00:03okay um thank you all for for joining
00:07this evening um my name is Joel I am FID
00:10y's executive director um I'm actually
00:13based in Israel live in Israel I've been
00:14here for the last uh 15 years and I've
00:17been working for either FZ y or our
00:20sister youth movement uh young Judea for
00:23the last uh 20 plus years and for the
00:27last eight years or so as an executive
00:30and uh I also was a participant on the
00:34fsid Y year course program back in the
00:36late 1990s and worked directly on the
00:39program for for six years in a variety
00:41of different roles um in uh from around
00:482014 also joining on the on the call
00:51tonight is Alex um Alex is uh an fcy
00:55movement worker and it's one of her
00:57responsibilities is there to kind of
00:59like uh the a with with families and
01:02with participants um free going on the
01:04program and when they're on the E
01:06itself um that's who we are what I'm
01:09going to do now is I'm just going to
01:10share my screen and we will crack on
01:17presentation um what I'm I
01:20would ask is like that that if anyone
01:23because there's a just a small number of
01:24people here if there are people that
01:26have questions at any point um feel free
01:29to to jump in uh and and uh and ask um
01:33but we'll also give time at the end of
01:35the presentation for for people which
01:36have questions then as well
01:46so Joel We can't hear
01:50you hello can you hear me can you hear
01:52me now yeah okay fine
01:57hopefully there won't be any technical
02:00problems okay so um fine so before only
02:05going to take like a couple of minutes
02:06on this before we delve directly into
02:07the program itself but I guess the first
02:10question is why even take a gap here um
02:13so there are um lot many reasons why to
02:16do this is actually just taken off the
02:18national career service um and if you
02:21ask employers and people that employ
02:23people they're often looking for for
02:25people that have something which which
02:27you know stands them out from others um
02:29on from their CV and what they what what
02:32generally employers say and the national
02:34career service here says is that as long
02:37as you're doing something meaningful in
02:39your Gap year then it it's something
02:41important to be doing and it's something
02:43that that you should be doing because it
02:44really does stand you out from other
02:46people and what they talk about um
02:48meaningful is they're talking about um
02:52things like learning as learning as
02:54another language um volunteering
02:56exploring a different culture those
02:58types of things um are seen as very
03:01beneficial when it comes to employers if
03:03obviously you're spending a gap year
03:04sitting on a beach um and doing things
03:06like that then that's obviously not
03:08necessarily something um that uh that
03:11employers are looking for um but it's
03:13not just also employers that they're
03:14looking for these things it's also
03:16universities this is you know this um
03:19excert here is taken from the ucast
03:21website and again they're basically
03:22talking about if you're doing something
03:24productive during your Gap year it's
03:25really valuable and it can really stand
03:27you out from other from other applicants
03:30who are applying to universities um and
03:34here again just some a few excerpts from
03:35a different from a few different
03:37universities and almost all universities
03:40look at at Gap years as a positive thing
03:43there are a few exceptions with there
03:45are some specific courses and some
03:47specific universities which would
03:49generally like you to go straight into
03:51into that course straight from school
03:52but the vast more majority of
03:54universities if you're doing something
03:56while you're doing something meaningful
03:59then that's what uh you know it really
04:01kind of like sets you up um a stand you
04:04out from from other people who may be
04:06applying to the the program um to to
04:08University at the same time um and B
04:11kind of like means that going in as a
04:13first year to University you're more
04:15prepared for um student life for
04:18independent living and and ready for
04:20that that challenge of
04:24um okay so that's kind of like why a gap
04:29year um why why you should take a gap
04:32year I want to be I want to take most of
04:34the rest of the you know the the rest of
04:36the this time we have together to
04:39yles um because FS yles really is um a
04:44program which ticks all those boxes
04:46which those future employers and and
04:48universities will be looking for so this
04:51let's let's have a look at this screen
04:52for for a couple of minutes this is an
04:54overview of what a the program um looks
04:58like what it looks like
05:00at the moment what we expect it to look
05:01like for next year um so before I delve
05:04into each of these things uh a small
05:06overview So currently on the on the year
05:08course program and we expect similar
05:10numbers next year there's around 180
05:13people on the program that the 180
05:16people are split between fs and Y
05:18participants coming from the UK and and
05:20occasionally we have some people from
05:22Europe um and our sister youth movement
05:25from uh young Judea from America they
05:28have the same similar values
05:30ideology um Etc as us they're based in
05:33America um and so between the two
05:36organizations between IDW and young
05:38Judea there were approximately 18 I
05:40think there's about 185 people on the
05:42program this year and those 185 people
05:45are split almost are split half half
05:48half of the group will start um their
05:51program in Tel Aviv while the other half
05:53will start their program in Jerusalem
05:54and then halfway through they they will
05:56switch around um what we do is we make
05:59sure we keep all of the fs and Y
06:00participants in the same group together
06:02the same section together um because
06:04there are more Americans which come on
06:05the program and it's important for us to
06:07make sure that the Brits who come on the
06:09program have got um you know people from
06:11who more from their own uh culture um
06:14who are who are there with them um we
06:17for the last several years and what
06:18we're expecting again next year is that
06:20for the the group which will contain the
06:23the British SEI participants in will
06:25will start in Tel Aviv um and that
06:28program that Tel Aviv program will delve
06:29into a minute it will start um the
06:32program starts around the 1st of
06:33September and and through to the end of
06:36December lining up with um you know
06:39normally the the Christmas New Year
06:41holiday um Tel Aviv will be the center
06:43of that program with the with the theme
06:45of volunteering mainly um then
06:47throughout the month of January or so
06:49there's there's a section called Zan
06:50yahad when actually both groups the one
06:53starting in Tel Aviv and the one
06:54starting in Jerusalem will come together
06:56and we'll have um some different options
06:58during that semester which we'll talk
06:59about uh in a little bit and then the FI
07:02participants around beginning to middle
07:04of Fe February it all depends exactly on
07:06on dates of like Jewish holidays and
07:08things like that year to year but around
07:10beginning to middle of February the the
07:12group will then move to Jerusalem and
07:14where there will stay till the end of
07:16the year which is normally around the
07:17middle of May um and the focus of that
07:20semester um is is more of a as a study
07:23based semester so that's an overview of
07:26the year um what I'm going to do now is
07:28we're going to just before we delve into
07:30the the first semester I want us to look
07:32at the two different main bases that we
07:34have the Tel Aviv base and the the
07:36Jerusalem uh base um because they're
07:39they're very different um I say very
07:41different it's all about communal living
07:44but the the focus of that communal
07:46living is a little bit different so in
07:48Tel Aviv um the we have our main campus
07:52there is called B Hillel um for those of
07:54you that know uh the Tel Aviv area it uh
07:58is uh about three minute walk from s um
08:01Sera neighborhood s market about a five
08:04six minute walk to the azrieli center
08:07like the the big Shopping Center and
08:09Main train station in Tel Aviv it's in a
08:11very central location um that campus
08:14holds around 65 or so people there is an
08:17overflow campus but we make sure again
08:19the same as we keep all of the S British
08:21people together in the same semester in
08:23the same section we also keep them
08:25together on the same campus so the F ya
08:28participants have always stayed in the
08:29this bit Hillel campus um the campus
08:32actually has three floors and each floor
08:34there's around roughly 20 people that
08:37that can sleep in rooms uh do rooms are
08:39around three or four people sleeping in
08:41each room um with a with an onsuite
08:43bathroom there um and on each floor um
08:47as I said which houses around 20 or so
08:49people there's there's a there's a
08:51kitchen you can see on the the the
08:53second picture down on the left there a
08:55is a typical what a typical kitchen
08:57would look like or at least part of what
08:58a kitchen would look like like um we we
09:01provide in the kitchen there is there's
09:04ovens there's uh there's there's stoves
09:06there's um there's fridges there's
09:08freezers um there's everything that you
09:10need we provide them with pots pans
09:13Cutlery plates bowls all everything that
09:16that participants may need um in order
09:19to be able to cook for themselves and
09:21this is like one of the key fundamental
09:22elements of uh this part of the program
09:25is about the independent living um is
