Jul 7, 2022

Onward Israel Visits Federation’s Partner City of Yerucham

For the Miami cohort of Onward Israel, last week’s visit to Federation’s partner city of Yerucham was a day of discovery and diversion as students from Florida International University and University of Miami immersed themselves in a multifaceted sampling of Israeli innovation, recreation and culture. The excursion included a Sephardic music workshop at the Kulna School of Traditional Arts and Music and a chocolate-making session with members of Youth Futures, a program of Federation overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel that pairs at-risk adolescents with mentors. The group also toured the MindCET Ed Tech Innovation Center, Israel’s leader in technological development in education, and was welcomed in the nearby village of Rahma by Salima Sagaira, a pioneer in Bedouin women’s enterprise, as guests in her hospitality tent. Onward Israel, created by The Jewish Agency and now part of Birthright Israel, provides college students with summer internships in Tel Aviv for career-building experiences. Participants work side-by-side with Israeli peers and travel the country for the enrichment of both career and connection to their Jewish heritage, with the goal of furthering involvement in their own Jewish communities upon their return home.