Thursday, June 30, 2011
USY Chat
So this is a quick post about something really cool that just came out. It is called Kesher. It is a USY chat-room/forum website. Everyone should sign up right now. The more people on it the better it will be. I am going to stop writing now so you can go sign up.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Membership Mania
This year I am going to focus on two new things. The first one is membership mania. This is a cool contest between chapters. I am putting the out line up in this post, I will put more up on how to earn points more specifically in the near future.
MEMBERSHIP MANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!
MEMBERSHIP MANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is it?
Membership Mania is a contest for chapters to compete against each other and earn points for members, programs, attendance, and other cool things.
Two Divisions:
Unlike most awards and competitions in our region for this there will be two separate divisions. There will be a large division for the larger chapters and a small division. This is so chapters that are smaller also have a chance at winning.
Why are we doing this?
The Hanefesh region would like to grow this year. We would also like to get existing members more active, both in their chapter and in the region. Everyone can participate and rack up points for their chapter simply by being involved. So, encourage you members to stay active, get more active, and to get their friends to be active so your chapter can win!!!
How can I/my chapter earn points?
One plays by being a member. Chances are that you are already earning points just by having chapter programs and having members. The only difference is that now you will be rewarded for your efforts. Try having more chapter events that will earn you more points. The better and more inclusive of all aspects of USY an event is the more points you can earn. The more events you have, the more new members you gain, and the more members that come to a regional event the more points you will receive.
So get started planning awesome new events and incorporate as many members in to planning as possible. Remember: keep the regional office posted on everything you do so that we can award you with as many points possible!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Mem/Kad RGB Positions!!!
So mem/kad is clearly the best RGB in case anyone was wondering, but I will have a whole post dedicated to that. So this year I have created four awesome positions for this year's RGB.
Ice Breakers/First Timers- Helps plan ice-breakers and fist-timer programs.
Membership Mania Chair- Keeps track of what that is sent in by chapters regarding
Membership Mania and helps keep score.
Kadima Chair-Helps with the planning of Kadima programs.
Ledger Editor- Editor of the Kadima Ledger(the new newsletter for Kadima)
So for all of you who are interested in being part of this years amazing mem/kad RGB think about which position you would lie to apply for and keep in mind you can have a first and second choice (even a third if you want). I f you would like to know more about any position mention please ask.
Ice Breakers/First Timers- Helps plan ice-breakers and fist-timer programs.
Membership Mania Chair- Keeps track of what that is sent in by chapters regarding
Membership Mania and helps keep score.
Kadima Chair-Helps with the planning of Kadima programs.
Ledger Editor- Editor of the Kadima Ledger(the new newsletter for Kadima)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
USY Handbook: Summer Programs (Part 2-The WORLD!!!)
Finally I am writing the second installment of this topic sorry it took so long I have been busy with a lot USY stuff lately, which I will tell you about in my next post I just wanted to get this out of the way first. This part of summer programs focuses mostly on Israel. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer:As I have never been on a summer program this post is mostly taken from usy.org.
Israel Pilgrimage- Spend your summer with USY for a complete introduction to the land of Israel. You’ll be exposed to the history and contemporary realities of Judaism and Israel. Climb the fortress of Masada, explore the stalactite caves of Netifim, swim in the waters of the Kinneret, pray at the Kotel, and drink tea in a Bedouin tent on the sands of the Negev desert. You’ll experience these sights and sounds with new friends who share your love of the Jewish homeland.
Eastern Europe/ Israel Pilgrimage- Discover the unique cities of Eastern Europe, from the towering spires of Germany and the Czech Republic to the countryside of Poland. Learn about the past, present, and future of these unique Jewish communities, including visits to concentration camps.
Then spend four weeks of follow-up in Israel, discovering Jewish life and culture in the present while participating in the full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
*Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Israel Pilgrimage/ Poland Seminar-Explore Jewish life in Poland, followed by four weeks of renewal in Israel. A full week is spent discovering the history and culture of Polish Jewry, including visits to the concentration camps of Sobibor, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Treblinka. Poland Seminar also includes city tours of Warsaw, Cracow and Lublin.
After you experience Poland, spend four weeks of renewal exploring the length and breadth of Israel as you have a full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
* Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Italy/ Israel Pilgrimage- Begin your experience with a week of travel in Italy learning about the history of Italian Jewry from the inside, exploring the amazing cities of Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. You’ll spend the final four weeks experiencing all that Israel has to offer.
After you experience Italy, spend four weeks exploring the length and breadth of Israel as you have a full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
*Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Israel Adventure- Have an incredibly exciting and stimulating summer in Israel. For four weeks, you’ll be exposed to the history and contemporary realities of Judaism and Israel. Climb the fortress of Masada, explore the stalactite caves of Netifim, swim in the waters of the Kinneret, pray at the Kotel, and drink tea in a Bedouin tent on the sands of the Negev desert. You’ll experience these sights and sounds with new friends who will share your love of the Jewish homeland.
