The United Synagogue

200 Gap Year Students Join Tribe Israel Shabbaton In Be'er Sheva

PRESS RELEASE

London,
26th October 2007

200 GAP YEAR STUDENTS JOIN TRIBE ISRAEL SHABBATON IN BE’ER SHEVA


Over 200 British Gap Year students joined TRIBE Israel last weekend for its annual Shabbaton, which for the first time was hosted outside of Jerusalem, at the Paradise Hotel in Be’er Sheva. The Shabbaton brought together students from across the religious spectrum, with over 30 youth movements, yeshivot and seminaries being represented.

Over the course of the Shabbat, students participated in a series of workshops and discussion groups which focused on how each student could make a difference within the Jewish community on their return to the UK. The London Beth Din's Dayan Yonatan Abraham, and the United Synagogue’s Vice President, Keith Barnett, were also present, having flown in especially for the event. They both took part in an 'Any Questions' panel entitled "Bring On The Brits: Issues Facing Anglo-Jewry Today", together with Tribe Executive Director, Rabbi Andrew Shaw, and Tribe Programme and Leadership Director, Charlotte Klein. Two students were also represented on the panel: Ana Rosenthal (FZY Machon) and Ben Dov Salasnik (Yeshivat Hakotel).

At the Shabbaton, Rabbi Shaw launched this year’s prestigious Tribe Israel Leadership Training (TILT) programme, which is designed to provide gap year students with the necessary skills to take up leadership positions on their return to the UK. Over the past three years, TILT has produced over 60 graduates with many now involved in US communities.

Jonathan Sherman, a Tribe member from Kenton and student on a Bnei Akiva programme at Yeshivat Hakotel, said: "Although we all chose different places to spend our gap year, Tribe brought us all together for this Shabbaton, giving us the chance to see old friends, and make new ones. Tribe offers us a great supplement to our year in Israel, and I am looking forward to their next event."

Merissa Gross, Tribe Israel Executive commented: “It was fantastic to be able to bring together so many gap year students and provide them with an inspiring and unforgettable Shabbat. We look forward to keen enthusiasts applying to TILT to ensure that today’s gap year students have the skills to become our community’s leaders of the future.”


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EDITORS’ NOTES: -

Yeshivot, seminaries and youth movements represented at the Shabbaton included:

AJ6
Hanoar Hatzioni
Yeshivat Keren b’Yavneh
Herzlia IDC
Legacy
Yeshivat Ma’aleh Adumim
Machon Gold
Michlalah
Michlelet Esther
Midreshet Harova
Michlelet Orot
Bnei Akiva
Beur Miriam
Derech
Midreshet Lindenbaum
Midreshet Moria
Yeshivat Petach Tikva
Sha’alvim
Emunah v’Omanut
Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi
FZY
Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh
RSY Netzer
Noam
Ohr Someach
Yeshivat Har Etzion
Yeshivat Hakotel
Midreshet Yeud
Morah Hatorah
MMY
Yeshivat Beis Yisroel

TRIBE
TRIBE, Young United Synagogue was launched in February 2003 under the leadership of Rabbi Andrew Shaw, with the Tribe membership scheme launched the following October. TRIBE’S goal is to support its communities to provide the best resources and facilities for its young people and to run complementary larger events and initiatives to support the work done at local level. TRIBE membership is divided into 4 divisions, kids, teen, campus and community. Tribe’s original target was to have 5,000 members by 2008. In October 2006 TRIBE signed up its 10,000th member. For further information on TRIBE, please visit www.tribeuk.com


For further information, please contact:

Nikki Ginsberg
The PR Office
Work: 020 7383 3623
Email: nginsberg@theproffice.com

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