Shalem Goals
While in Israel, Shalem participants take on another culture as their own, learn to balance the challenges of independence and responsibility and, most importantly, return home with the knowledge, skills and commitment to become involved members and leaders of their own Jewish communities.
Shalem is staffed by highly experienced and qualified educators and counselors who are dedicated to a quality program of formal and informal education within a supportive, university-level environment.
Shalem has four major goals…
To Enable Participants To Grow As Jews – Strengthening their religiosity and bolstering their Jewish identity:
• To develop and improve Torah knowledge and learning skills in a warm, nurturing environment.
• To encourage love of learning as an essential component of a Torah-observant way of life.
• To reinforce the values of ahavat Yisrael, gemilut chasadim and tikkun olam, within a framework of Torat chaim.
• To improve fluency in Hebrew, knowledge of Jewish history and appreciation of contemporary Israeli culture and society.
• To deepen their understanding of their identity as committed Jews in modern society and within the broader Jewish community and thereby enrich their sense of commitment to Torat Yisrael, Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael.
To Enable Participants To Grow As Zionists – Connecting to Israel, the land, its people and its culture and becoming integral parts of Jewish society:
• To teach Zionist thought, the history of Israeli society, culture and politics, the centrality of Israel in Jewish life, and responsibility toward the land of Israel.
• To provide a comprehensive Israel experience, establishing knowledge of and connections to the country’s geography, language, people, history and contemporary life, so each participant may determine his or her own special relationship to the land and people of Israel.
To Enable Participants To Grow As Individuals – Learning how to implement halacha in their everyday lives:
• To strengthen their personal identity, self-confidence, independence and sense of responsibility towards themselves and others.
• To use Israel as a starting point for teaching participants about the concepts of tolerance and dugma ishit.
• To provide a sound, supportive environment in which participants can explore, grow and mature as they spend a dynamic year in Israel.
To enable participants to grow as leaders and give back to their communities:
• To improve their leadership skills and awareness of those abilities.
• To prepare and encourage participants to become active members and leaders within their own Jewish communities.