Israel Adventure Plus- Spend five weeks experiencing a complete introduction to the land of Israel. Time is spent living history in Jerusalem, traveling through Haifa, hiking the Galilee, snorkeling in Eilat, and exploring the Negev. Your group will also spend a week in Gadna, a totally different experience of Israeli army training simulation. You will learn about Israel by visiting throughout its length and breadth.
L'Takayn Olam(new this summer!!!)- A four-week trip to Israel that includes both sightseeing and social action projects on a daily basis. Spend time volunteering in Haifa, Jerusalem, the Golan, with the final week focused on helping the land of Israel flourish. This program is a chance to explore the Jewish homeland and lend a hand to help make it better.
Disclaimer:As I have never been on a summer program this post is mostly taken from usy.org.
Israel Pilgrimage- Spend your summer with USY for a complete introduction to the land of Israel. You’ll be exposed to the history and contemporary realities of Judaism and Israel. Climb the fortress of Masada, explore the stalactite caves of Netifim, swim in the waters of the Kinneret, pray at the Kotel, and drink tea in a Bedouin tent on the sands of the Negev desert. You’ll experience these sights and sounds with new friends who share your love of the Jewish homeland.
Eastern Europe/ Israel Pilgrimage- Discover the unique cities of Eastern Europe, from the towering spires of Germany and the Czech Republic to the countryside of Poland. Learn about the past, present, and future of these unique Jewish communities, including visits to concentration camps.
Then spend four weeks of follow-up in Israel, discovering Jewish life and culture in the present while participating in the full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
*Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Israel Pilgrimage/ Poland Seminar-Explore Jewish life in Poland, followed by four weeks of renewal in Israel. A full week is spent discovering the history and culture of Polish Jewry, including visits to the concentration camps of Sobibor, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Treblinka. Poland Seminar also includes city tours of Warsaw, Cracow and Lublin.
After you experience Poland, spend four weeks of renewal exploring the length and breadth of Israel as you have a full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
* Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Italy/ Israel Pilgrimage- Begin your experience with a week of travel in Italy learning about the history of Italian Jewry from the inside, exploring the amazing cities of Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. You’ll spend the final four weeks experiencing all that Israel has to offer.
After you experience Italy, spend four weeks exploring the length and breadth of Israel as you have a full Israel Pilgrimage experience*.
*Europe/Israel groups do not participate in the Gadna field training simulation.
Israel Adventure- Have an incredibly exciting and stimulating summer in Israel. For four weeks, you’ll be exposed to the history and contemporary realities of Judaism and Israel. Climb the fortress of Masada, explore the stalactite caves of Netifim, swim in the waters of the Kinneret, pray at the Kotel, and drink tea in a Bedouin tent on the sands of the Negev desert. You’ll experience these sights and sounds with new friends who will share your love of the Jewish homeland.
Israel Adventure Plus- Spend five weeks experiencing a complete introduction to the land of Israel. Time is spent living history in Jerusalem, traveling through Haifa, hiking the Galilee, snorkeling in Eilat, and exploring the Negev. Your group will also spend a week in Gadna, a totally different experience of Israeli army training simulation. You will learn about Israel by visiting throughout its length and breadth.
L'Takayn Olam(new this summer!!!)- A four-week trip to Israel that includes both sightseeing and social action projects on a daily basis. Spend time volunteering in Haifa, Jerusalem, the Golan, with the final week focused on helping the land of Israel flourish. This program is a chance to explore the Jewish homeland and lend a hand to help make it better.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Answers!!!
Hey Hanefesh, this post is for you. I know there has not been a ton of information about different things coming at you, but I will try to help. I know in the past two weeks I have been hearing questions about two things a lot: encampment and RGB. So this post will try and answer all your questions.
First off we have encampment. I really can't wait for this, it is my first encampment and I am REALLY excited.
Now on to the information. APPLICATIONS are up for Hanefesh (do not use if you are from another region)
So everyone should go and fill those out and send them in.
Next up is RGB. I know a lot of people want to apply and don't worry you will get your chance to I promise. Right now the rest of the board and I are working really hard to make sure the applications is perfect and we have the best possible positions on our RGBs. As soon as it is perfect the application will be available to you.
Hope you found this post helpful, I hope it answered most of your questions. If you have any more questions feel free to contact me at anytime.
First off we have encampment. I really can't wait for this, it is my first encampment and I am REALLY excited.
Now on to the information. APPLICATIONS are up for Hanefesh (do not use if you are from another region)
So everyone should go and fill those out and send them in.
Next up is RGB. I know a lot of people want to apply and don't worry you will get your chance to I promise. Right now the rest of the board and I are working really hard to make sure the applications is perfect and we have the best possible positions on our RGBs. As soon as it is perfect the application will be available to you.