09:28about the the year is learning how to
09:31shop for themselves to cook for
09:32themselves to clean up after themselves
09:35um it's a it's a whole piece about them
09:37living independently and working you
09:39know something which they will likely be
09:40doing when they head off to to
09:43University or heading at you know
09:45leaving the family home but be to be
09:47able to do this in this kind of like
09:49semi-protected environment where there
09:51are MIM around where there are staff
09:52around who will be able to help and
09:54assist and make sure that that nothing
09:56is going wrong with that uh with that
09:57process but that's a big big part of
09:59this this Tel Aviv semester um is that
10:02um we provide the participants at the at
10:05the beginning of every week or every
10:06couple of weeks um we provide them with
10:09a basket of food um it's all of like the
10:13basics so it'll be some like some fruit
10:15and vegetables there'll be some egg in
10:17eggs and cheese and dairy products in
10:19there there'll be some dryed Goods like
10:21pastas and cereals Etc and there will
10:23also be some cleaning equipment and
10:25things like that um what we provide is
10:27not enough for for them necessarily to
10:29be able to you know be 100% cated
10:32because we feel it's important for them
10:33to also be able to do the budgeting
10:35element and the and the and the shopping
10:37element as well but it's it's enough for
10:39there to be like semiat for and then
10:41participants the idea is that you know
10:43the participants will work together and
10:44they'll decide you know what they what
10:46they want to you know a menu for
10:47themselves what they want to cook and
10:49they will go to the shops or order
10:51online whatever they they they see is
10:53best for them and and top up the food
10:56and and cook for themselves Etc um also
11:00on the campus um which is there um there
11:03is a there's a gallery area which is
11:05like there's a mezzanine area between
11:06the first and the second floor which has
11:08got like a large Hall I think you can
11:10see that like third uh third uh picture
11:13down on the left there U where where you
11:16know some of the time it's used um as as
11:18a classroom where we will give uh
11:20certain uh you know there'll be like
11:23Hebrew language classes or informal
11:24education which some of the staff will
11:26be running other times when it's not
11:28like that the chair fold in and there's
11:29couches there so it's an area where the
11:31the ear courses can Cher and hang out
11:33together as well um there's also as you
11:36can see on the top picture there there's
11:37a really nice um rooftop garden uh which
11:41is available for thealist to to hang out
11:43and use as well um and like as I said
11:45like the the actual the actual location
11:48is very very Central in Tel Aviv and we
11:51have there are uh about two or three
11:54yles mles staff who live in the campus
11:57with them and I'll Central yles offices
12:00are a two-minute walkway um like from
12:03from the from the campus so they are
12:05well looked after um by our staff um
12:09whilst they whilst they have you know
12:11you know that that Independence there
12:13themselves um to be living by themselves
12:15and to be you know looking after
12:16themselves in terms of food and and
12:18cleaning and things like that so that's
12:21our campus in tth um if we move over to
12:24the campus in Jerusalem it's a little
12:26bit different there are certain things
12:27which which are very similar in terms of
12:29they will still be sleep sharing rooms
12:31of around three or four people to a room
12:34um in with with on Suite facilities
12:37there um the the neighborhood that
12:39they're in for those of you they're
12:41staying in a campus called kirat Moria
12:43um some of you may be aware of it it's
12:46it's it's been around for a very long
12:47time although they have um there every
12:49few years they are redoing the the
12:51living accommodations and some of the
12:53accommodations there so I mean I know
12:55that from when I was on these programs
12:56in the late 1990s the accommodation is
12:58is is much much better than it was then
13:01um but it's in the AM moniv neighborhood
13:04which is in South Jerusalem not far from
13:06a Tela and like an over view a lookout
13:09point where you can see over the um over
13:12like the old city of Jerusalem and and
13:14parts of Jerusalem um but unlike in in
13:17Tel Aviv where it's all about um cooking
13:19and cleaning for themselves um here
13:22there is three meals which are provided
13:24a day in the in the dining room there
13:25breakfast lunch and dinner um there is
13:29in addition to that there is a there's a
13:30cafe there people want to you know would
13:33prefer from time to time to eat some
13:36different food or to buy some snacks and
13:37things there um that is also there on on
13:40the on the site um there is you know
13:42there are several sports facilities
13:44there there's a basketball court there's
13:46a small football pitch which is there um
13:48as you can see on the bottom left hand
13:49picture that's like there's lots of like
13:51outdoor green spaces there um as well
13:54for the just to be able to chill and
13:56hang out outside and things like that um
14:00there are several I mean there there's
14:02probably about 40 or so different
14:05classrooms um in this in this building
14:08like a smart classrooms because this is
14:10the the study element of the program
14:13while they're based in Jerusalem so
14:14there were classrooms there which they
14:15can go into and and and where the where
14:18the education on this uh semester will
14:20be taking place in addition to there um
14:24there are offer we have a we have a sub
14:26um like a smaller year course off which
14:29is based in on this campus um but um the
14:32Jewish agency and many other like Jewish
14:35organizations also have their offices
14:38here on the campus and there are other
14:39programs in addition to the fidy and
14:42year course program which also run off
14:44of this campus so there'll be other
14:46groups and other people their own age
14:47which will be there living on the campus
14:49with them at the same time so that's
14:51kind of like the overview of the two
14:53different campuses and the two different
14:54bases of where they are um we'll delve
14:57now into the the actual Tel Aviv
14:59semester and what the you know what's
15:02what they do during this time so there
15:04are four different options four
15:05different tracks for the year courses to
15:07choose and they don't need to make the
15:10if you know if they're making the choice
15:12um over the coming weeks to to go on
15:14year course or not they don't need to
15:16make a decision about which track they
15:18want to do at this time um that that
15:20this normally comes in like the the
15:22couple of months before the program
15:24begins is where they need to really like
15:26firm up what they want to do but I'm
15:27going to talk you through what the four
15:28different options are so two of them are
15:31volunteering and internship um they're
15:34similar um in terms of like their
15:36schedule but they're they're slightly
15:37different in terms of the way that their
15:40their days are being are being run so
15:42for both of these tracks three and a
15:44half days of the five week sorry three
15:48and a half days of the FED day week fed
15:50day working week um will be either in a
15:52volunteer placement or in an internship
15:55um and we we have I think throughout a
15:58year um there are something like 700
16:01different people not both on the year
16:03course programs and on some other um
16:06programs that we run in conjunction with
16:07young Judea there are about 700
16:10different um people that come and and
16:12have a volunteer or an internship
16:13placement so we work with hundreds of
16:15different organizations businesses
16:18companies of of lots of different
16:20descriptions so therefore as much as
16:23possible what we try to do is to tailor
16:25um the the the desires of a year course
16:29participant to you know the options that
16:31we have so it may lots of you know some
16:33participants may want to work with with
16:35children and we can set them up in in
16:37you know in a school helping to teach
16:39English um people may want to work with
16:41elderly people and they can go and work
16:43in an old age home people may want to
16:44work with um um with with people with
16:48with uh people with special needs and
16:50there are there are like uh either there
16:52both like kindergartens and and NOS that
16:55work with uh people with special needs
16:57that we can like set uh we can set our
16:59year coures up to work in that um people
17:01may prefer not to really work with
17:03people and actually need to be working
17:04in the environment and there are um lots
17:06of different options there as well from
17:08um the like Community Farms to to other
17:11things like that which are which are
17:12working in those areas where we can do
17:14that people may want to choose to
17:15volunteer with animals so we have
17:18placements with things like the
17:19SPCA um where where they can go and they
17:22can like look after dogs and other
17:23animals whilst they're whilst they're
17:25looking to be rehomed um there are lots
17:28of people who choose wanting to work in
17:30like specific um nonprofit nonprofit
17:33non-governmental organizations um for
17:36example we've had people work in the the
17:38like the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Prevention
17:40Center um we've had people work in the
17:44lgbtq uh like organizations helping to
17:49organize um either fundraising projects
17:52for these for these organizations or to
17:54put on like helping to put on like the
