Dear Parents,
Shavua tov to all. This morning there was an incident on the northern border where a rocket was fired into Israel from Lebanon. The rocket landed by a village in the Galilee, and two people were lightly injured. All of the workshoppers are fine and accounted for, and there have been no changes in the security directions from the Israel Experience.
I know a number of you are still waiting for the pics, and there should be some up through the week. I'll be in touch with more updates!
I wish you all a safe and healthy week, and i will let you all know as to any security changes.
Regards,
Leon.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Security Update - January 31
Dear Parents,
I hope you have all had a relaxing and peaceful shabbat, and i hope that for those of you in the freezing temperatures that i am hearing about in America and Canada, have had a chance to stay warm indoors! I just wanted to update you all on some security changes in regards to the security outlines of the Israel Experience.
The Israel Experience has changed the security outline to what the measures were before the Gaza Operation. In regards to what that means, and how it changes the measures that were last published, the following changes have been made:
- The new 'buffer' zone that cannot be entered into around Gaza is a 7km Radius around the Gaza Strip. That area covers the city of Sderot, as well as a few kibbutzim in that zone.
- Participants are now free to travel to the boardwalk in Tel-Aviv at all time.
- It is free to travel to, and within, the old city of Akko
- Entry and travel to mixed (Jewish/Arab) villages, and Arab villages, is permitted under the new security outlines.
- The warnings that were established around travel to the old city still stand, with entry only allowed to the Jewish Quarter through the Zion Gate, and strong recommendations to not be at the Kotel (Western Wall) between the hours of 11:00 and 14:00 on Fridays.
The past month has not been an easy time for anyone in Israel, or anyone who has loved ones in Israel, but i want to sincerely thank all of you for your patience and understanding through this difficult time in Israel. With the current ceasefire, and with elections in Israel in just over a week, we are all hoping for a future filled with peace, tranquility, and dialogue.
As always, the security department continues to monitor any situations in Israel, and as any updates happen, I will keep you all informed.
Shavua Tov to everyone!
Leon.
I hope you have all had a relaxing and peaceful shabbat, and i hope that for those of you in the freezing temperatures that i am hearing about in America and Canada, have had a chance to stay warm indoors! I just wanted to update you all on some security changes in regards to the security outlines of the Israel Experience.
The Israel Experience has changed the security outline to what the measures were before the Gaza Operation. In regards to what that means, and how it changes the measures that were last published, the following changes have been made:
- The new 'buffer' zone that cannot be entered into around Gaza is a 7km Radius around the Gaza Strip. That area covers the city of Sderot, as well as a few kibbutzim in that zone.
- Participants are now free to travel to the boardwalk in Tel-Aviv at all time.
- It is free to travel to, and within, the old city of Akko
- Entry and travel to mixed (Jewish/Arab) villages, and Arab villages, is permitted under the new security outlines.
- The warnings that were established around travel to the old city still stand, with entry only allowed to the Jewish Quarter through the Zion Gate, and strong recommendations to not be at the Kotel (Western Wall) between the hours of 11:00 and 14:00 on Fridays.
The past month has not been an easy time for anyone in Israel, or anyone who has loved ones in Israel, but i want to sincerely thank all of you for your patience and understanding through this difficult time in Israel. With the current ceasefire, and with elections in Israel in just over a week, we are all hoping for a future filled with peace, tranquility, and dialogue.
As always, the security department continues to monitor any situations in Israel, and as any updates happen, I will keep you all informed.
Shavua Tov to everyone!
Leon.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Kaveret rolling into motion
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to a nice and relaxing weekend. The past few weeks for the workshoppers have been full of excitement and adventure, as well as some new discoveries in their communal lives.
The Kaveret program has been going for about 4 weeks now, and most of the tzevetim (small groups of madrichim) are getting to be well established in their volunteering projects all over the north. Each city (Karmiel & Akko) are split up into 3 different volunteering projects, and all of them are based in or around the cities in which they live.
For the Akko group - they have three tzevetim, of which one works in a school and after-school club in Haifa, one works in a school in Akko, and the third works in the co-existence tzevet, dealing primarily with Israeli Arabs in villages in the surrounds.
For Karmiel - they have one tzevet who works in a school and club in Carmiel, one in a school in Tzfat, and the third tzevet is partnered with some of the Akko kvutsa in the co-existence tzevet.
