Massive drive to send kids to Israel
THE largest community-wide initiative ever undertaken has been launched to raise $37 million and send 375 students to Israel every year.
THE largest community-wide initiative ever undertaken has been launched to raise $37 million and send 375 students to Israel every year.
Youth2Israel (Y2I) – which is backed by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD), United Israel Appeal (UIA), Jewish National Fund (JNF) and JCA – will provide vouchers worth $5000 to give year 10 students an opportunity to join Israel programs at an affordable cost.
“This is a unique and unbelievable initiative that is all about Jewish continuity,” Y2I chairman Jeremy Dunkel told The AJN.
“We have a crystal ball – in the North American Jewish community – and we see intermarriage and assimilation as real issues, so we want to stop those trends in Australia.
He said that while Jewish schools are key to maintaining a strong community, they are not the only answer.
“For financial reasons, and other reasons, there is a large number of kids that will never go to a Jewish day school, and we want to try and reach those teenagers and their parents.
“It’s not just about year 10, it’s about really connecting with kids from their bar/bat mitzvah right through school.
“In high school kids worry about maths, science and getting into university, but if we embed this experience in year 10 as a key touch point in life, then we believe they will maintain their connection throughout their high school experience.”
Y2I’s board includes Dunkel, JCA immediate past president Peter Philippsohn, JCA vice president Danny Goldberg, UIA NSW CEO president and NSW JBOD past president Yair Miller, Zionist Council of NSW honorary life president Dr Ron Weiser, JCA engagement working group member Darren Chait and active community member Ariane Fuchs.
They are being joined by a group, representing donors, including ECAJ president Robert Goot, UIA Australia life member Stanley Roth, JNF NSW past president Alex Abulafia, JCA president Stephen Chipkin and NSW JBOD president Jeremy Spinak.
The group has already raised $5.4 million and Dunkel said the initial target is $15 million.
“We think, based on the census, that there are about 500 Jewish births in NSW, Queensland and ACT each year, so our target is to capture all of the 250 kids in Jewish schools and to try and capture half of the Jewish students outside of those schools, which is another 125 students.
“This is a cross-communal effort because the future leadership of our community are going to be coming out of these kids, so it is in everybody’s interest to help.”
He said the $5000 voucher is not means tested, to increase the take-up rate by parents.
“The middle class often won’t ask for money because they don’t want to open their books or they have too much pride.
“By providing this without means testing the vouchers, we will be able to capture more people as part of this initiative.”
More than $1 million in vouchers has been provided for students going to Israel this year, and Dunkel urges parents and students to register their interest for next year and beyond.
For more information go to www.youth2israel.org.au.
JOSHUA LEVI
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