MASA Israel
Masa Israel Journey (or Masa Israel ) is an Israeli organization that invites young Jewish people to Israel around the world in order to strengthen their connection to this country. MASA offers study programs and advanced study programs for young adults aged 18 to 30 years. The programs last between five and 12 months. Participants have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship . Since it was founded in 2003, more than 20,000 people have taken part in the programs, of which more than 9,300 participants from over 50 countries in the 2009-2010 school year alone. The aim of the organization is to invite 20,000 young adults annually per semester and annual program.
history
Based on the idea of Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon , Masa Israel was officially founded in 2004 as a joint project of the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency . Masa is administered by a 16-member governing body, eight representatives from the Government of Israel and eight representatives from the Jewish Agency . The governing body is reinforced by the Secretary of the Israeli Cabinet and the Director General of the Education Department of the Jewish Agency. Yisrael Maimon , Cabinet Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, and Alan Hoffmann , Director General of the Department for Jewish Zionist Education at the Jewish Agency, have been appointed co-heads of the governing body of this project. In November 2003 the project was approved by the coordinating committee and the Jewish Agency instructed to work out and present a detailed program. In January 2004, the project was presented in detail to both the Prime Minister and Sallai Meridor in a scheduled meeting in the Prime Minister's office and approved for implementation.
During the 2004-2005 school year, $ 10 million was invested in the 45 long-term program. At the end of 2009, the budget increased to 40 million and the number of programs that joined the project rose to more than 2,000. The bulk of the budget goes into grants and grants for participants in affiliated programs.
Masa Israel is not officially affiliated with Taglit- Birthright Israel , but the two organizations already considered in 2006 to join forces in some areas in order to increase the number of participants. The founders of Birthright Israel have also criticized the form in which Masa Israel was started, as this has led to a doubling of the necessary effort and unnecessary bureaucracy.
In 2009, Masa Israel and the international Jewish student organization Hillel began to work together and thereby also reached North American universities.
Program organizers
Independent organizations that apply to work with Masa Israel must submit a learning goal plan with Hebrew lessons and integrated Israel travel. These organizations include academic institutions such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben Gurion University of the Negev , Jewish youth movements such as Young Judaea and Habonim Dror , Jeshiva, and seminary programs. Tour operators such as The Israel Experience Ltd, Israel Way - Oranim Project and Israel Experts are also joining.
financing
Half of the funding for the Masa Israel program comes from the government of Israel. The other half comes from the Jewish Agency , which is supported by the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA . The amount of the possible scholarship depends on the age of the participants, the length of the program to be attended and their country of origin.