Blog
Blog
Tangible Memories: The NFTY in Israel Travel Journal
By Dan Garwood, North American Coordinator If you asked me what I’m most excited for this summer, one of my answers would be the incredibly creative ways that participants will use the NFTY in Israel Travel Journal! We’ve mailed a copy of the Travel Journal to every...
Ready for Summer 2019? Here’s how to follow along the journey
Welcome families! This summer, your teen will embark on the journey of a lifetime with NFTY in Israel! Our team, in New York and Israel are working tirelessly to prepare for another amazing summer! As you prepare for the departure of your teen, we want to take a moment to share with you how you can stay in touch and share in their experience this summer.
5 Ways to Observe Yom HaZikaron Outside Israel
By Kate Bigam Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, is a deeply somber time in the State of Israel. Writes an American Reform cantor who took her sabbatical in Israel, In Israel, it's personal. There is nothing remote or symbolic about Yom HaZikaron for Israelis. It...
Bearing Witness Today: Delayed Grief and Yom HaZikaron
By Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein, D. MIN. Of all the curiosities surrounding the Jewish calendar, I continue to be startled by the fact that only during these Omer days – between Passover and Shavuot – do Jews have back-to-back commemorations of sadness. Soon after...
10 Ways Jewish Israelis Will Celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut This Year
By Nadav Savaia Because Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) fall back to back on the Hebrew calendar, Independence Day festivities begin almost immediately after the mourning and solemnities of Memorial Day. As Memorial...
A Spiritual Journey Inside and Out
By Rabbi Rich Kirschen, Director One of my favorite teachers is the Quaker author, educator, and activist Parker Palmer. Parker Palmer has this remarkable ability to speak about “Meaning & Purpose” and why we need to transmit these values to the next generation....
The Four Questions I’m Asking About Israel This Year
By Chelsea Feuchs I have very little artistic ability. Throughout my childhood, I tried my hand at photography, drawing, singing, clarinet, dance, and musical theater, but to no avail. Considering all these failed attempts, I was shocked when I finally stumbled upon...
In Every Generation: Four Questions from the Early Days of the Kibbutz
By Rabbi Reuven Greenvald, Director of Israel Engagement, URJ Mah Nishtanah! As Passover, we ask, "How is this night different than all other nights?" Well, yesterday Israelis went to the ballot boxes, and today we know the outcome. One’s answer to this age-old Jewish...
Lessons During a Trip to the North
By Rabbi David Wilfond, Director of Education One of the things that makes the NFTY in Israel educational program of such a high quality is that we train our educators (mechanchim) for six months prior to the summer. Yesterday, we completed a three-day trip to the...