Source: The Jewish Agency for Israel
The two-year Minyanim program allows alumni of Taglit-Birthright or Masa in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, The Czech Republic and Russia to continue their Jewish and Israel studies, increasing community activism in Eastern and Central Europe. Minyanim sees intellectual engagement as pivotal to Jewish values. The program ignites a love of learning as participants delve into Jewish textual sources and explore various religious streams and Jewish communities around the globe. The program teaches participants methods of fostering living, relevant Israel relationship in their local communities. There is also a focus on Jewish communal services: management, fundraising, and methodologies in informal Jewish education.
The program empowers young Jews to be agents of change in their local and neighboring communities. They work alongside and within existing Jewish establishments, and also create new communal environments in which Jews can engage and interact.
In their second year, as participants themselves learn more about Jewish identity, values, and community building, they create programs and events for other Taglit-Birthright Israel and Masa Israel Journey graduates.
By engaging in social activism in their communities, participants not only deepen their own connection to the local and global Jewish community, they also effect waves of change for society large.
The 2-year Project Includes:
- 8 Hours per month (minimum) of local study sessions
- 2 Regional seminars (long weekends)
- 1 Seminar in Israel
- Implementation of community-building projects
- Guidance for incoming participants (2nd year)
Minyanim began as a pilot project in 2009 in Hungary with ten participants, and has since evolved into a thriving program called MiNYanim that has so far reached 220 young Jews in 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Israel. (The European countries include: Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, The Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus and Germany.)
Obtain more information on the Minyanim Facebook page.