Spotlight on Summer
This time last year UJIA was supporting thousands of children and teenagers on Israel Tour and other Israel-related programmes. Nothing can replace these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. However, with the help of our partners and communities across the country, this year UJIA is delighted to be able to put the ‘Spotlight on Summer’.
UJIA, through its current and new partners, has supported the development of over 25 new programmes and initiatives aiming at bringing Israel to children, teenagers and adults across the UK.
See below to find out more about the many projects that will bring Israel into our summer and how to get involved!
UJIA – Chavaya B’Chava (Experiences on the farm)
One episode released weekly, for Primary School aged children
UJIA is pleased to launch a 6-part series of fun educational resources. Check back in each week for a new short video and to find out what Sydney has been learning on the farm in the Scottish Highlands! Use the accompanying resource sheets to get the most out of your fun learning experience.
Alyth Synagogue – SWAY 2020
24th August to 28th August
A 5-day active day camp bringing young people together from across the Alyth community after this long period of separation. The programme will explore Reform Jewish values in Israel and the Diaspora with games, fun, peer learning and mifgashim (encounters) with Israelis from Leo Baeck in Haifa.
Bnei Akiva UK – Summer Machane Day Activities
27th July to 15th August
Three weeks of an incredible variety of day-trips and activities, hosted in London and Manchester, all in true “Bnei Akiva” style bringing an ideological lens to great activities. Examples include fun day-trips, a ‘chalutziyut’ (pioneering) farming experience, activity packs delivered to participants doors and even a day camp for children of key workers.
Hechalutz – Spotlight; Discovering Israel through it’s people and their stories
24th July to 1st September
Hechalutz is offering a virtual Israel tour and leadership training programme in the month of August to youth movements and groups. The tour is open to all tour-aged participants and will comprise of videos, online games and activities. Their partnership with a number of the Zionist youth movements will enhance their own programming with all of Hechalutz’s Israel-based educators and role models.
Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue – Hands across the Lands
Running throughout the Summer
This unique project will connect children in the UK and Israel, allowing them to share their experiences of life during the Covid-19 pandemic, through photography and art. This small programme for the Kol Nefesh community will facilitate their young people’s understanding of how to use visual art to express their connection to Israel and their experiences and feelings of day-to-day life.
Langdon Brady – Summer Israel Engagement Scheme
10th August to 21st August
A very special day camp for teens with learning disabilities and autism. Running for two weeks this programme aims to connect the participants with Israel and provide appropriate activities for engagement such as themed days on Israel, cooking, sport, arts and crafts, mini Olympics, Israeli dancing, drama, and singing.
LJY-Netzer – Machaneh B’bayit
3rd August to 22nd August
Machaneh B’Bayit translates to Camp @ Home. Participants in this programme come from across the UK, and each will receive a special box in the post with their own machaneh b’bayit t-shirt, tie dye and a host of other resources for virtual LJY sessions or to use in your own time. All 100+ participants in the programme join to complete and share the activities the box facilitates with livestreams and online social fun.
RSY-Netzer- Summer Siddur Project
Running throughout the Summer
This summer RSY embark on an incredible journey – the creation of a brand-new Siddur (prayer book). The young leaders (17-20) will work with Rabbis, cantors, academics, social activists, and young people from across the movement in the UK and Israel. Together they will develop a new siddur that explores the place of Israel in modern RSY liturgy and the role of Ivrit in the camp experience.
Shared Paths and New Israel Fund – “Zoom-In on Arab Society”
Available throughout the Summer
Shared Paths tells the story of Israeli-Arab society through locally-guided tours in Arab towns in Israel. Shared Path’s mission is to create familiarity with all parts of Israel’s population and to help forge closer ties between Jews and Arabs and promote a shared society by changing attitudes. The short, 45-60 minute, ‘Zoom’ tours allow participants to hear the personal story of the host and of their home town (e.g. Baqa al-Gharbiya). Through this personal story the host will convey the story of Arab society in Israel and bring to light the idea of shared society. The tours are available to all and are an opportunity to experience new and diverse narratives of Israel.
StandWithUs United Kingdom – Jerusalem Live
Available throughout the Summer
Do you want to bring the sights and sounds of Jerusalem into your living room? Sign up for the incredible Stand With Us ‘Jerusalem LIVE’ – a unique interactive online tour programme broadcast in real-time from Jerusalem’s most famous sites. We’re pleased to be supporting Jerusalem LIVE through the UJIA Summer Engagement Fund 2020. The experience harnesses a blend of history, storytelling, and trivia, with Yoni Zeirler a master tour guide whose live tours on Facebook have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of viewers. Throughout the tour, participants have the chance to ask questions, share their thoughts, and even send notes to be placed in the Western Wall by the StandWithUs Israel team.