17:56the pride parade um which should which
17:58is huge in Tel Aviv like come towards
18:00the towards the summertime so there are
18:02loads of different um options there and
18:04for like on there are like more the
18:06volunteer style options um but there are
18:09some people that that want to also take
18:11this time uh on their Gap here to try
18:14out or to to explore uh a a field which
18:19they think they may want to work in um
18:21when they you know after they graduate
18:23or when they get into the the Working
18:24World so we have lots of um we have lots
18:27of links with with different businesses
18:30whether that's Finance in law in
18:32high-tech um in in things like the
18:34theater um the theater world and the
18:36Arts world and things like that so what
18:39generally happens is like as I said
18:41three and a half days a week will be in
18:42either a volunteering or an internship
18:44placement and what will happen is like a
18:46a month or two before the program begins
18:49um everyone will have a meeting with our
18:52volunteer and internship coordinator
18:55they'll talk through what it is that
18:56they want to get out of that Pro that
18:58out of that semester the volunteer and
19:00internship coordinator will then TR you
19:02know will share some of the different
19:03options which which they think may may
19:05fit for for the year course participants
19:08and and they'll be matched up and
19:09they'll be put in a in a place and so
19:11then every week three and a half days a
19:13week they'll they'll head to one of
19:15these placements and they'll work with
19:16volunteer there to supplement the rest
19:19of that that time for the rest of the
19:21days one of the days is is a C Day SE
19:24meaning like a trip and and so what we
19:26try to do is normally I think it's on on
19:28the on the W every Wednesday every week
19:31it Wason Tel Aviv everyone who's
19:33volunteers or is an internship will go
19:35and will go and explore a different
19:37place in Tel Aviv or a different place
19:39in Israel um with a with a tour guide
19:41with a staff um so that they can get to
19:44see um different communities get to
19:46explore like Israeli society and to see
19:48things and engage with Israel in a way
19:50that that maybe they haven't done so
19:52before um so that's another day and the
19:54other half day um is made up by things
19:57through like informal educ ation we
19:58normally run a class called Service
20:00Learning which looks at the value of
20:02volunteering and also helps our um year
20:06courses to be better volunteers or
20:08better um workers uh in internship um
20:12and also twice a week for an hour hour
20:14and a half each time there is a Hebrew
20:16all as well uh to help um you know help
20:20improve um the year courses Hebrew
20:22skills so that when they're out and
20:24about volunteering or in an internship
20:27they're better able to communicate or
20:29when they're going out shopping for
20:30their food they're better able to to get
20:32around so that's kind of like how that
20:34that week is built up three and a half
20:36days volunteering or in an internship a
20:39day of a trip and the other half day is
20:40made up of of some informal education
20:43and and Hebrew Oran learning so they're
20:46two of the four options for for this
20:50semester the other there's three options
20:53here I'm going to go into two of them in
20:54a little bit more detail and one of them
20:56is slightly less um because it because
20:58it's it's not really it's not always
21:00available every year so I don't really
21:01want to to kind of like um delve into it
21:04too much and promise anything that may
21:05not be there um but the two options I'm
21:07going to go into a bit more detail are
21:12madom is the Israeli paramedic service
21:17and the the way that this program works
21:19is that for 10 days um year courses who
21:22are on this who are on this track will
21:24will go and be trained up to be um first
21:28a I've just forgotten the exact
21:30technical the technical term but
21:31basically to be it's it's like an
21:32advanced first aid um course that they
21:35need to go through uh they at the end
21:38it's a very intense course and after the
21:4010 days they need to pass two exams a a
21:43a theory exam and a practical exam first
21:46aid responders that's what that's what
21:48they trained up to be there we go
21:49remembered um so they need to pass a a
21:52theory and a practical exam if they if
21:54they unfortunately fail one or both of
21:56those exams they do get a second chance
21:58to take it but but no more than than a
22:00second chance and once they um and and
22:0399.9% of the time when they once they
22:06have passed those courses they will then
22:08be assigned to a mend Dom station in Tel
22:12Aviv or the one of the suburbs of Tel
22:14avives um one of the the neighboring
22:16towns around Tel Aviv when there what
22:19happens is they they will then need to
22:21work four shifts a week they can pick
22:24and choose what shifts they work um
22:26based on what they would like to do and
22:29the need of the mendom stations but
22:32there there are three different types of
22:34shift there's a morning shift which is
22:367:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. there's the
22:38afternoon evening shift which is 300
22:40p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and there's the night
22:42shift which is 11:00 p.m. to 7 a.m. and
22:45there what happens is they need to
22:47therefore be they need to go to the Mund
22:49station they need to get there in time
22:51for the start of their shift and then
22:53they are there and when a when a call
22:56comes out for a for an ambulance they
22:59will get onto the ambulance with the
23:01with the with the one or two paramedics
23:03who are who will be there and they'll go
23:05with them to the calls and they will
23:06help and support uh the paramedics there
23:09in in any way that that they're needed
23:12so a few things to say about this number
23:13one um like we we we don't put when we
23:17don't we can't say and we don't say to
23:19mend there are certain calls that our
23:21year courses can't go to um therefore
23:24like they will go and probably see some
23:25very difficult and some very challenging
23:27things whether that's car crashes um
23:30whether that's seeing you know elderly
23:31people um you know in a rundown in a
23:34rundown home um whatever that that is
23:38they may they will probably see and be
23:40faced with some very difficult things
23:42and and challenging sites um we have had
23:45year courses almost every year who are
23:48give who have to give things uh do
23:50things like CPR um and sometimes they
23:52are successful and actually saving
23:54someone's life and sometimes
23:55Unfortunately they are not and and you
23:57know unfortunately people do pass away
23:59and they and they may see that and we've
24:01had year courses which have helped to
24:03deliver babies before um we like really
24:06like we have had year courses which have
24:07seen some you know and have been a part
24:10of some amazing incredible things and
24:12really helping to save lives and and
24:14they've had year courses um who at the
24:17same time have been like very uh you
24:20know very challenged and it's been very
24:22difficult um for some of the things they
24:23see so it's something like if people are
24:25going to choose this option it's just
24:27something for for year courses to be
24:29aware of that they need to be the right
24:30type of person um to be able to deal
24:33with the the you know the emotional
24:35challenges which come with this uh this
24:37option the other thing to say about this
24:39option is that the like we we don't they
24:43don't know what what any given day looks
24:45like um and what I mean by that is like
24:47they could be in a in the the paramedic
24:49station and they could be there for that
24:51eight hour shift and and maybe not get
24:53any calls at all maybe only one call um
24:55which is you know generally a good thing
24:57it means there are people in that that
24:59area which don't need uh you know
25:01paramedic support um but that could also
25:03be difficult and and you know that could
25:05be a bit of a boring day for for that
25:07year corser but there could also be
25:08times where year courses are just not in
25:10that in the paramedic station at all
25:12they get called out you know a minute
25:14after they get get to on their shift and
25:16even you know five minutes before the
25:18end of their shift you know they they
25:20may get a call and then you know all of
25:21a sudden their shift doesn't end in 5
25:23minutes time it ends two hours late
25:25because by the time they've got to their
25:26call and helped that person and take
25:29them to the hospital and then come back
25:30to uh to their base it may mean that
25:32their their eight hour shift has turned
25:35into a 10- shift so some of these things
25:37just need to be your courses need to be
25:38aware about they need to be able to to
25:40deal with like some of these changes and
25:42some of these things um and at the same
25:46time as they're doing this they'll be
25:47living um on the same campus with
25:49everyone else in the in B hello and the
25:51tel campus but their schedule May not
25:53line up exactly um the year courses can
25:56choose to as I said said to build their
25:58their their schedule their shifts in the
26:00way that they they you know they'd like
26:02and sometimes they can match it up with
26:04some of the eal scheduling sometimes
26:05they can't sometimes they can go on
26:07these day trips out these once a week so
26:09you're in which happen and some weeks
26:11they can't um and that's just something
26:13they need to be aware of if if they're
26:16option the malva option um is an