The group spends 3 days a week in the schools, of which half a day is committed to a 'yom tzevet,' a time when they can sit down with the guides who are assisting them and partnering them through the experience, for learning and dealing with some of the more difficult questions revolving around their experiences with Israeli youth.
Hebrew has also started up again after the break, and it gives the workshoppers another avenue to continue improving and raising their level of hebrew. Now that they are immersed within Israeli society, not just in their projects but also with shopping, travel, and other daily interactions, every bit of Hebrew can only help in their experience of Israeli life.
The group has also been going through an intense hadracha (leadership) theory course on Thursdays, and has delved into questions of what it means to be a leader, personal example, working as a group, as well as many other relevant issues in being a leader within the movement and machane.
The workshops groups also had their first Poland preparation seminar a few weeks ago, and began to explore the Shoah and the way that we view and remember it today, both in the movement and within our home communities. They will be doing their second preparation seminar in the 2nd week of February, where the groups will be spending two days at the Ghetto Fighters' Museum near Nahariya, a museum that was built and maintained by survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It will definitely be a big highlight, and will deal with lots of questions and impressions of the Shoah and how we see it today. Of course it won't be long till we will be on a plane and off to Poland ourselves!
So that's where things are at the moment on Workshop. With the Gaza operation over, we are hoping that life will return at a slightly more non-exciting level and pace, but that the steam train that is Workshop will continue rolling along at high speed!
I will endeavour to add some photos of the workshoppers in their living environments, both in their houses in Akko & Karmiel, and in their volunteering projects, in the next blog update.
Until then i would like to wish you all a safe and relaxing weekend.
Regards,
Leon.
I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to a nice and relaxing weekend. The past few weeks for the workshoppers have been full of excitement and adventure, as well as some new discoveries in their communal lives.
The Kaveret program has been going for about 4 weeks now, and most of the tzevetim (small groups of madrichim) are getting to be well established in their volunteering projects all over the north. Each city (Karmiel & Akko) are split up into 3 different volunteering projects, and all of them are based in or around the cities in which they live.
For the Akko group - they have three tzevetim, of which one works in a school and after-school club in Haifa, one works in a school in Akko, and the third works in the co-existence tzevet, dealing primarily with Israeli Arabs in villages in the surrounds.
For Karmiel - they have one tzevet who works in a school and club in Carmiel, one in a school in Tzfat, and the third tzevet is partnered with some of the Akko kvutsa in the co-existence tzevet.
The group spends 3 days a week in the schools, of which half a day is committed to a 'yom tzevet,' a time when they can sit down with the guides who are assisting them and partnering them through the experience, for learning and dealing with some of the more difficult questions revolving around their experiences with Israeli youth.
Hebrew has also started up again after the break, and it gives the workshoppers another avenue to continue improving and raising their level of hebrew. Now that they are immersed within Israeli society, not just in their projects but also with shopping, travel, and other daily interactions, every bit of Hebrew can only help in their experience of Israeli life.
The group has also been going through an intense hadracha (leadership) theory course on Thursdays, and has delved into questions of what it means to be a leader, personal example, working as a group, as well as many other relevant issues in being a leader within the movement and machane.
The workshops groups also had their first Poland preparation seminar a few weeks ago, and began to explore the Shoah and the way that we view and remember it today, both in the movement and within our home communities. They will be doing their second preparation seminar in the 2nd week of February, where the groups will be spending two days at the Ghetto Fighters' Museum near Nahariya, a museum that was built and maintained by survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It will definitely be a big highlight, and will deal with lots of questions and impressions of the Shoah and how we see it today. Of course it won't be long till we will be on a plane and off to Poland ourselves!
So that's where things are at the moment on Workshop. With the Gaza operation over, we are hoping that life will return at a slightly more non-exciting level and pace, but that the steam train that is Workshop will continue rolling along at high speed!
I will endeavour to add some photos of the workshoppers in their living environments, both in their houses in Akko & Karmiel, and in their volunteering projects, in the next blog update.
Until then i would like to wish you all a safe and relaxing weekend.
Regards,
Leon.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Security Update - January 14
Dear Parents,
As some of you may be aware, three rockets fell this morning in open area around Kiryat Shemona, an Israeli city in the Northern Galilee. At this point in time there has been ongoing monitoring of the northern border with Lebanon, but there have been no changes to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, as detailed in the previous posts.
