GW Hillel

You can make an important difference in the lives of others during spring break this year! GW Hillel will be hosting two alternative spring break trips from March 11-18 (one to Central America through AJWS and one to do Katrina Relief work through International Hillel) and it’s never too early to make plans! [Info about other organized ASB programs is also listed below.]

Both of the Hillel-sponsored trips are fantastic programs that will give you a chance to explore the Jewish roots of social justice while meeting new people, hearing fascinating stories and really helping people in life changing ways. There is a limit to the number of students who can go on each trip, so please come to the information sessions listed below and contact the appropriate staff member for more information.

American Jewish World Service – Central America
Approximately 10 GW students will be teamed up with 10 Rutgers students for a week of exploring life in a third world country and learning the importance of grassroots sustainable development, all through a Jewish lense.

Info Session: Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00 PM at GW Hillel
Contact: Steve at steve@gwhillel.org

International Hillel – Hurricane Katrina Relief
9 GW students will join Jewish college students from across the country as they help repair homes in Gulfport, MS (location subject to change) while meeting the people whose lives were directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Info Session: Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00 PM at GW Hillel
Contact: Jessica at jbraunfeld@gwhillel.org

Other exciting alternative spring break options include:

AIPAC Advanced Advocacy Mission: December 30, 2006 – January 7, 2007
Over the past three years, AIPAC has brought a select group of students to Israel to participate in a uniquely designed Advanced Advocacy program. Leading policy makers, media experts, and opinion leaders provided sophisticated training for the collection of pro-Israel students interested in pursuing careers or community leadership positions in the fields of Israel advocacy, public affairs, and policy formulation. For more information about this mission, please email oncampus@aipac.org.

Hasbara Fellowships: December 18 – January 1 OR December 25 – January 8
Hasbara Fellowships, a program spearheaded by Aish International, educates and trains university students to be effective pro-Israel activists on their campuses. Started in 2001 in conjunction with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hasbara Fellowships brings hundreds of students to Israel every summer and winter. Now entering their fifth year, Hasbara Fellowships has trained nearly 1,000 students on over 170 campuses, providing its participants with the information, tools, resources, and confidence to return to their campuses as leaders in the fight for Israel’s image. The most critical aspects of the Fellowships program is the opportunity for Fellows to network with one another, learning from each other and sharing experiences about Israel activism. Check out http://goisrael.org/home.htm for details.

JNF Alternative Spring Break in Israel: March 8 – 18
Answering the needs of the Jewish homeland, JNF will send 250 college students to volunteer in northern Israel during their spring vacations this March to help with JNF’s Northern Renewal Campaign. As a result of this effort, guest houses across the region – now suffering terrible economic losses from the war – will be full, forests cleared and replanted, environmental clean-up provided, bomb shelters refurbished, and parks rebuilt. The trip will be JNF’s second annual alternative spring break connecting college students to the land and the people of Israel by working on projects benefiting communities. Last year, students had the times of their lives while experiencing what the very early pioneers of Israel experienced: building the land of Israel. Flanked by two Shabbatot – the first in the North, the second in Jerusalem, the students will spend a full week volunteering. While days will be filled with hard but fulfilling work, nights will be filled with entertainment, music, and fun. The group will interact with the people they are helping and hear from environmental experts and scholars to better understand the ramifications of the devastation. Contact Rebecca at rkhan@jnf.org for details.