26:20eight-week army simulation program the
26:23idea of this program um is to try and uh
26:26let the the year course to understand
26:28what it's like for their Israeli peers
26:31who are age 18 most most 18 year olds in
26:33Israel go into the army enter the army
26:36so it's to to help them to understand
26:38what their Israeli peers will be going
26:39through and to understand the Israeli
26:41Army uh and and the Israeli Army system
26:43a little bit more um this program is
26:45based not in Tel Aviv this program is
26:47based in stok which is in uh the the
26:51desert in the South and they go from the
26:52south um and what happens is they spend
26:5411 days on base and then they then they
26:57come home back to Tel Aviv where they
26:59where they have their their room in Tel
27:02Aviv they'll come back there for 3 days
27:03and then they'll go back for 11 days and
27:05then come back for a three-day weekend
27:08weekend is is you know they're on base
27:11they don't have you know they don't have
27:12quite as much free time and than that
27:14the rest of the EES do if they choose
27:17this option um and be honest like it's a
27:20very it's it's the first week or two is
27:22very very difficult for for the year
27:24courses because each week is themed um
27:27in a different way uh the first week is
27:29all about Army discipline it's about
27:31when your commander says something in
27:33the army that you have to follow their
27:34instructions and so the way that they
27:36treat teach that and draw that in is
27:39really by making year courses do very
27:41mundane things which it may be standing
27:43around in a in a het formation in a
27:45specific you know standing to attention
27:48in a specific uh shape for like 30
27:51minutes and then the command will say
27:53you know you have 30 seconds to get over
27:56there where they'll Point somewhere to
27:58be standing in the formation again and
27:59if they're not there within that 30
28:01seconds then they'll be given
28:02punishments or if during that time
28:04they're standing in that formation they
28:06they move they they you know do things
28:08that they shouldn't they'll get
28:10punishments but that's really the first
28:12week and the end of the first week a lot
28:13of vles is finding it challenging and
28:15difficult and often they want to leave
28:17um but once they get through that first
28:19week um things change a lot they then
28:22kind of like really get into kind of
28:23like the real the I guess the meat of
28:26kind of like what this program is so
28:29they will have like Northern week
28:30Jerusalem week where they'll go to
28:32different places in Israel and they will
28:34uh understand about um the different
28:37Wars which have happened that that
28:38Israel have thought will understand
28:40they'll go to places like you can see in
28:42the the picture here they'll go to
28:43places like the West Mo the cotel or um
28:46yadvashem and places like that and
28:48understand like Israeli history Through
28:50The Eyes of security and defense and the
28:52Israeli Army um there will be a week
28:55which is like camouflage week where
28:57there'll will be out about in the fields
28:59a lot more in camouflage um eating Army
29:02rations because they'll have a few
29:03nights without you know going back to to
29:06their base um they will have navigation
29:08week where they'll learn how to use a
29:10compass and navigate themselves around
29:11they'll have um Sports week which is a
29:13little bit more physical so there are
29:15different weeks and each week kind of
29:17like takes a different aspect of the IDF
29:20of the army um and teaches them that the
29:23whole time whilst they're there in base
29:24they will have an armor uniform they'll
29:26have they will have a a gun that they
29:28will have with them the whole time um
29:30the gun is not an operable gun um there
29:33is no shooting pin and the and the tip
29:35of it is cemented so there's no way to
29:37actually use this gun as a as an actual
29:39weapon but it's actually but it's to
29:40kind of like teach the year courses that
29:42what it's like to be an 18yearold
29:44Israeli who during you know when they're
29:46in the army they have to take that gun
29:48with them everywhere you know and and so
29:49it's just kind of like to try to put
29:51them in that mindset of what it would be
29:53like to to be in the Army be aware they
29:56are not in in the Army at no point are
29:58they in the Army at no point can they be
30:00called up can is anything like that at
30:02all they're they're in a safe place in
30:04an educational army base in the desert
30:07um that is their that is their base but
30:09it's just to kind of like just for them
30:11to get that understanding so there are
30:13the the options both of mend and malva
30:15options are around 8we options where
30:18obviously the semester is is closer to
30:21to four months um so after normally both
30:24Marva madon don't start until after the
30:27Kim period is over until after the you
30:29know until it's finish of Yip and sukot
30:33so depending on the year that you know
30:35that that's that's that date changes um
30:37slightly year to year but in that period
30:39of time before that as well as doing you
30:41know being involved with all of the
30:43theim which everyone else will be
30:45involved in and and the programming we
30:46put together there um whilst the other
30:48yoses are out there volunteering are
30:50having internships we build programming
30:52for them which is again themed around
30:55like the army or themed around around um
30:58health and Medicine which kind of like
31:00prepares them and gets them ready for
31:01the experience and the main experience
31:03they'll have that semester and again if
31:04there's any time left if there's a one
31:06two three weeks left at the end of the
31:08semester again we'll set them up with
31:09some volunteer um options um some
31:12volunteer programming so they will have
31:13that opportunity to do that as well so
31:16there're the four main options which are
31:18available during that Tel Aviv semester
31:21and the other option which potentially
31:23may be there and if it is it will only
31:24be there for a handful of people who
31:26really want this um there may be an
31:28opportunity to go to Kut Cura which is
31:31um all the way down south in Israel it's
31:32about half an hour away from atat um to
31:35to live on a on a kuuts and to to live
31:38on volunteer on a Kuts I'm not going to
31:40really delve into that a because it's as
31:41I said it's it's it's the very high
31:43chance that it won't happen and if it
31:45does it's really for a handful of people
31:46but if um we will be able to offer that
31:49option um nearer the you know a couple
31:51of months before year course um we'll go
31:54into that option a little bit more
31:55detail with with participants with
31:57families um so they can explore that but
31:59if you're looking for a kubert's
32:00experience and that's you know that's
32:03the reason why you want to take a gap
32:04here in Israel um then this you know I
32:07wouldn't rely on that on this
32:10program so this basically takes us up
32:13until um towards the end of December at
32:15that point there is around a 10day break
32:18from from the program what that means is
32:20like the the accommodation they have in
32:22t Aviv is there that's their home um
32:25they're still there we still our St are
32:27still around they're still they're still
32:29there but there's just no specific
32:30programming so that's a time um where
32:33often year courses go back home uh to
32:36see family often some families come out
32:38to Israel to visit their yeares um and
32:41and if you know they for families which
32:43which neither of those options are
32:44happening which is there also a lot of
32:46those as well it's a time for the eers
32:48to explore Israel um themselves and to
32:50go and see parts of Israel they'd like
32:51to explore I will touch um a little bit
32:54later onto things like Safety and
32:55Security and how all of that works Works
32:58um but it's that you know there that's
32:59that's that period of time um for those
33:02to to either see family spend time with
33:03family in England or in Israel or for
33:05them to explore Israel when they come
33:08back from that winter vacation which is
33:10the start of January uh we move into a
33:14like it's around a one month section
33:17called um during this time there are
33:21several kind of like onewe options that
33:23we provide uh the year courses some of
33:26those are some of those are mandatory
33:29and each year it's it depends on exactly
33:31how many there are there's normally
33:32between five um we've been having over
33:35the last few years and what should we
33:36expect to have again next year but there
33:37may be a couple of changes from this uh
33:40small changes from this so one option is
33:42sel um sell is a a a volunteer
33:46volunteering opportunity in the Army so
33:49here like year courses will go to an
33:51army base um and they will volunteer on
33:53that base um normally it's doing menial
33:56work it's things like packing up
33:58equipment it may be working in the the
34:00dining room or the bakery or something
34:02like that at that um at that uh at that
34:05army base and it's it's a basically
34:07being able to give themel and to help um
34:10the army with what they need at that
34:11time um so so again they'll go into
34:14uniform and they'll also during that
34:16time there they'll understand there'll
34:17be some supplementary um education which
34:20is given in addition to to the
34:22volunteering they do that so they can
34:24understand a little bit about the the
34:25Army but for like one week they'll go to
34:27a base and they'll they'll help and
34:29support um the IDF with their with their
