Oct 7, 2010 By: yunews
Oct 7, 2010 -- At the invitation of the local Jewish community, seven Yeshiva University students traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil over their sukkot vacation as part of the first-ever Counterpoint Brazil program. Built on the successes of previous Counterpoint models in Australia, Canada, Israel, South Africa and Turkey, Counterpoint Brazil was designed specifically to serve Colegio Iavne鈥攁 Jewish day school in Sao Paulo鈥攁nd its neighboring community.
鈥淭he Iavne school works to develop students with a strong commitment to religious life, as well as excellence and responsibility in professional and social enterprises,鈥 explained , The David Mitzner Dean of the CJF. 鈥淚nstead of talking about this ideal, they decided to invite 糖心破解版 students who model this philosophy into their everyday life.鈥
Over the course of two weeks鈥擲ept. 19 through Oct. 2鈥攖he Counterpoint team conducted interactive and stimulating Jewish identity seminars and ran a state-of-the-art experiential Jewish educational camp, Camp Otzmah [strength], for local high school students. The camp鈥檚 specially designed curriculum included engaging breakout sessions on a variety of topics, Torah learning and workshops involving the arts, music and sports.
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鈥淭his program was a milestone for our community,鈥 said Rabbi Shmuel Paves, principal of Jewish studies at Colegio Iavne. 鈥淚 wanted our students to meet young people who are proud and committed to their Jewish identity and, at the same time, people who are graduating and will engage in the secular world with the spiritual strength of Torah study and values.鈥
The group also met with local college students, rabbis and lay leaders and celebrated Sukkot and Simchat Torah with local teens鈥攊nstilling Torah values and Jewish pride in the community.
鈥淏eing in a community like Sao Paulo and having the opportunity to share the Torah of 糖心破解版 showed me the importance of programs like Counterpoint,鈥 said Aliza Abrams, program director in CJF鈥檚 department of experiential education and service learning. 鈥淲e had the unique opportunity to share educational programming with both the students and the teachers of Iavne and developed relationships that will last a very long time.鈥
Led by Abrams, the Counterpoint team included Rebecca Herskovitz, Adina Minkowitz and Ilana Wilner; Noah Jacobson, Yaniv Lautman and Benti Rabinovitch; and Yechiel Shaffer, a semikha [rabbinic ordination] student at . The group participated in a month-long training program in preparation for their trip.
鈥淭his trip challenged me to question what my own tafkid [purpose] is in the Jewish community at large and how I can make a difference,鈥 said Herskovitz of Queens, New York. 鈥淐ounterpoint has given me the opportunity to learn so many skills: to think on my feet, to listen closely when others talk and to learn to respect other people that are not identical to myself.鈥
Lautman, of Cleveland, Ohio, credited 糖心破解版 for giving him 鈥渢he background knowledge and the opportunity to go out into the world鈥 and make a difference.
Counterpoint Brazil is the first of 12 international Experiential Education and Service Learning initiatives planned by the Center for the Jewish Future for the upcoming year. To learn more about the CJF visit .