All of the workshoppers were made aware of what happened this morning, and none of them were near the affected area. We will be updating them, as well as the blog, as soon as there are any new developments.
I would like to wish everyone a great day, and i hope for better news for all of Israel in the coming days.
Leon.
As some of you may be aware, three rockets fell this morning in open area around Kiryat Shemona, an Israeli city in the Northern Galilee. At this point in time there has been ongoing monitoring of the northern border with Lebanon, but there have been no changes to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, as detailed in the previous posts.
All of the workshoppers were made aware of what happened this morning, and none of them were near the affected area. We will be updating them, as well as the blog, as soon as there are any new developments.
I would like to wish everyone a great day, and i hope for better news for all of Israel in the coming days.
Leon.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Security Update - January 10
Dear Parents,
Shavua Tov! I hope that you have all had a relaxing weekend and an enjoyable shabbat. I just wanted to fill you all in on both the current security guidelines and protocol, as well as give you an update of the workshoppers settling into their new surroundings in Akko & Karmiel.
Since my last blog entry two days ago, the situation in the North remains the same. Under the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, there is freedom of movement for all programs along the northern border of the country. The security division of the Israel Experience is monitoring the situation very closely, and as anything changes we will update both participants and parents as early as possible.
I also wanted to relate to the security process that we undergo, as a number of parents have asked about contingency plans, and have compared the current situation to the situation that the group experienced on MBI in 2006. The security process that stands behind the program is the same security process that stood behind the MBI program in 2006. The reason why the group was continuously moved south in 2006 was because the security division of the Israel Experience Ltd created an imaginary line across the country, through which groups adhered to when undertaking their program activities. At no point were groups permitted to travel north of that security line, and MBI in 2006 adhered to those security guidelines stringently. Travelling north of that line, which extended south of Haifa, would have placed the group and it's participants in potential harm, according to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd.
At this point in time, there is no security line in the north of Israel. The minute that the Israel Experience security division notifies us that there are areas in the north deemed unsafe, according to their security guidelines, then we will re-assess the situation. If the groups in Akko and Karmiel are north of those lines, then we will act immediately to move them south, in conjunction with the Israel Experience guidelines, and we will move them to temporary housing locations in the centre of the country.
I understand all of your concerns and worries in regards to security throughout Israel at this time. All I can ask is to have trust in the security protocol and decision-making processes of the program co-ordinators, and of the Israel Experience Ltd. The security and safety of the Workshop participants is of paramount importance to everyone, and will not be compromised for anything.
This week, the workshoppers will begin their educational volunteering projects in Akko, Karmiel, and the surrounding areas. The group had a chance to see some of the schools and educational institutions in which they will be working last Wednesday, when they did a tour of some of the places and met a number of the guides and teachers that they will be working with. Needless to say, the group is very inspired to begin this exciting new chapter of Workshop, and I will post an outline of their educational projects on the blog in the coming days to let all of you know exactly where they will be and what they will be doing.
I would like to wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy week. I'll be posting again soon so watch this space!
Regards,
Leon.
Shavua Tov! I hope that you have all had a relaxing weekend and an enjoyable shabbat. I just wanted to fill you all in on both the current security guidelines and protocol, as well as give you an update of the workshoppers settling into their new surroundings in Akko & Karmiel.
Since my last blog entry two days ago, the situation in the North remains the same. Under the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd, there is freedom of movement for all programs along the northern border of the country. The security division of the Israel Experience is monitoring the situation very closely, and as anything changes we will update both participants and parents as early as possible.
I also wanted to relate to the security process that we undergo, as a number of parents have asked about contingency plans, and have compared the current situation to the situation that the group experienced on MBI in 2006. The security process that stands behind the program is the same security process that stood behind the MBI program in 2006. The reason why the group was continuously moved south in 2006 was because the security division of the Israel Experience Ltd created an imaginary line across the country, through which groups adhered to when undertaking their program activities. At no point were groups permitted to travel north of that security line, and MBI in 2006 adhered to those security guidelines stringently. Travelling north of that line, which extended south of Haifa, would have placed the group and it's participants in potential harm, according to the security guidelines of the Israel Experience Ltd.
At this point in time, there is no security line in the north of Israel. The minute that the Israel Experience security division notifies us that there are areas in the north deemed unsafe, according to their security guidelines, then we will re-assess the situation. If the groups in Akko and Karmiel are north of those lines, then we will act immediately to move them south, in conjunction with the Israel Experience guidelines, and we will move them to temporary housing locations in the centre of the country.