34:31needs in that week um another option is
34:34is a Kutz experience again we we work
34:36with this kabut Cura which is down south
34:39and it's not going there to to to like
34:41volunteer uh on the Kuts as such but
34:44it's going there to better understand uh
34:45kibuts life um and also like maybe
34:48desert life as well this Kuts is is in
34:50the desert um so it's about kind of like
34:54spending some time um understanding how
34:56keep s work maybe doing some
34:58volunteering but that's not the main
34:59focus of their role there going out into
35:01the desert and the surrounding area and
35:03really getting to explore um kibuts life
35:06and desert life um another option which
35:09is there um is uh is is Desert hiking
35:13and overnight camping because this takes
35:15place in January it's normally it's Camp
35:17it's normally hiking in the elap
35:18mountains um for for weather reasons
35:21that's because it's still normally nice
35:23U nice weather and dry there at that
35:24time of the year um and be kind of
35:27spending the days hiking and spending
35:29the nights uh camping out um and and you
35:32know doing that for for a week and
35:34really getting to see Israel um through
35:36using you know by by walking and by
35:39walking Israel and and it's it's
35:40normally one of a very popular option
35:44that the year courses love because they
35:46also really get to bond um like very you
35:49know very deeply during this period of
35:51time normally the first week um there
35:54are Sor based Ive seminar so what I mean
35:58by that is whilst they're still based in
35:59Tel Aviv they will they will get to
36:02choose like um like a seminar which
36:05which has an educational theme which
36:07every day they'll be going out and
36:09exploring that theme so it may be the
36:10Israeli Arab Community or the Ked
36:12Community or stories of the Bible or
36:14whatever that is and every and every day
36:17they will leave their Camp their base in
36:19Tel Aviv and go on a on a trip and
36:21explore that theme in a little bit more
36:23detail to understand that Community or
36:25to understand that that part of History
36:27um so that's normally one week of there
36:29um the last week um tends to be an
36:32orientation to excuse me orientation to
36:37uh the Jerusalem because that's where
36:39the group will be you know heading to in
36:41the next semester so there's normally a
36:42week exploring uh Jerusalem um some of
36:46the educational uh places there um and
36:49to also just understand what Jerusalem
36:51life will be like for them um so that's
36:53kind of like the the zanaka period each
36:56week will have a slightly different
36:57theme they'll go out and about around to
36:59different places in Israel and explore
37:02um have different experiences and
37:03explore different things that's the
37:05that's the base program there are some
37:07other options um which come at an
37:11additional price um so I I would I will
37:14briefly go through these but for anyone
37:16who would like more information I'm more
37:18than happy to speak with you about this
37:20um like individually or you know at
37:23another time um but there are currently
37:26six different options um that we provide
37:29I is not possible to do all of the
37:31options um there are some options which
37:33potentially you can do alongside each
37:35other the the first two trip to Rwanda
37:38for two and a half weeks and a 10day
37:40trip to Cambodia they're both volunteer
37:42options um the one in Rwanda actually
37:45which is going on right now with our
37:46with our year courses there right now
37:48it's at the agaho Shalom youth Village
37:51um which was a village which was set up
37:52after the Randon genocide actually by
37:54some by uh an Lum of the Year course
37:58program um to help support um Orphans of
38:02the of the Rwanda genocide obviously you
38:05know many years later um you know those
38:08it's not working with those those
38:10children those orphans but it's still
38:11working with either either other um
38:15child orphans or with um other children
38:18which for whatever reasons can't spend
38:20you know their time living with their
38:21families or Etc so it's be spending two
38:24and a half weeks there in this youth
38:27volunteering working with the with the
38:29village on on lots of different projects
38:31and we'll have one or two days as well
38:34going out and exploring Rwanda that
38:36could be gorilla tracking one on one day
38:38and it could be learning about the
38:39Rwanda and genocide and going to the the
38:41you know the the museum about that on on
38:44another day so that's the Rwanda trip
38:46the Cambodia trip is a 10-day uh program
38:50um with our partners at the Jewish
38:52agency in Project 10 um we we we
38:54actually run another program for don't
38:56know if anyone on this call or any of
38:58the the the the the children of people
39:01on the call may have been on our nettina
39:02program which is a which was our 10day
39:05trip to Ghana which we ran at the end of
39:07year 12 um but was with the same
39:10organization with the Jewish agency
39:12project 10 that run that program
39:14actually also have a center in Cambodia
39:16and it basically for those year courses
39:18who want to do that can go to Cambodia
39:19for 10 days and be working with a with a
39:22local Cambodian um Community Helping to
39:25teach English and just you know IND
39:27delving a little bit more into that that
39:30uh Asian culture so those two are both
39:34volunteer options the next four are um
39:37are educational sightseeing um program
39:40so there's an eight-day program in Japan
39:42this is the first year it's meant to
39:44happen um it hasn't happened before so
39:46the year which are currently on the new
39:47course now will be the first year going
39:49through that um there's an 8-day trip to
39:51Morocco an 8-day trip to Portugal and a
39:53sixday trip to to Dubai um and in each
39:57of these places they go and it's it's as
39:59I said educational sight seeing so
40:01they'll go and see some of the main
40:02sites where there are links to the
40:03Jewish Community or links into Israel
40:06and they will explore those as well um
40:08but really it's just an opportunity for
40:10people in their Gap here to to go and
40:12explore um another culture and another
40:14country outside of Israel um as I said
40:18if if people choose one of these options
40:19they come at additional costs and they
40:21will be doing this instead of what we
40:24spoke about in the last slide in the zad
40:27for anyone who chooses not to do any of
40:28this or chooses just to do like one of
40:30the a week long option they will do this
40:34um you know and and surrounding that
40:36time they will do what we saw in the
40:38last the last slide so that's this manad
40:41um Summit section and the international
40:44travel options which takes us up to um
40:47around the beginning to middle of
40:49February um where the last semester
40:51kicks in which is our Jerusalem studies
40:54semester um for this
40:57semester We join up with
41:00the program um which is a Jewish agency
41:04run program which has actually existed
41:06for for decades um and the idea of this
41:11program is it takes um young people from
41:14youth movements around the world to
41:16train them up to be the Future Leaders
41:18of their youth movement of their their
41:21Community both in you know wherever they
41:23are from the world and in Israel and
41:27the way that it works is so it won't
41:28just be the As and young Judea
41:30participants who will be on the Mahan
41:33program at this time um normally at the
41:35time of year that we do the program
41:36there are people from the southern
41:38hemisphere um english- speaking uh
41:39countries from the southern hemisphere
41:41places like Australia New Zealand South
41:44Africa who also from youth movements
41:46from from those countries that will also
41:47join and will be a part of the program
41:50um and there are also sometimes from
41:51time to time there are other British or
41:54other European youth movements as well
41:56who also send uh their Gap participants
41:58to there so it will be a larger group it
42:00won't just be the 80 to 100 or so people
42:04who are there on the fs young J course
42:06from that section um in addition there
42:10is also a Spanish speaking M program
42:12which happens and runs you know
42:14alongside um the english- speaking one
42:16there won't be that much overlap because
42:18of the language but there will be
42:20probably somewhere between 150 to 200
42:24people of the same age normally from
42:25countries like Argentina and Mexico um
42:28who will be there at the same time
42:30having an almost identical program and
42:32there is some overlap and certainly kind
42:34of like just as uh whilst on campus and
42:36all being together there's lots of like
42:38social overlap there as well which is
42:39really nice for the a courses to be able
42:41to really see and explore people from
42:44all over the world and all different
42:45cultures um of you know people the same
42:48age um as them so the actual program
42:52itself um there are several like main
42:55themes like one theme is Israel and
42:57Zionism exploring how um how the state
43:01of Israel came to be um and then delving
43:03into like the Israel of the last 75
43:06years and today um some of this will be
43:09some of the course some of this course
43:10will be like a core course to understand
43:13some basic core facts and figures and
43:15places and understanding the history but
43:17also some of that will be um options
43:19electives as well so some people may may
43:21really like politics and wants to delve
43:23into Israeli politics or other people
43:25may be more interested in in different
43:28communities that live in Israel or you
43:30know Israeli Society or Israeli music or
