Thanks to generous support from donors and alumni, Nesiya expanded and enhanced our core programs for American and Israeli high school students during the past year.

2008 Kehillah Summer Israel Experience

This past summer's six-week program had the highest enrollment of the past eight years - with 106 Americans and 40 Israelis, a 43% increase in the number of North Americans over last year.

Nesiya's flagship program combines the arts, creative text study, community service, outdoor adventure and community-building. The program this past summer included four-day community service projects and a three-day encounter program with Israeli Bedouin peers. All scholarship recipients are currently fulfilling service projects in their home communities, working as individuals or in teams.

Year-Round Community Service and Leadership Program in Israel

Over 100 religious and secular Israeli high school students are currently participating in Nesiya's year-round community service and leadership program. This program, which is now recognized by Israel's Ministry of Education, combines weekly community service with monthly text-study sessions and a series of Shabbat retreats. The program is led by counselor-educators who participate in a year-round training program in pluralistic experiential Jewish education.

Less than half of the participants in the academic-year program are Nesiya summer program alumni and the balance are highly motivated Israeli peers who are attracted to studying and doing community service with Nesiya. One third of the students are participating in the program for a second or third consecutive year. Participants are working in teams in eight different projects in five Israeli cities, contributing a total of over 10,000 hours of volunteer service. Weekly community projects include:

• Assisting new immigrants from Ethiopia at absorption center;

• Conducting Beit Café programs for elderly at two retirement homes;

• Big brother/sister projects at shelters for children who have suffered abuse or neglect;

• Therapeutic gardening with individuals with Downs Syndrome.

The Nesiya Winter Retreat

Over 60 North American and Israeli young people and staff participated in the 2008 Winter Retreat program outside Baltimore, a week-long arts and text-based program which combines follow-up enrichment with educational leadership training for high school, college, and post-college Americans and Israelis.

This year's program, called "Living Beings," explored questions about the nature of being human, relationships, body and soul, love, sexuality, and creation. The program featured arts workshops in music and song-writing, creative writing, and visual arts. Evening programs included screening and discussion of two films and the issues they raise about contemporary Jewish life: "Eyes Wide Open," the recently produced documentary about Americans visiting Israel, and "Trembling Before God," the award-winning film about Judaism and Homosexuality.