Lilmod u’Lelamed (“To Learn and to Teach”) is a joint venture of Ramah Programs in Israel and the The Yeshiva of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which allows you to spend 10 months (or more) in Jerusalem dividing your time between learning and hands-on work in Jewish education.
In the fall, you will begin a semester of intensive study at the Conservative Yeshiva (beginning of September through the end of December). In addition to studying classical Jewish texts (such as, Tanakh, Talmud) on your level, you will also participate in a specially- designed ongoing seminar on Informal Education in Israel Experience Programs.
Beginning in the winter you will be assigned work as an Educator/Madrich/a with one or more of the winter/spring Ramah Israel programs.
Participants in the program will be encouraged to work at a Ramah camp or with the Ramah Israel Seminar in the summer following their academic year in Israel (and will receive a salary bonus of $500 if they should do so).
Working with Ramah-Israel
There are two possible tracks for working with Ramah Programs in Israel:
Track A: Working as a Residential Educator/Madrich/a for the semester-long high school programs for North Americans: TRY (Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim). You would be required to live in the dormitory with the hanichim, plan informal programs, become involved in hands-on educational work, serve as a role model, and so on.
Track B: Working as a Madrich/a for several short-term programs (ten days to three weeks) in the context of the Ramah Israel Institute (RII). These may include 8th grade day school class trips, 10th grade supplementary Hebrew school groups, congregational family trips, or a combination thereof. In some cases it may be possible to work with TRY (Track A) for two months and then work with RII the remaining two months.
Finances
As a participant in Lilmod UleLamed you will receive a full tuition subsidy at the Conservative Yeshiva as well as a living stipend of up to $3000 for the year, depending on the Ramah-Israel track in which you work.
Participants will be responsible for their own flights to and from Israel, as well as for their own room and board until mid-January. During the second semester, those working in Track A will receive free room and board. Room and board for Track B will be worked out on an individual basis, and may involve further living expenses. Health insurance options will be discussed upon acceptance to the program.
Eligibility and Application Procedure
The program will be limited to up to six participants per year, 21-30 years old, who have spent significant time in Israel, who have experience in informal or formal Jewish education, and who demonstrate a passion for Jewish studies as well as for work in Jewish education (even if this is not your ultimate career choice). The candidate must apply simultaneously both to Ramah (via the application form below) and on-line to the Conservative Yeshiva (www.conservativeyeshiva.org), and must be accepted by both institutions.
Recommendations
Two recommendations are required: One should be a Ramah Camp Director or the educational director at the school/camp/youth group for whom you have worked; the other can be a teacher, professor, rabbi, and other who is able to give us an impression of you both personally and academically. These recommendations should be submitted via the on-line system of the Conservative Yeshiva.