BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv

BINA - Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture strives to strengthen Israel as a democratic, pluralistic society, emphasizing cultural, and community aspects of Judaism. BINA was established over thirteen years ago, as a response to the breakdown in public trust and unity in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

BINA designs and implements cultural, social and educational programs reaching close to 1000 Israelis annually in year-long programs. It offers seminars and public events for more than 13,000 participants every year, with the goal of enhancing Jewish and Zionist identity of non-orthodox Israelis. The foundations of BINA’s innovative programs are: Jewish Study, Social Action/Social Justice, Community and Leadership. BINA’s combination study/service programs focus on young adults - today’s agents of change, tomorrow’s leaders - with the aim of inspiring a lifelong appreciation of textual study and social justice.

BINA's programs include pre-army and post-army groups studying and volunteering in the neighborhood, groups for Russian immigrants, and an award-winning post-college program for Jewish activists from around the world called Tikkun Olam, which is supported by Masa Israel.

Mechinat BINA (Pre-Army Program), established five years ago, is a 10 month program for 18-19 year old Israelis at The Secular Yeshiva in Tel-Aviv. The program seeks to cultivate a generation of leaders with an in-depth familiarity with Jewish culture past and present, who view social activism and volunteering as central values by which to live. 

The Secular Yeshiva at Bina aims to be a home for students (aged 18-30) to experience significant learning and encounter a wide range of thinking and thinkers. Programs at the yeshiva allow participants to embark on a fascinating journey, which exposes them to a rich variety of views and assists them in formulating their own perspectives. Students live in South Tel-Aviv and are confronted with some of the most pressing issues in contemporary Israeli society. In addition to intensive study, all Yeshiva students take part in “Tikun Olam” community service and social welfare projects in the underserved communities of South Tel Aviv, where the Yeshiva is located.
 

Staff at BINA

Lior Tal, head of BINA's Gap Year programs, has been teaching various groups at the Secular Yeshiva since it was established. Lior holds a Masters degree in political science and is a graduate of "Tehuda" young Jewish leadership program. He is also a guest lecturer at Bar Ilan University and writes a weekly torah portion for Ma’ariv NRG, one of Israel’s most popular newspapers. Lior lives in south Tel Aviv in the neighborhood of Kefar Shalem. http://liortal.cafe.themarker.com

Michael Grumer, 24 years old, was born and raised in the Bronx, in New York City. Michael moved to Israel at the age of 20, and served in the IDF for two and a half years. Michael has experienced many aspects of Israel and seen it through many lenses, as a tourist, through a gap-year of his own, as a soldier, and now as an Israeli civilian. After a few months of traveling in the far east, including four months spent volunteering in Nepal, Michael has recently returned to Israel, and will serve as the counselor and coordinator for the gap year program at Bina.

Itamar Manoff, Recruitment coordinator. Itamar Holds a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics and Jewish Studies from the University of Toronto, Canada. Itamar is a teaches BINA seminars in public schools throughout Israel. In addition, Itamar is studying for his MA in linguistics and lives in Tel Aviv.

Mira Regev: Already ordained as a Reform Rabbi, Mira is also studying for her doctorate in Kabbalah. Mira also spent time in the U.S. studying at the University of Pennsylvania. She served as the Director of Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv - Jaffa for 3 years before going abroad and teaching at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. In BINA, Mira is in charge of strategic partnerships with Jewish communities abroad, and teaches the Gap-Year students on a weekly basis.

LIVE in the Exciting City of Tel Aviv with Israelis Your Own Age

BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv offers you a unique opportunity to live, study and volunteer with Israelis your own age, and be part of a community of young activists in south Tel Aviv. As a BINA participant, you will be an integral part of the BINA's Mechina.

Life at BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv
Two days each week will be dedicated to studying at the BINA Secular Yeshiva. Two days each week will be dedicated to social action. One day every week will be dedicated to various enrichment activities – tours within and outside Tel-Aviv, encounters with a variety of activists from different backgrounds, activities with Israeli peers etc. Shabbat and holidays will be celebrated in a pluralistic, inclusive atmosphere based on the inclinations of the group.

