Ellen’s Kids
Last year, the light shining upon the world dimmed ever so slightly with the passing of a special soul—Ellen Koplow, z”l, a devoted Board Member at AMIT and one of the kindest people one could ever meet.
Midreshet Amit Be’er In Yerucham
In the desert town of Yerucham, a group of girls are completing a year of Torah study and community service, while preparing to enter the army for a two–year hitch, the last six months of which will be spent in yet another round of community service. Midreshet AMIT Be’er is a new type of educational institution. While the hesder yeshiva for boys (a five-year program combining Torah studies with military service) has existed for decades, the hesder yeshiva for girls is new. Midreshet AMIT Be’er is one of just four institutions in the country offering this type of program. But what makes this midrasha unique is its emphasis on community service.
Find Your Greatness
Over the years I have found myself in numerous difficult situations, which have run the gamut from slightly awkward to extremely uncomfortable. A few years ago, I spent quite a bit of time in Germany working with the Ronald S. Lauder foundation and their dynamic CEO, Rabbi Josh Spinner; and I found myself in a tough position in Cologne.
Rabbi Spinner is the person responsible for the rejuvenation of Jewish life in Germany. Many Russian Jews, due to financial issues, were forced to emigrate from Russia to Germany. There was a real danger that the next generation of their children would be lost to the Jewish people. Rabbi Spinner opened up an educational institution in Germany called the Rabbinerseminar zu Berlin to train Rabbis for communities around Germany.
Changing Lives At Kfar Blatt
Given his difficult upbringing, no one in the social services department of this city just east of Tel Aviv would have been surprised if Gil Nahari, now 19, had fallen prey to crime or drugs.
Abused by his mother, he was handed over to his grandparents at the age of seven. At age ten he moved in with his divorced father but ended up in a boarding school at twelve and another one at thirteen. Back with his father at fourteen, he enrolled in AMIT Yeshivat Kfar Ganim as a day student, and, at fifteen, at the AMIT Kfar Blatt Youth Village in Petach Tikva.
When Duty Calls
When a war is raging in Israel, like the one we saw this summer, the stakes are very high. Everyone is on alert…and so many get the call. A recorded message informs you that your life is about to change immeasurably—no information other than a meeting point. Your unit has been called up, and you are expected to appear within a few hours. That was the reality this summer for many AMIT teachers whose civilian lives are dedicated to educating and nurturing the next generation of Israelis. One might think that would be service enough!
Opening Day
The start of school brought a sense of joy and excitement to rocket-scarred communities in southern Israel, and on Monday, September 1, AMIT opened its schools. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Minister of Education Shai Piron, AMIT President Debbie Isaac, Amnon Eldar, Director General of the AMIT Network, and Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi inaugurated and celebrated the first day of school in Israel at AMIT Toranai Chadash Elementary School.
Hit The Road, Jack
Summer is a time for getting away. Whether in the form of a family vacation, a weekend in the mountains, or just a day at the beach, it is a season of journeys. In addition to the souvenirs and excitement of being away (“Are we there yet?”), what uplifting spiritual messages can we bring home with us from our travels?
A Place to Live Torah • A Place to Live Chesed A Place to Live Israel
At Midreshet AMIT, students spend the day learning, questioning, and growing in Torah. From interesting and challenging classes to guided chavruta study, the year is packed with learning geared to help develop a lifelong connection to Torah and the land of Israel. Through adventurous tiyulim, the students travel the length and breadth of Israel, learning about our history and gaining a greater appreciation for the State of Israel.
Our home is in Beit Hayeled, AMIT’s well-known foster home for disadvantaged youth. Students spend time each day teaching, playing, and caring for some of Israel’s most needy children. As a “big sister,” the student is challenged to give of herself in a way she never experienced before and she is transformed in the process. Here four recent graduates share their impressions of Midreshet AMIT.
From The School House To The White House
This past April, eight of AMIT’s most outstanding principals came to the United States for an intellectual exchange of pedagogical thoughts and ideas and to tour a number of innovative and ahead-of-the-curve schools in the New York metro area and Washington, DC.
Led by Mor Deshen, AMIT deputy director of research and development, the AMIT educators wanted to experience first hand the way these schools educate their students. Each school utilized different innovative pedagogical programs.
Yeshivat AMIT Amichai Rehovot The Future Of Israeli Education
The large monitor that hangs in the entry hall of Yeshivat AMIT AMICHAI in this university town 12 miles south of Tel Aviv announces the time Shabbat will begin this week as well as the week’s Torah portion and the times for weekly afternoon prayers.