and many (but certainly not all) of the courses of study are strongly religious in nature, at the yeshivas or "for credit" at Israel's top universities. In addition, participants can become interns, social activists, and volunteers.
Ori Raphael from Dallas, Texas, an intern at the Jerusalem Post, expected a training program before he could ever hope for a byline. However, on his first day he was handed an assignment and, to his amazement, the next day his story made the front page.
Interns find themselves in some fascinating roles, including government, commerce, culinary services, environmental projects, in the creative arts, and, even as entertainers.
"We are investing in the future for all Jewish people," said Elan Ezrachi, MASA's Executive Director and CEO. "Israel needs passionate new leaders, but whether they stay here and make aliyah or return to their own countries to spread the word about their Israel experience, in either case, it's helpful to our future."
According to the current participants, interacting with Israelis is exciting, life-enhancing and life-changing. "It's been so amazing," says Sheri Rosenberg from East Brunswick, New Jersey, now finishing a 10-month program, "I know I'll never be the same. I'm not sure yet if I want to make aliyah some day, but I would love to be a big promoter for MASA when I go home."
Rosenberg is no stranger to Israel. Her first journey began literally with a baby step. At age two, she made a "masa" with her family and members of their hometown synagogue. In 2000, she was in Israel with the Young Judea Summer Discovery Program sponsored by Hadassah. Just turned 23, a graduate of Ohio State, Rosenberg's three-part masa continues until May. She studied at Pardes Jewish Institute, taught English to elementary and high school students at the Immigrant Absorption Center, and will finish up volunteering on Kibbutz Ketura near Eilat. The only downside for her, she explained, was occasional homesickness, especially during the important holidays. "Otherwise, in every way, it's all been so great for me."
First-timers in Israel, in particular, young males, liked the fact that their lengthy stay and daily interactions with their Israelis and peers from many other countries, gave them a much better understanding of the challenges Israeli people face every day.
There was a sense of independence for the students, some of whom were away from home for the first time. Gideon Klionsky, 18, of Chicago, who volunteered on ambulances, says "I gained a lot living on my own. Now I take responsibility for myself. I even manage to get up in the morning on time!"
Jared Balavram, 19, of Highland Park, NJ, on his second trip to Israel, will complete his 10-month program in May. "I'll go home happy that I came. I had a great time, I understand myself better, I understand Israel better -- the whole thing -- I loved it." Shane Gerstein, 19, of Flemington, NJ claims: "I'm in love with Israel now."
That's the point, said Zev Bielski, Chairman of The Jewish Agency. "MASA is a way to gather the increasingly disinterested and declining diaspora youth from around the globe and bring them 'home', to let them see Israel with their own eyes, make Israeli friends, learn Hebrew, gain new independence, and, as Jews, reconnect."
"MASA's vision is extraordinary," Bielski said. "The goal is to transform young adults to ensure an inspired and engaged leadership to lead our people into the future, here and abroad. This is a strictly human investment. Reconnected to their Jewish identity and heritage because of their year spent in Israel society, young people will be good emissaries for their spiritual homeland forever."
The jury, and the Jewry, is still out on the long-term effectiveness of MASA. Critics say it still stands in the shadow of birthright's prodigious success. But with tens of thousands of young Jews coming, and tens of millions more being poured into their education and "Israel experience", no one will be able to say that the Israeli government forgot to water the flowers.
For more information on MASA: www.masaisrael.org |
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