Accommodations
You will live in apartments situated in the south Tel Aviv Shapira neighborhood. The apartments are furnished and equipped. You will be sharing a room with one or two students from the program. Your Israeli peers will live in the same apartment building.

Living in a group
Our program encourages you to live as a group using communal resources. This means many daily living decisions which are made as a group, democratically. In addition, the group has a joint sum of money which is used collectively for buying groceries and other necessities. Meals are usually cooked together.

VOLUNTEER in the Community and Create Social Change

BINA participants work with populations of all ages, however many assignments focus on educating children. BINA’s goal is to identify the needs of the local community and try to answer these needs to the extent possible by supplying volunteers, and providing support and empowerment to the local neighborhood residents. Although specific placements may vary, a broad assortment of opportunities will be made available in the following general areas:

* Tutoring in public schools in underprivileged neighborhoods (all ages)
* Working with children with disabilities, including running sports activities
* Running enrichment programs at community centers in underprivileged neighborhoods
* Working with South Tel Aviv's migrant worker population
* Working with South Tel Aviv's refugee population (including many refugees from Darfur). This includes teaching English, helping in kindergartens and more
* and many more!

Participants will have an opportunity to tour the various volunteering options and, with the guidance of BINA staff and according to the participants' personal abilities and strengths, will choose volunteer projects for the duration of the program.
All participants will receive professional training and supervision, on an individual and group basis, throughout the program.

STUDY the Jewish Bookshelf
Study sessions will attempt to address central themes in Judaism, and expose you to the richness of the Jewish book shelf, particularly Tanakh (Bible), Mishna, Talmud, Jewish philosophy and contemporary Hebrew literature.

Sessions could include studying texts by Rabbi Akiva, Maimonides, Spinoza, Isaiah Leibowitz and more. In addition, we will study some political philosophy and examine issues in contemporary Israeli society from diverse perspectives.

Classes will take place at Bina's Secular Yeshiva, located in the heart of South Tel Aviv, and are taught by Bina's outstanding and renowned teaching staff, representing some of the biggest names in their respective fields. Classes are conducted informally with an emphasis on small group’s open discussion.

Hebrew Ulpan
Our program begins with one month of intensive Ulpan study with experienced and highly qualified Hebrew Ulpan teachers. Each of you will be placed in the appropriate group level, based on a diagnostic test. By the time you begin the program, even if you did not know the Aleph-Bet upon arrival, you will be able to speak at a sufficient level during your volunteer work and communicate with your Israeli peers. Ulpan instruction continues with once or twice-weekly sessions throughout the duration of the program to ensure that your Hebrew will continue to improve. By the end of the program, all participants will be able to speak Hebrew at a functional level.

In some cases, a participant may exhibits a very advanced level of Hebrew fluency, in which case the participant will be exempt from Ulpan. If you think this might apply to you, please contact us for more information.

Israel Seminar: Trips, Tours and Encounters
BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv, includes a weekly Israel Seminar which provides you with an opportunity to learn first-hand about Israeli society, culture and politics.

The Israel seminar will include encounters with key members in Israeli society, representing a wide range of leaders and social activists from Tel Aviv - Jaffa and other parts of the country. Some key figures who have met BINA participants in the past include Brig. Gen. Yossi Eldar, a veteran of the Yom Kippur war, renowned philosopher Prof. Asa Kasher, Israeli author and novelist Haim Be'er, Journalist and writer Dov Elbaum and many more.

In addition, the seminar will include day tours and excursions throughout Israel, including tours to Hebron, old Jerusalem, south of Israel, the Golan Heights, and more. Many excursions will be "off the beaten track" like a visit to unrecognized Bedouin villages or an encounter with the Druze community in the Carmel.

You will also join the Mechina participants on various field trips throughout the country, in which you will enjoy hiking trails, camping and other exciting outdoor activities.

