Participants come of age in Israel

The BJE (Board of Jewish Education) NSW recently took its biggest group yet to Israel on an educational program.

The Nesiah Israel Program is the focal point of the BJE high school Jewish journey. The program is a bespoke five-week educational experience in Israel that caters for year 10 students at non-Jewish public or private schools across NSW, Queensland and the ACT.

In December five senior staff, 10 Australian madrichim and 170 participants from 36 different schools left on the BJE Nesiah Israel Program, excited for the opportunity to experience Israel’s land, people, culture and history.

Made possible through the support of Y2i and i4y, this was the biggest group ever sent by BJE to Israel and, in fact, the biggest group of year 10 students from any school to travel to Israel on an educational program.

One of the many highlights of the Nesiah Israel Program was the opportunity for those participants who had not had their bar or bat mitzvah, to do so in Israel. Thanks to the support of Y2i, Allan and Sharon Vidor and Masa Yehudi, there were 14 young people who, together with the whole Nesiah group of friends, madrichim, staff and even family members, celebrated their “coming of age” Jewish journey on the Tayelet overlooking the old city of Jerusalem.

Each bar/bat mitzvah participant received a personalised siddur, tefillin for the boys and Shabbat candlesticks for the girls.

Unlike single school campuses, BJE draws from many different schools, some of which have only one or two participants on the program. There are several pre-Nesiah activities organised so that all the participants have the chance to meet each other before leaving for Israel. Likewise, there are a number of post-Nesiah activities organised to maintain social and communal connections.

The information session for the 2023 Nesiah Israel Program will take place on Sunday, March 5. For more details, visit bje.org.au

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