The Zone – A virtual Tour Experience
UK Jewish Film – Israel on Screen
27th July to 28th August
This amazing programme is four weeks of Israeli film watch parties and the opportunity to learn from industry professionals about how to make your own film. Suited to individuals, families, and community groups. This special opportunity will give access to Israeli and Jewish film and the opportunity to investigate film making in your own right.
Israeli Scouts Western Europe – Tzofim summer Kaytana 2020
3rd August to 7th August
Israeli Scouts in the UK are leading a virtual and in-person “camp-style” programme for the special community of Israeli living in the UK and their families. Each day of the programme will have a special theme that will help connect the chanichim (participants) to each other and their Israeli identity.
Habonim Dror – Machaneh M’tziyut Chadasha
27th July to 7th August
Habonim Dror are making sure that none of their members will miss out on the ‘Habo’ summer experience. They have developed an incredible Hadracha and Zionism seminar for their 16 year olds, a condensed version of their highly successful Sayarim camp – exploring the Shoah and antisemitism, and a series of engaging day activities investigating Habonim Dror’s values and ideology on Israel and social issues.
FZY – Day Camp, Taskmaster and Kehilla
27th July to 8th August
FZY have developed three fantastic new programmes to replace their residential offering: a 2-week day camp set in leafy North West London for ages 12-15 with all the best bits of “camp” activities, the Kehilla programme – an intensive leadership bootcamp for 16 year olds and the Taskmaster initiative – an FZY take on the comedy panel game show with kits delivered to participants doors filled with wacky challenges.
Beit Shvidler Primary School – Camp Kayitz
27th July to 7th August
Camp Kayitz with Beit Shvidler is a day camp for the summer holiday period to provide fun and activities for students of the school and other Jewish schools in the Edgware area. The school is ideally placed to help families who have been financially and emotionally impacted by Covid 19 to have some affordable care and Israel focused education for their children over the summer.
Glasgow Israel Committee, JLGB, 5th Giffnock Guides – Glasgow Kayitz 2020
6th July to 6th August
This Glaswegian coalition of organisations have joined together to provide a two-week virtual camp experience for children of the Jewish community if Scotland. Each week will include 5 days of materials and activities delivered to the homes of each child together with on-line meet ups and shared experiences. This is the replace the usual in-person Summer Kayitz programme provided by the Glasgow community. The programme has even expanded to include families in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Noam Masorti Youth – Chalutzim
14th July to 16th July
Chalutzim is an intense 3-day ‘Israel Tour’ experience with virtual tours, mifgashim (encounters), education sessions and kef (fun). The experience provides participants with the opportunity to learn about Israel’s history – exploring the foundations of the country, meet the people who live there and have the opportunity to help the country grow.
Project ImpACT – Charity Challenges
19th July
A sensational opportunity for teens to get out and raise money for Israeli charities through a “mud run for charity” on 19th July 2020. Register to participate and to raise funds to and challenge yourself through the obstalces at Wild-Forest.
Yavneh College – Yavneh College Identity (YCID)
1st July to 20th July
Yavneh College have developed a great replacement programme for their Year 9 Israel Tour: a Jewish and Israel identity project. Pupils will explore their own sense of identity and have the opportunity to connect with peers in Israel and from the Hindu community in London to investigate their commonalities and differences. This will culminate in a project exhibition when the children are back in school in September.
Etgar
2nd July
Each year, over 1,000 10-year-old children (year 5) from the UK and Israel come together in July for the Etgar Challenge – a massive celebration of Jewish and Israel knowledge. With Covid-19 this was no-longer possible. Etgar moved the whole operation online to ensure that this flag ship inter-school Jewish Studies quiz can be maintained virtually despite the challenges.
Gesher School – Kodesh Enrichment Week – A Sensory Shabbat and Israel Experience
10th June to 16th June
Gesher School is a unique special needs primary school for the London Jewish community. Their programme will provide a Kodesh (Jewish Studies) Enrichment Week with a specific focus on a sensory Shabbat and Israel experience. Gesher is a unique school with a unique Enrichment week to finish off their school year.
New North London Synagogue – Chugim B’Kayitz Summer Time Clubs
20th July to 31st July
NNLS have a great series of skills based chugim for two weeks of learning and fun, all centred around “Kayitz Be’Yisrael” (Summer in Israel” for 100 participants of primary school aged children. During the week the children will learn new skills virtually (art, performance, cookery, sports/forest skills) and participate in a creative group project. The weeks start and finish with face-to-face sessions. This is a fantastic way to engage the children, and also their families.