2008 Woodie Awards
Counterpoint Israel A Success
Daniel Goldmintz
Issue date: 9/4/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
This summer's Counterpoint Israel trip, which took 5 Beren and 2 Wilf campus students to work with Israeli youth in the development town of Yeruchum, was a huge success, reported the CJF.
Over the course of the three week program Yeshiva University undergraduates conducted a slew of sessions on a myriad of issues. They worked to inspire the children of the economically depressed neighborhood to rise above their disadvantaged backgrounds in order to achieve both social and financial success. As Program Director Aliza Abrams described, "The goal of the sessions...was to expose the Israeli campers to topics that will empower them to continue on with their education and hopefully one day be able to remove themselves from their current economic status, and environment."
Topics of the daily two hour sessions focused on self awareness and growth, including ideas such as self-esteem, personal perspective, efficient use of time, taking control of one's own future, and personal values.
Though the CJF-run program was designed to help Israeli youth, Counterpoint Israel was aimed at impacting its YU participants as well. "We wanted the YU students to experience the Israel that exists beyond tourist-drawn boarders," said Head Counselor, Zvi Friedman. "The attitudes pertinent in such a development town as Yerucham, experience preparing and facilitating educational programs, learn about social justice issues with which the Orthodox community struggles, though not recognized or highlighted, and to more deeply consider the Israel - Diaspora relationship. Ultimately, all of that serves our greater goal of inspiring students to make a difference on campus and in their communities."
In addition to their own work, the YU students partook in sessions run by Maglai Zedek, an Israeli social justice organization, in the hope that they would be moved to take a more active role on such issues in the future on their own. "[Maglai Zedek] showed the students that they can make a difference if they choose to," said Abrams. "Throughout the summer students had conversations about ways that they wanted to take action upon their return to campus." Chief among them: starting a Maglai Zedek club on campus this year.
Over the course of the three week program Yeshiva University undergraduates conducted a slew of sessions on a myriad of issues. They worked to inspire the children of the economically depressed neighborhood to rise above their disadvantaged backgrounds in order to achieve both social and financial success. As Program Director Aliza Abrams described, "The goal of the sessions...was to expose the Israeli campers to topics that will empower them to continue on with their education and hopefully one day be able to remove themselves from their current economic status, and environment."
Topics of the daily two hour sessions focused on self awareness and growth, including ideas such as self-esteem, personal perspective, efficient use of time, taking control of one's own future, and personal values.
Though the CJF-run program was designed to help Israeli youth, Counterpoint Israel was aimed at impacting its YU participants as well. "We wanted the YU students to experience the Israel that exists beyond tourist-drawn boarders," said Head Counselor, Zvi Friedman. "The attitudes pertinent in such a development town as Yerucham, experience preparing and facilitating educational programs, learn about social justice issues with which the Orthodox community struggles, though not recognized or highlighted, and to more deeply consider the Israel - Diaspora relationship. Ultimately, all of that serves our greater goal of inspiring students to make a difference on campus and in their communities."
In addition to their own work, the YU students partook in sessions run by Maglai Zedek, an Israeli social justice organization, in the hope that they would be moved to take a more active role on such issues in the future on their own. "[Maglai Zedek] showed the students that they can make a difference if they choose to," said Abrams. "Throughout the summer students had conversations about ways that they wanted to take action upon their return to campus." Chief among them: starting a Maglai Zedek club on campus this year.