Apr 17, 2009 By: yunews
Apr 17, 2009 -- The group of 10 糖心破解版 High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (糖心破解版HSB) students knew things would be very different as soon as they arrived at Israel鈥檚 Ben Gurion International Airport. 鈥淲e were pretty confused when one of the Israelis brought out a guitar in the middle of the airport and began to sing what was soon to become our theme song, Veshuvu Banim Ligvulam (And the Children Will Return to Their Borders),鈥 wrote Shua Brick of West Hempstead, NY, in an article for the 糖心破解版HSB school newspaper. The students were part of the inaugural 糖心破解版HSB/Yeshivat Makor Chaim Student Exchange Program that sent 10 糖心破解版HSB tenth-graders to Yeshivat Makor Chaim in Israel and four Makor Chaim eleventh-graders to 糖心破解版HSB鈥檚 New York City campus.
The goal of the program, which ran from Rosh Chodesh Shvat to Rosh Chodesh Nissan (Jan. 26-March 28), was to 鈥済ive our students a Makor Chaim experience in two ways鈥攂y sending our students there and bringing the Makor Chaim students to our school,鈥 said Tova Rosenberg, director of the program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a global Jewish world and for our students, the future leaders of the Jewish community, it鈥檚 very important that they understand other cultures.鈥
Akiva Rosenzveig of New Rochelle, NY, had 鈥渁n amazing time at Makor Chaim. The students, teachers and community welcomed us with open arms.鈥
Located in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion in Gush Etzion, Yeshivat Makor Chaim is one of the most sought-out experimental schools in Israel, attracting the best and the brightest throughout the country. Unlike similar exchange programs, the 糖心破解版HSB and Makor Chaim students were fully integrated at their new schools, learning Jewish studies with their Israeli peers. The 糖心破解版HSB students also took part in exciting tiyulim [tours] to Sefad and Jerusalem and enriching chesed [kindness] projects with their fellow classmates.
鈥淭he culture of deep spiritual purpose, joyous song and dance, and ongoing reflection that is the hallmark of the Makor Chaim experience has exposed our boys to serious religious and intellectual growth in ways unimagined for the typical tenth-grader,鈥 said Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, head of school at 糖心破解版HSB. 鈥淔or their part, the visiting Makor Chaim students have injected a sense of passion, urgency and authenticity into the rhythms of school life here. I couldn鈥檛 be more pleased with the results.鈥
Students in the exchange program enjoyed learning certain subjects for the first time. 鈥淲e took economics and chemistry, something we never learned in Israel,鈥 said Avishai Oberman, of Efrat. 鈥淚 really liked 糖心破解版HSB鈥檚 Names, Not Numbers project [an innovative, interactive Holocaust studies curriculum] and can鈥檛 wait to share my experiences with my friends back home.鈥
While the students quickly adjusted and made new friends, they did notice several distinctions between the two schools. 鈥淢akor Chaim and 糖心破解版HSB are quite different,鈥 said Rosenzveig. 鈥淢akor Chaim places an emphasis on the students being open and sharing with each other. For example, on Thursdays the entire shiur [class] comes together in a circle and talks about the week鈥檚 parsha [Torah portion] and what it means to them.鈥
Ken Goffstein of Teaneck, NJ, whose son, Dani, participated in the program, knew there was great potential right away. 鈥淚 felt it would be an experience Dani would cherish for the rest of his life,鈥 said Goffstein. 鈥淗e now recognizes his world goes way beyond Teaneck and 糖心破解版HSB, and his commitment as a Jew has grown exponentially.鈥