I understand all of your concerns and worries in regards to security throughout Israel at this time. All I can ask is to have trust in the security protocol and decision-making processes of the program co-ordinators, and of the Israel Experience Ltd. The security and safety of the Workshop participants is of paramount importance to everyone, and will not be compromised for anything.
This week, the workshoppers will begin their educational volunteering projects in Akko, Karmiel, and the surrounding areas. The group had a chance to see some of the schools and educational institutions in which they will be working last Wednesday, when they did a tour of some of the places and met a number of the guides and teachers that they will be working with. Needless to say, the group is very inspired to begin this exciting new chapter of Workshop, and I will post an outline of their educational projects on the blog in the coming days to let all of you know exactly where they will be and what they will be doing.
I would like to wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy week. I'll be posting again soon so watch this space!
Regards,
Leon.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Additional Security Update - January 8
Dear Parents,
As of 12:30pm Israel time today the security warnings for the northern border of Israel were lifted, and the workshoppers are free to travel through the North with full security. We are continuing to monitor the situation very tightly, and will keep both parents and workshoppers updated with every change that comes to hand. We have also emphasized the importance to all of the participants of having their mobile phones on, and charged, at all times.
The Workshop group has shwown a high level of responsibility and maturity in their co-operation with the changing security guidelines since the beginning of the Gaza military operation, and are excellent ambassadors in Israel of both the movement, and their communities.
I would like to wish everyone a safe weekend and shabbat shalom.
Regards,
Leon.
As of 12:30pm Israel time today the security warnings for the northern border of Israel were lifted, and the workshoppers are free to travel through the North with full security. We are continuing to monitor the situation very tightly, and will keep both parents and workshoppers updated with every change that comes to hand. We have also emphasized the importance to all of the participants of having their mobile phones on, and charged, at all times.
The Workshop group has shwown a high level of responsibility and maturity in their co-operation with the changing security guidelines since the beginning of the Gaza military operation, and are excellent ambassadors in Israel of both the movement, and their communities.
I would like to wish everyone a safe weekend and shabbat shalom.
Regards,
Leon.
Security Update - January 8
Dear parents,
Approximately two hours ago (7:30am Wednesday morning), 4 rockets were fired from Southern Lebanon into Israel. These rockets fell in and around the northern city of Nahariya.
The Israel Experience issued a security warning immediately, and basically outlined a buffer zone where program participants could not travel to, which is north of the Akko-Tsfat line.
At this point in time, Akko and Karmiel are both safe, according to the security line outlined. I spoke this morning with Silvio Joskowitz, Habonim Dror's World Mazkir, and with Meir Hoyzman, who is the manager of the North American division of the Israel Experience, who both gave assurances that, security-wise, remaining in Akko and Karmiel is adequate for the current situation. I will be maintaining close contact with them, and with the security division of the Israel experience, in regards to any updates and/or changes in the situation.
The workshoppers have a closed weekend this weekend, and will be with their madrichim throughout. We will all be very closely monitoring the situation in the North, and will ensure that any changes will be responded to swiftly and responsibly.
I wish all of you a great day, and the hope for better news for everyone soon.
Regards,
Leon.
Approximately two hours ago (7:30am Wednesday morning), 4 rockets were fired from Southern Lebanon into Israel. These rockets fell in and around the northern city of Nahariya.
The Israel Experience issued a security warning immediately, and basically outlined a buffer zone where program participants could not travel to, which is north of the Akko-Tsfat line.
At this point in time, Akko and Karmiel are both safe, according to the security line outlined. I spoke this morning with Silvio Joskowitz, Habonim Dror's World Mazkir, and with Meir Hoyzman, who is the manager of the North American division of the Israel Experience, who both gave assurances that, security-wise, remaining in Akko and Karmiel is adequate for the current situation. I will be maintaining close contact with them, and with the security division of the Israel experience, in regards to any updates and/or changes in the situation.
The workshoppers have a closed weekend this weekend, and will be with their madrichim throughout. We will all be very closely monitoring the situation in the North, and will ensure that any changes will be responded to swiftly and responsibly.
I wish all of you a great day, and the hope for better news for everyone soon.
Regards,
Leon.
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