Application Process

Apply Now for the upcoming 5 or 10-month programs:
5-month program: August 2013- February 2014
10-month program (second semester full-Hebrew immersion): August 2013 - June 2014
The application for 2013-2014 is now online!

Each of the following application components is required. Once all four online components and at least one printed component have been received, a BINA staff member will contact you to schedule a telephone interview.

Online Components
• Personal Questionnaire
• Health Form
• Essays
• Resume

Printed Components
Two letters of reference (from a supervisor or an instructor/teacher) cannot be submitted online, and should be submitted either by mail, fax or email:

BINA - International Gap Year Program
Yesod HaMa'ala 61,
Tel Aviv-Yafo, 66055, Israel
Tel: +972 3-537-6697

1. Fill out the written application

• Click Online Components to apply online.

Only applicants who have submitted complete applications will be eligible for admission!

Applications may be submitted online, or by mail, fax or email. Applications sent by mail may take 3 weeks or more to arrive. Please be patient! We will inform you when your application has arrived at our offices.

2. Apply for the MASA Grant

Our program is supported by Masa Israel. Grants and scholarships are available for those who are eligible.
Click HERE to apply for the Masa Grant on their website

PLEASE NOTE: Once you have been approved for the MASA grant, you must mail or fax us your signed signature page so that we can process your paperwork (it is the page that has a space for your "Program Organizer" to sign as well). IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR SIGNED SIGNATURE PAGE, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE MASA GRANT!

3. Participate in a phone interview with a representative from BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv
Upon receiving and reviewing your written application, we will contact you to schedule a time for a phone interview. Phone interviews can be expected to last 30-60 minutes. During the interview, your interviewer will try to learn more about who you are, why you are interested in the program, and how you would fit into the program's goals. It is a chance for us to gauge your level of dedication, maturity, and how well you will be able to work in a group.

4. Stay in touch with us
We will be in touch with you, following your interview, to let you know of our timetable for reaching a decision. In the meantime, and even after a decision is reached, we ask that you keep in touch with us. We are happy to answer any of your questions or address any concerns. In the meantime, it is extremely important that you keep us apprised of any changes in your contact information. As the start of the program approaches, we will need to send you information on preparing to come join us in Israel.

Tuition

The tuition for the 5 month program in 2012-13 is  8,500$ (before the Masa grant).
The tuition for the 10-month program is $15,000 (before the Masa grant).

Please note that this does not include flights to and from Israel.

Tuition includes:

• Educational programming, including Hebrew Ulpan, and studies at the Secular Yeshiva in Tel Aviv
• Prepared meals at the Secular Yeshiva
• Accommodations in Tel Aviv- apartments and all utilities
• Group living expenses for collectively buying food and cleaning supplies
• Educational tours, overnight trips and seminars
• Bus fare to and from volunteering, program trips etc. (not including bus fare for private traveling)
• Health insurance

Health Insurance
All participants will receive basic health care coverage from one of Israel's health care cooperatives. There is a clinic and pharmacy in the neighborhood, a very short walk from the apartments. Please be advised that your health insurance will not cover preexisting conditions, and thus it is recommended that participants taking prescription medications for preexisting medical conditions bring enough with them to last the duration of the program.

Financial Aid
It is strongly recommended to contact your local Jewish Federation to see what kinds of scholarships might be available in your area. If you belong to a synagogue, it is oftentimes helpful to speak with your Rabbi about financial aid possibilities.

Masa Israel Grant
MASA Israel Journey provides a one-time grant to eligible participants. Almost all of our participants qualify for the grant, which oftentimes offsets a significant portion of the program fees.

It is HIGHLY recommended that you apply for the MASA grant by filling out their online application.

Masa Israel Needs-Based Scholarship
Applicants who can demonstrate a gross annual income of less than $22,000 (USD) are eligible for additional funding from Masa.
Fill out their application to get started.

Masa: Israel Journey -- Masa's website offers ideas for securing additional funding.

BINA - International Gap Year Program
Yesod HaMa'ala 61,
Tel Aviv-Yafo, 66055, Israel
Tel: +972 (0) 54-4430-727