Looking Back on a Meaningful Year
Posted in Participant Stories on 27. Jun, 2012
Here is a recent interview with Cincinnati Lieberman, a recent Shalem participant from Charleston, West Virginia, who will be returning to Israel this next year.
Why did you decide to come to Israel? … Read more
I went to the American Hebrew Academy for high school. Junior year, our entire class spent 3 months on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program. It was the first time
A Vision for Change
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories on 23. May, 2012
by Ariella Daniels, Toronto, Canada … Read more
בס”ד
A couple of months ago, a few Shalem participants and I were chosen to take part in the Building Future Leaders Seminar (BFL), a seminar designed to provide today’s youth with the tools and skills in becoming a leader in their community. This seminar taught me a lot about my potential, the importance of a community, and has
The Importance of the Individual
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories, Shabbat on 02. Apr, 2012
בס”ד
by Ariella Daniels, Toronto, Canada … Read more
Two Shabbatot ago, a fellow Shalemer took a couple of us to a synagogue in Jerusalem, called Yakar. Through my Sephardic upbringing, I am most comfortable in a kehilla where the services incorporate the vocal participation of the entire congregation. In the shul I attend in Toronto, the chazzan has an incredible voice, and he carries with him the
Holidays in the Holyland
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Jerusalem, Participant Stories on 20. Mar, 2012
בס”ד
by David Jacobowitz, Los Angeles, CA … Read more
With Pesach around the corner, I have started to think about the amazing opportunities I have had this year being able to celebrate all the Jewish holidays in Israel. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Shavuot covers all the major holidays of Judaism, and I have been in Israel to experience them all. Yom Kippur was something
“Feeling” the land
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories, Uncategorized on 29. Feb, 2012
בס”ד
by Sam Spencer, Woodbridge, CT … Read more
Every day, twice, with love, a Jew proclaims “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.” Believing in the oneness of the Creator, trusting the omnipresence of the divine, is the cornerstone of our faith. Shalem’s tiyul to Emek Ha’elah last week has led me to a deeper understanding of my Creator as the source of all
David A Man of Faith
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories, Siyurim on 24. Feb, 2012
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by Ariella Daniels, Toronto, Canada … Read more
This past siyur, Shalem traveled back in time, to the time of the great battle between David and Goliath. We were able to look upon the places described in the Tanach in Sefer Shmuel 1, when the Israelites were preparing to battle the Philistines.
“Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They
From bagels to banana cake
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories on 16. Feb, 2012
בס”ד
by David Jacobowitz, Los Angeles, CA … Read more
Before this year the most elaborate thing I could make was an omelet and place it in a bagel, but now I am able to make a whole new arrangement of dishes. Now that I’m living in my own apartment I have worry about what I’m going to be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don’t have
Getting more than a shekel’s worth
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories, Uncategorized, Volunteering on 18. Dec, 2011
בס”ד
by Ariella Daniels, Toronto, Canada … Read more
Today we had the opportunity to volunteer for a couple of hours at an organization called Shekel- Community Services for People with Special Needs. This organization provides workshops for adults with slight special needs. Some of the activities include candle making, sewing, graphic design, and soap-making.
Even though the work involved may appear repetitive and tedious, it was not
During These Ten Days of Repentence…
Posted in 2011 - 2012, Participant Stories on 06. Oct, 2011
בס”ד
by: Sam Spencer, Woodbridge, CT … Read more
During these ten days of repentance, we seek a path to lead us back to Hashem, we search for the word which will invite God’s presence to our midst. The attempt to access God’s compassion and understanding is a struggle that flows across the generations, a challenge that has tried the hearts and minds of Jews from Abraham to
A feeling called “Shalem”
Posted in Participant Stories on 22. Sep, 2011
בס”ד
by Sivan Bachar, Atlanta, GA … Read more
As I sit here thinking of what to write to all our loved ones back home, I wonder what haven’t you readers already heard about Shalem? If you know someone on the program, you’ve probably been informed of everything going on here, but what I find the hardest to even begin to write about are the feelings we