43:33Israeli Arts so people can like as well
43:36as like the coral which will kind of
43:37like show the basic history and and
43:40everyone can understand that they can
43:42explore Israel and Zionism in in the way
43:45that they would best and most like to um
43:47there's a Hebrew op there which will
43:49meet four times a week for about an hour
43:51hour and a half each time um again to
43:53supplement to add on to the the op they
43:56would have done in Tel Aviv and
43:57hopefully to to add on to the Hebrew
43:59they would have learned throughout the
44:00first four or five months of a program
44:03um and so hopefully they'll be able to
44:04leave the the program with a with a
44:06decent level of Hebrew if they invest in
44:08that you know if they invest in it um
44:12there's like there's there's a there's a
44:13section of the of the weekly curriculum
44:15which looks at like Jewish Concepts and
44:17again there's lots of electives involved
44:19here so you may want so yeares may want
44:21to delve into like um like the Jewish
44:23bookshelf and look at like different
44:24Jewish texts for that biblical to the
44:26modern day they may want to look at um
44:29like hassidism and and and you know
44:32explore that that as a concept and they
44:34may want to kind of like look at like
44:36Jewish basic like you know Jewish laws
44:39or Jewish rituals to kind of understand
44:41how they work again there's a lot of
44:43choice here for them to explore their
44:45Judaism in a way which which they feel
44:47they'll be able to connect to and and is
44:50Meaningful for them um the other core
44:54component um of the of the of the
44:56curriculum is's leadership where it's
45:00it's a lot about training as I said
45:01training up these young these young
45:03people to be the Future Leaders of the
45:05youth movements and the communities
45:07giving them vital leadership skills
45:09communication skills presentation skills
45:12which will be useful for them when they
45:13go back to University when they come
45:15back to their youth movements and as
45:17they they continue their life there the
45:20main themes within the curriculum the
45:22other thing to mention are these things
45:24called lomc which I guess the ways to
45:26describe them as are they're like these
45:28deep dive electives so that twice a week
45:32half for half a day um year courses will
45:35leave the campus we'll leave kirat Maria
45:37and we'll explore a something a theme
45:41that is really important to them so that
45:43could be for example and there are many
45:45different options which are available
45:46here so it could be one of the options
45:49is the three monotheistic religions that
45:52that have Jerusalem um hold Jerusalem as
45:54important to them themselves to to to
45:56their religion so they could go out and
45:58and different days they'll go to like
46:00the Church of the Holy Seer or they'll
46:02meet with an an Imam or they'll meet
46:04with a hared community and a reformed
46:07Community Jewish community and they'll
46:09you know they'll go to like different
46:11they'll meet different people and
46:12explore different religious sites and
46:14understand like why um how you know how
46:17their religion works why Jerusalem is
46:19important to their religion what brings
46:20us to what you know where where we have
46:22there are similarities and where some of
46:23the challenges are maybe between these
46:26there's there's of course for example
46:28like um hidden neighborhoods of
46:30Jerusalem and so every week they they'll
46:32go out and they'll go and explore a
46:34different commun a different
46:35neighborhood in Jerusalem which maybe
46:36they've never been to before and
46:38understand you know that that community
46:40that neighborhood and to maybe meet some
46:42of the people who live there and to
46:44understand like how how that how that
46:45neighborhood operates they they may want
46:47to like delve into things like the
46:49Holocaust and they'll spend some time in
46:51yadvashem and and other places doing
46:53different workshops um and exploring the
46:56Holocaust through a variety of different
46:58ways there's also courses for example
47:00like uh Israel advocacy which a lot of
47:03the ear courses like to do before they
47:06come back to University campuses where
47:08they feel they'll have to defend um
47:10Israel and be Israel Advocates on on
47:12campus to kind of like prepare them and
47:14get them ready for for that process um
47:17and to kind of like teach them like
47:19teach them some more of of the history
47:21but also some of the the skills that
47:23they may need to be able to to to to add
47:26for Israel so that's like that's kind of
47:28like how the week is so of the five days
47:31they they're kind of like the core
47:32subjects twice a week as I said they'll
47:34be off campus and they'll be going
47:36exploring some of these topics you know
47:39through trips and every Tuesday um is is
47:42known as yam tunua which is movement day
47:45which means that and as I said there are
47:47lots of different movements and groups
47:48which come and form together um to be on
47:51the M program so once a week they'll get
47:54into their own their own group groups so
47:56that will be either F and Y year courses
47:57will either get together as just the F
47:59and Y group or get together as the
48:00bigger year course group with their
48:02their young Judea American uh
48:04counterparts who they spent the first
48:05five months with and we'll go again take
48:08them off site and like we did in the Tel
48:10Aviv semester where we were doing like
48:11um siim trips around different places in
48:13Israel will do the same thing um again
48:16while they're in the jome semester so
48:17like three of the four days of the week
48:19they're off campus and they're really
48:21getting to see Israel and explore Israel
48:23in an educational way um through you
48:26know from where you know as much as
48:28possible you want them to see things
48:29because we can learn things in a
48:31classroom anywhere so for us it's as
48:34important um it's very important for us
48:36to to be out in the field a lot um one
48:39thing a couple of things to just to say
48:41about the classes as well like it's
48:43there's no homework there's no exams
48:45it's it's not the same it's not a a
48:48school setting um that that that uh you
48:51know um young people are probably used
48:53to for for the last 14 years of having
48:56been in school it's it's about learning
48:57for the sake of learning on subjects
49:00that we believe are important as young
49:02Jewish people to to be learning about
49:04and delving into and the teachers are
49:06all they're all kind of like have
49:08probably been on similar programs like
49:10this themselves when they were younger
49:12um it's all a lot of informal education
49:15the teachers you go you call them by
49:18their first name and they're often like
49:19really there like as mentors um for for
49:22the young people that's how the general
49:25semester works but there are also three
49:27or four weeklong seminars throughout
49:29this time so so so in order to for two
49:32reason sure that like the year courses
49:34won't get bored with like every day
49:35going week after you we try to we mix it
49:37up with different seminars so like the
49:39first week or when they're there
49:41there'll be an orientation week so
49:43there'll be an orientation seminar
49:44getting to know the staff getting to
49:46understand the the getting to meet each
49:48other getting to know the campus and
49:49Jerusalem and different things like that
49:51the next week there's actually a seminar
49:53called B which kind of like tries
49:56to look at like the early Jewish history
50:00um to kind of like take the year courses
50:03on on a journey of like Biblical times
50:06and and leading up to maybe the the
50:08beginning of the the 20th century so
50:11they can understand like what happened
50:12in in like you know in more ancient
50:14Jewish history and again these seminars
50:16are out and about so they may go to Mada
50:18and understand like the history there
50:20they may go to the the desert and
50:22understand kind of like a lot of the the
50:24you know some of the biblical
50:26the you know the times of like Moses and
50:28and walking in the desert and and I know
50:30it's not necessarily the same desert but
50:31like but understanding kind of like some
50:34of the some some of that life and what
50:36happened and some of the history they
50:37may spend a day in like the old city of
50:39Jerusalem and understanding Biblical
50:41times and things like that um then the
50:43rest of the the other three or so semar
50:45are dotted around interspersed um every
50:48few weeks so one is Israeli Society
50:51seminar where they go out and explore is
50:53different parts of Israeli Society
50:56there's one which is just called an
50:57Israel semar to explore different
50:59communities and different uh cultures in
51:02Israel and then there's also um a Poland
51:04seminar as well so for a week long they
51:07will go um head to Poland which is all
51:10inclusive in the price of the program
51:12and they'll go and explore the rich
51:13Jewish history that was where there in
51:15in in Europe and the and the decimation
51:18of that during the the Holocaust so this
51:22the seminar which runs for 12 13 14
51:25weeks something like that will be
51:26interspersed by the regular classes um
51:29and these different seminars which
51:30happen as well so that's the Jerusalem
51:34semester and that kind of takes us to to
51:37the middle middle or so of May when we
51:39at that point we have a closing cumb
51:42seminar we bring all of the the year f y
51:44young J year course back together for a
51:46few days to reflect on the
51:48year um and to start that process of of
