Seven Jewish community center workers from the United States and Canada left this week for Israel to spend a full year as staff members at community centers there. The seven are “trailblazers” in a pioneer program designed specifically for center workers. The program is a cooperative effort of JWB, Sherut La’am of the American Zionist Youth Foundation, the Israel Corporation of Community Centers, the Youth and Hechalutz Department of the World Zionist Organization, and the Association of Jewish Center Workers.
The major aim of the program is to provide a living experience in Israel in which North American center workers can share with their Israeli counterparts, learning and teaching as they live side by side. Each of these workers has given up a full-time position to devote a year of work in Israel.
To assure a meaningful experience for the “trailblazers” and to use their skills and training to the fullest, the Israel Corporation of Community Centers will assign them to line positions at community centers in development towns. Assignment will come after a three-month ulpan or less for those whose knowledge of Hebrew is adequate.
The seven, all below 30 years of age. include two married couples and three young women. They are: Jonathan Kaiser and his wife Rebecca, of Chicago; Alan Wolchansky and his wife Joan, of New Orleans; Vicki Lebman of St. Louis; Debbie Rosner of Montreal; and Judi Marcus of Houston.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
