Bay Area teens heading to Israel
Sixty-two teens from throughout the Bay Area will spend four weeks in Israel from June 23 to July 21 as part of the first-ever Bay Area-wide “Let’s Go Israel” (formerly the East Bay Summer Youth Experience in Israel).
The trip, for 10th and 11th-graders, will include two weeks in the north of Israel and two weeks in the south. Students will get to have a kibbutz experience, spend time in Eilat, visit the Judean Desert and, security conditions permitting, explore the Jewish Quarter and other areas of Jerusalem.
This year, for the first time, participants will have a choice between experiencing “army life” while in authentic Israel Defense Forces uniform or performing social action/community service, during which they will work with recent emigres from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia in one of Israel’s many absorption centers.
For information, call (510) 839-2900 ext. 256.
More summer camp options in Israel
For the first time, the S.F.-based Bureau of Jewish Education is offering experiences at summer camps in Israel in addition to the Jewish camps in the Bay Area. Campers can now stay on a kibbutz, delve into ancient Jewish history, or study the intricate ecosystems of the Israeli desert.
A number of local Jewish kids will be going to specialized camps in Israel this summer, according to the BJE’s Janet Rothman. These camps include specializations in science, the arts, and religious studies.
For information on these programs, call Rothman at (415) 751-6983, ext.107.
Horses, yoga add to Shabbat weekend
This month, some four-legged friends will be adding to the excitement of the third annual Shabbat Weekend for Jewish Children with Disabilities and Their Families at Camp Newman in Santa Rosa. The weekend, which brings together disabled children with their parents and siblings, will involve therapeutic horseback riding.
Other new events for the last weekend of May include facilitated discussion groups for the adults and group discussion for the siblings of the children with disabilities. Yoga will also be a part of the program.
To be a participant or to volunteer, contact Flora Kupferman at the Bureau of Jewish Education: (415) 751-6983, ext. 122.
Local educator named Yavneh school head
Lori L. Abramson, a longtime Bay Area Jewish educator, has been named head of school at Yavneh Day School in San Jose, effective July 1.
For the past 10 years, Abramson has served as director of education at Temple Sinai in Oakland, managing educational programs from kindergarten through adult.
Her management style and techniques were outlined in “Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement,” a secular book on school management, by Linda Lambert. Also, along with her husband, bandleader Joel Abramson, she has performed and recorded Jewish music. In addition, the Abramsons co-authored an Israeli music curriculum.
Abramson holds a master of arts degree in Jewish education from Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.