51:52going home so that why why spoken about
51:55up till now has been the the the the
51:59overview of the program but there's
52:00really a lot more which comes into the
52:02program which isn't there necessarily
52:05which isn't specific you can't see in a
52:07telev Jerusalem semester so I just want
52:09to touch on a few of those things now um
52:12we haven't mentioned weekends um so
52:14weekends is a big part of the Year
52:16roughly speaking one one Shabbat every
52:21four is a closed weekend um what I mean
52:24by that some of those will be um just
52:27the S and Y group together some of that
52:29will be the whole of that section
52:31together like the roughly 80 to 100
52:33people who are based in the same place
52:35um together and some of that will be the
52:37whole of vehicles which is the you know
52:39maybe up to around 200 or so people
52:41together and some of those will take
52:42them away some of those will be in their
52:44bases um but there will be everything
52:47that we do and run as a program is
52:49Shabbat friendly um so but it will be a
52:52time like so roughly one in four our
52:55closed weekends well we will run
52:57programming for them and we'll keep them
52:58in a you know in in a bubble and to make
53:00sure that we're providing like different
53:03Shabbat experiences for them and
53:05bringing them together as a group there
53:08are some year courses for the weekends
53:11which are not uh close weekend so
53:13roughly three three out of every four
53:15weeks um the the year courses are free
53:18to to explore um that their base is
53:21there whether that's in Jerusalem or
53:22whether that's in Tel Aviv their base is
53:24there for them um so if they want to
53:26have a quiet weekend sleeping catching
53:28up you know on some sleep or if they
53:30want to just explore Jerusalem or Tel
53:32Aviv where they are they they're welcome
53:34to do that um a lot of your coers also
53:36like to take this opportunity to explore
53:38different parts of Israel and maybe also
53:40we can set them up with host families
53:42and if they want to some year courses
53:44like to do things like cycling around
53:46the canera and other types of things as
53:48well so this is like a great opportunity
53:50for them to do so normally the weekend
53:52starts at the end of the day on Thursday
53:55when their classes or volunteering
53:56finishes so normally 4 5 6 7:00 in the
53:59evening on Thursday that's when their
54:01the weekend starts and they need to be
54:03back in their classes of volunteering
54:05early Sunday morning um so that
54:08basically Friday Saturday is is the
54:10weekend um but you can try to get away
54:12on Thursday night if you want to and
54:14then return back early Sunday morning if
54:16uh you know if if they plan in advance
54:19for those year courses which are looking
54:20for more closed opport closed Shabbat um
54:25we do have a package called road trip
54:26with the rabbi which again is for a
54:28little extra cost where we'll put
54:30provide an an additional six closed um
54:33weekends um for those people that want a
54:36more um you know closed framework and
54:39organized framework on their Shabbat to
54:41um that is a possibility and on that
54:43program um the the rabbi in question is
54:47someone called Rabbi Adam J is actually
54:49British originally and he he will go and
54:53take um this group of people who want
54:56that to different communities and
54:58explore Shabbat in a different
55:00environment each Shabbat so it might be
55:02a Shabbat in a city maybe a Shabbat in
55:03the Kutz could be a Shabbat in the
55:05desert um different Shabbat experiences
55:08um for those people that are looking for
55:10that um there's obviously that the
55:12Jewish calendar um and um you know every
55:15few weeks every month or so there's
55:17there's another hug which is which is
55:19coming up obviously this week we have uh
55:21Tu bishvat which is coming up in in the
55:23Jewish calendar but like there are like
55:25some real highlights throughout the year
55:27like days like yum y y y which normally
55:31happened at the end of the which
55:32happened at the end of the program
55:33normally around April May time like
55:35they're really really meaningful days in
55:37Israel um to to to be here and to kind
55:42especially to spend the day um mourning
55:46the loss of Israeli soldiers and and
55:48victims of Terror um and and spending
55:50the day kind of like in in in like
55:52military cemeteries and things like that
55:54to kind of like really kind of like
55:56understand what that day means to
55:58Israelis um and then kind of like the
56:00day finishes and goes straight into Y
56:02and they're out on the streets having
56:04you know Street parties and and with
56:06with the rest of the country and having
56:08barbecues um which is kind of like the
56:11cultural thing to do in Israel or it
56:12could be things like puring when you're
56:14walking along the street and everyone is
56:15dressed up uh in costumes young people
56:17to old people it may be on yonip PO
56:20where the roads pretty much shut down
56:22even like the main motorways there were
56:24just no cars on the road at all and
56:25people could just walk across the
56:27motorways and it's just a very powerful
56:28experience um to be in Israel on some of
56:31like throughout the Jewish calendar and
56:32seeing like a different way of of
56:34experiencing these things when it comes
56:36to all of theim um for some of them we
56:39provide like for all of them we provide
56:41options there are always things that we
56:42are providing for the year courses for
56:44those that want it we know that some
56:46year courses they they don't want to
56:48explore um these things so some year
56:50courses they have family that they want
56:52to go and spend these with um but for
56:56those which don't have family like we
56:57will always be providing different
56:58options which are there for them whether
57:00that's meals whether that's host
57:02families whether that's um doing
57:05Services together whether that's
57:06directing them towards um different
57:09synagogues or different denominations so
57:11they can connect in a way that they want
57:14and and highlighting different ways that
57:16uh is Israel um Israel is kind of like
57:18celebrate and commemorate each of these
57:20days so that they're really powerful
57:21times um I haven't mentioned I've
57:24mentioned um the Americans young Judea
57:26but we haven't mentioned the Sim so now
57:29both in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem there
57:32are a group of around 8 to 12 Israelis
57:35of their own age in each of these places
57:37so in total there's there's around 16 to
57:4024 Israelis of their own age who will be
57:42on the program they'll be living with
57:44them um they'll be a part of the program
57:46with them that they their their schedule
57:48is slightly different to to the the
57:50Brits and Americans on the program they
57:52have they have to do a certain number
57:55they're required to do a certain number
57:56of volunteer hours every week because
57:57they're in their Gap here between school
57:59and and the Army um but they live
58:02together and they run like normally once
58:05a semester they'll run one of these day
58:06trips just actually last week or two
58:08weeks ago they they ran a day trip where
58:10they did like bow and arrow shooting and
58:12milking cows and and doing all sorts of
58:14fun uh fun things um and and like these
58:18israelies of their own age kind of like
58:20they become their extended family when
58:21they're in Israel and they often invite
58:23them back to their homes for weekends
58:25for Shabbat for for the Haim um and for
58:28all of these things which is like a
58:29really unique and nice thing about our
58:31program which which kind of that doesn't
58:33exist really in many other programs and
58:36there were so many other things there
58:37are there are day trips there are there
58:40are different hikes that we do normally
58:41throughout theot we run a a seminar
58:44often down in the South like there are
58:47loads of different things like that
58:48which are which are happening throughout
58:49the program um which are all happening
58:52interspersed within the main within the
58:53main uh curriculum that I kind of like
58:55talk through the last thing I want to
58:58speak about before I just go on to some
58:59of the technical things in terms of
59:01pricing and signing up and everything
59:03like that and then open up to to
59:05questions that people may have um is is
59:08security Safety and Security um it is
59:11always um our number one priority um
59:14like and and obviously now more more you
59:17know it's it's not more than ever but
59:20even like it's you know it's it's much
59:21more fresh on everyone's Minds at the
59:23moment unfortunately
59:25um our program um will change will adapt
59:29and if needs be will be cancelled um if
59:32uh Bas based on security needs so what I
59:35would share with you is is a little bit
59:36about what's happened this year just so
59:38you can like understand the way that we
59:40operate the program um and and how and
59:43to to show you how like the Safety and
59:45Security really is kind of like the the
59:47first thing and the the number one thing
59:49that we're always thinking about um
59:51immediately after like the the terrible
59:54events of o October 7th um we moved the
59:56group away from Tel Aviv and the center
59:58of the country at that time there was
01:00:00there were Rockets which were coming
01:00:01towards Tel Aviv and we moved the group
01:00:03actually to kabut Cur which I mentioned
01:00:05a few times which is near not you know
01:00:07about half an hour away from a lap which
01:00:08was a place where there there weren't
01:00:12hearing any Rockets hearing any Sirens
