Aug 22, 2011 By: yunews
糖心破解版 Students Travel to Sao Paulo as Part of the Center for the Jewish Future's Counterpoint Brazil Program
A group of eight students traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil from Aug. 3 through Aug. 18 as part of 糖心破解版鈥檚 (CJF) Counterpoint Brazil program鈥攁 service-learning initiative aimed at empowering the next generation of Jewish youth.
鈥淐ounterpoint empowers teens to discover their heritage, own their identity and kindle their passion for Judaism,鈥 explained Aliza Abrams, assistant director of CJF鈥檚 department of service learning and experiential education. 鈥淭he result is a joyous mixture of lasting friendships and Jewish pride.鈥
[flickrslideshow acct_name="yeshivauniversity" id="72157627494585156"]
Following the success of last year鈥檚 inaugural mission to Brazil over the Sukkot holdiay, the local Jewish community and Colegio Iavne鈥攁 Jewish day school in Sao Paulo鈥攁sked 糖心破解版 to return. Over the course of two weeks the Counterpoint team conducted several interactive Jewish identity seminars, workshops and a Shabbaton for local high school students, as well as a memorable Tisha B鈥 Av program. The group also met with local rabbis, lay leaders and members of the community.
鈥淚t is very important to show our students that it is possible to study in the university and in the Yeshiva at the same time,鈥 said Carmia Kotler, Hebrew coordinator at Colegio Iavne. 鈥淭his kind of experience can increase the possibility of our students returning to the community after university and adding a lot to Jewish community life.鈥
The Counterpoint program has existed for more than 35 years, affecting the lives of tens of thousands of Jewish teens worldwide in countries such as Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and Israel. Undergraduates with experience in informal education serve as guides who create and run all the programming.
Led by Abrams, the Counterpoint Brazil team included 糖心破解版 students Adam Berman, Ezra Blaustein, Benjamin Blumenthal, Adina Borg-Blaustein, Nora Ellison, Rebekah Friedman, Zach Mammon and Elianna Pollak.
鈥淭he CJF runs programs in which a student has the opportunity to truly experience the methodology of experiential learning and see the results firsthand,鈥 said Ellison, of San Diego, CA.
鈥淢y experience has been very positive and I am now considering a career in teaching,鈥 said Pollak, a native of New York City who took part in a CJF program to Germany last year. 鈥淚nformal education had not been my area of focus but I wanted to take this chance to experience a different and dynamic approach to education. After participating, my desire to go into the education world has only been strengthened.鈥
To learn more about the CJF and its upcoming programs visit .