Hope you found this post helpful, I hope it answered most of your questions. If you have any more questions feel free to contact me at anytime.
USY Handbook: Summer Programs (Part 1-North America)
I am done with school!!!And yesterday was the first day of summer!HAPPY SUMMER!! And this is the time of year that many USYers are packing and getting ready for summer programs. These are very cool summer programs run by USY. Here is your guild to summer programs-
Disclaimer:As I have never been on a summer program this post is mostly taken from usy.org.
USY on Wheels-Spend six and a half weeks traveling coast to coast and experience North America, from sunrise on the rim of the Grand Canyon to pizza and blues in Chicago. Along the way, you’ll meet the famous mouse at Disneyland, feel a mile high in Denver, eat some fiery Texas chili, and discover a rainbow of Redwoods, Yellowstone, and Blue Ridge Mountains, as you connect with the people and places of this great continent.
USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah-A unique program of USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah has a full and exciting itinerary. Since this is still USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah Wheelniks will have an incredible time as they enjoy many of the same touring and sightseeing components as the “Classic” Wheels program. You will see the sun rise over the Grand Canyon, take in the faces of Mount Rushmore, and enjoy all of the other exciting attractions that USY on Wheels participants enjoy, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo.
Mission: Mitzvah has a strong emphasis on service-learning that gives the Wheelniks a strong educational component directly related to the projects that they were doing. Each week has a different mitzvah theme, and that week all of the projects would be directly related to that theme.
USY on Wheels, Pacific North West- Capture the excitement of Seattle, the uniqueness of Portland, the beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia and the majesty of Anchorage. Explore some of North America’s most spectacular wonders of nature from Mount Rainier in Washington State to Crater Lake in Oregon to the glaciers of Alaska on a three-week adventure that will leave you transformed.
USY on Wheels East- USY on Wheels, East will cover the East coast of the United States and Canada on an incredible four-week adventure in Summer 2011.
If you are interested in any of the above programs please look at them on usy.org of contact me and I will connected you to someone who has gone on one.
Disclaimer:As I have never been on a summer program this post is mostly taken from usy.org.
USY on Wheels-Spend six and a half weeks traveling coast to coast and experience North America, from sunrise on the rim of the Grand Canyon to pizza and blues in Chicago. Along the way, you’ll meet the famous mouse at Disneyland, feel a mile high in Denver, eat some fiery Texas chili, and discover a rainbow of Redwoods, Yellowstone, and Blue Ridge Mountains, as you connect with the people and places of this great continent.
USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah-A unique program of USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah has a full and exciting itinerary. Since this is still USY on Wheels, Mission: Mitzvah Wheelniks will have an incredible time as they enjoy many of the same touring and sightseeing components as the “Classic” Wheels program. You will see the sun rise over the Grand Canyon, take in the faces of Mount Rushmore, and enjoy all of the other exciting attractions that USY on Wheels participants enjoy, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo.
Mission: Mitzvah has a strong emphasis on service-learning that gives the Wheelniks a strong educational component directly related to the projects that they were doing. Each week has a different mitzvah theme, and that week all of the projects would be directly related to that theme.
USY on Wheels, Pacific North West- Capture the excitement of Seattle, the uniqueness of Portland, the beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia and the majesty of Anchorage. Explore some of North America’s most spectacular wonders of nature from Mount Rainier in Washington State to Crater Lake in Oregon to the glaciers of Alaska on a three-week adventure that will leave you transformed.
USY on Wheels East- USY on Wheels, East will cover the East coast of the United States and Canada on an incredible four-week adventure in Summer 2011.
Open to current 8th graders, highlights of the program include:
- Toronto
- New England
- Cape Cod
- Disney World
- Washington, DC
- Savannah, GA
- Philadelphia
- Kennedy Space Center
- Touro Synagogue
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- Quincy Market
- Howe Caverns
- Virginia Beach
- Norfolk Naval Base
- Nashville Zoo
- Great Lakes Science Center
- And more!
(Itinerary subject to change.)
Summer in the City- This summer, USY, in partnership with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is proud to once again offer Summer in the City. For one month, participants entering grades 11 and 12 can experience the best of all that New York City has to offer, both academically and culturally. You will learn from top instructors at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Barnard College-Columbia University, explore the rich culture and history of New York City during evenings and weekends, and experience Jewish New York, all with other teens your age in a program supervised by USY.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Update on Annie
First off I am sorry for not writing more hopefully on Wednesday I will have a whirlwind of new and information for you. So I would like to make a correction on a previous post about my friend Annie who entered in to Hallelujah the global singing contest. She is one of over 300 contestants but they have not chosen a finalist yet. You can help her though by voting for her at this link-
And for more information on her and the contest you can read this article-
I promise to write more after finals are over. I hope everyone has a great fathers day!!!!
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