01:00:14there were no Rockets coming over it was
01:00:16far away from from all of the the
01:00:19turmoil which was happening in in many
01:00:21places around Israel um and we and they
01:00:23were there for months and we built
01:00:25volunteer program we we for us like it
01:00:28also needs to be a meaningful program
01:00:30like if we can't if we don't feel we can
01:00:32keep them safe and we can't provide
01:00:33something meaningful that's when we
01:00:35would close down the program but for for
01:00:37us it needs to be it needs to take both
01:00:39of those boxes obviously the safety is
01:00:40the most important and then after that
01:00:42we you know we look for the meaningful
01:00:44options and if yeah as I said if we
01:00:46can't provide both of those that's when
01:00:47we'll shut down the program um but on
01:00:50the volunteering they did a lot of
01:00:51volunteering they would volunteering
01:00:52with a lot of displaced families a lot
01:00:54of them were were moved to displaced
01:00:57families from the north and from the
01:00:59South were moved to places like a lat so
01:01:00they would go into a lat and work with
01:01:02the families there there were a lot of
01:01:04people on the kibuts who were either
01:01:06called up to the Army or some foreign
01:01:09workers that left the country and said
01:01:10there was a lot of agricultural work to
01:01:12be doing on the kubert so we built a
01:01:14rich program for them during the five
01:01:16weeks or so that they were there and
01:01:18when things calmed down and things were
01:01:20safer again uh in the center of the
01:01:22country then we moved them back to the
01:01:23center of the country
01:01:25again um they had for a short period of
01:01:27time they also had a curfew imposed upon
01:01:29them not because things are necessarily
01:01:32less safe um at 1:00 in the morning than
01:01:34they would be in 1:00 in the afternoon
01:01:37but because we know that at 18 19 years
01:01:39old in the evening the course is may be
01:01:41more tended to to go and drink alcohol
01:01:44and things like that and we wanted to
01:01:45make sure that people will have their
01:01:47wits about them the whole time and they
01:01:49would be you know if there was ever a
01:01:51need to react to any situation they
01:01:53would be able to do that so like we will
01:01:55change the location of where where year
01:01:58courses are we will change their program
01:02:00we will change the rules based on
01:02:02everything that is that that is going on
01:02:04on a situation my hope my real hope is
01:02:07that by the time yle starts uh in in
01:02:09September you know this or end of August
01:02:11beginning of September this year there
01:02:13won't be need there won't be a need for
01:02:15any additional restrictions to to what
01:02:17our regular restrictions are um but
01:02:20should that be the case and should
01:02:21things need to adapt then then we will
01:02:23do that and we'll do that immediately
01:02:25um just you know there were a lot of
01:02:26vehices which did leave the country at
01:02:28that time as well I think we started the
01:02:29program with 185 between f y and young
01:02:32Juda I think the lowest number we went
01:02:34down to was 65 I think today just under
01:02:38180 of them are back I think only four
01:02:40people actually left the program um
01:02:42entirely in its entirety and nearly
01:02:44every single person well into like the
01:02:46high 90% are are back every single fed y
01:02:50person everyone who came from Britain is
01:02:51back there's just a handful of uh of
01:02:53Americans which haven't return turned
01:02:54yet um and so that's and that's so I
01:02:57think also I think that also shows um
01:03:00from a parent perspective you know that
01:03:02that that there is trust in the program
01:03:04that we are running and that that we can
01:03:07provide safe and meaningful um
01:03:09programming um even during very
01:03:12difficult challenging tumultuous times
01:03:14that there have been um over the last
01:03:16few months here in
01:03:18Israel okay so the last slide that we'll
01:03:20I'll touch on is costs and scholarships
01:03:24um and then we'll I will remove the the
01:03:27slideshow we'll have an opportunity for
01:03:29people to ask any questions they may
01:03:30have um so the the price of the program
01:03:33The Early B price of the program is £
01:03:3722,999 um the early D deadline is
01:03:39currently next week um but we are
01:03:42looking because of the this this was an
01:03:44early bir deadline we put in place
01:03:46actually before October 7th so we are
01:03:48looking to maybe extend that early by
01:03:50deadline by a couple of weeks to because
01:03:52we we did launch our program later than
01:03:53we had expected Ed to and we know that
01:03:55some people may need to a little bit
01:03:57more time to consider that but the early
01:04:00deadline currently standing the 31st of
01:04:02January but we'll probably be pushing
01:04:03that back like a couple of weeks and we
01:04:04will inform you you know if if and when
01:04:07that does change the regular the regular
01:04:09program cost if you apply after the
01:04:10early bird deadline is £
01:04:1323499 after the 14th of May um we can't
01:04:17guarantee availability anymore on the
01:04:20program because that's around the time
01:04:22in the middle of May um where the year
01:04:24where the current year course program is
01:04:27wrapping up and and in Israel they're
01:04:29already like sorting out all the
01:04:30logistics towards the next year's um
01:04:33program which includes hiring staff um
01:04:36like signing rentals on on uh on on on
01:04:40accommodation and different things like
01:04:42that um so at that point like it may not
01:04:45be as easy to to to to to bring people
01:04:48who are like want to sign up later onto
01:04:50the program and there's also a 200 pound
01:04:52sech charge at that time because things
01:04:54um can become more expensive if we're
01:04:55not like buy you know sorting things out
01:04:57in advance as well so that's the pricing
01:05:00there are like we do have a very clear
01:05:03policy that everyone should be able to
01:05:05go on the year course program regardless
01:05:07of their financial need um we recognize
01:05:10that year course is an expensive program
01:05:12um we know that look we also know that
01:05:15that spending a year in University is
01:05:16also expensive once you include the T
01:05:19the tuition fees and and and for those
01:05:21people that are living away from the
01:05:23family home the modation and the food
01:05:25and everything that goes with it we
01:05:26recognize that that's also expensive and
01:05:28it's probably not massively different in
01:05:30terms of like a like for like cost um
01:05:32but we recognize that it is an expensive
01:05:34program and we recognize not everyone
01:05:36can afford it so we work with different
01:05:38organizations who help to support FS Y
01:05:42and help to support um mles families to
01:05:45be able to go onto the the programs the
01:05:48the the three that we make work through
01:05:50with most closely or the friends of SED
01:05:52Y which is a charity which is linked to
01:05:53us they provide needs-based B bseries
01:05:57and also they have an interest free loan
01:05:59scheme as well for those people that Al
01:06:01that may want to be able to pay things
01:06:03off over several months um so so that's
01:06:06something that that that they offer Masa
01:06:09is a Israeli governmental organization
01:06:12linked in with the Jewish agency and
01:06:14then an umbrella organization which Tred
01:06:16to bring as many people to long-term
01:06:18immersion programs uh in Israel as
01:06:20possible they provide a $200 univ
01:06:24scholarship which is built into the cost
01:06:25of the program I know that's not a huge
01:06:27amount of of money that's already built
01:06:28into the cost of the program but they
01:06:30also provide additional needs based
01:06:32funding and they often are able to
01:06:33provide several thousand dollars or
01:06:36pounds for for those families which need
01:06:38it um and then there's the U as well um
01:06:42the the largest like um Jewish British
01:06:45Israel um charity raises money towards
01:06:48Israel Israeli causes and also um like
01:06:51Jewish Israeli education uh within like
01:06:54the youth sector as well in the UK they
01:06:56also provide need-based funding as well
01:06:59so there like with those three
01:07:01organizations um and working with with
01:07:04individual families and all of these
01:07:05things are done on a case-by casee basis
01:07:07and confidentially we have one person on
01:07:09our staff who will work and support um
01:07:12you through this process um Our
01:07:15intention is that everyone will be able
01:07:16to make the program if there is a real
01:07:18Financial need and there are also
01:07:20depending on where you where you live
01:07:22and you know what's sure you go to and
01:07:24which Community you're part of there are
01:07:27synagogues and local councils which
01:07:28often offer money for for these grants
01:07:31for these types of trips there are other
01:07:32trust funds which are available as well
01:07:34depending on again where you come from
01:07:36often and and again we'll try and work
01:07:38with people uh in order to to help um
01:07:41them get on the program if Finance is uh
01:07:44it potentially could be a hindrance to
01:07:46that so I think what I'm going to do now
01:07:49um is I'm going to stop um the the
01:07:53sharing and I think I'm actually going
01:07:55to uh stop recording at this point as
01:07:58well um and what we'll do so we can open
01:08:01up a transfer if anyone has any
01:08:03questions um they can do so without
01:08:05necessarily this part of the thing being