Masa Israel Journey Blog

Stretching limits and appreciating nature at Hakfar Hayarok

Published : December 30, 2010

By Adi Raz, Because We Care

After graduating from Santa Clara University I was faced with the challenge of figuring out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I had studied psychology, but was a bit wary of the counseling profession and didn’t know if it was for me. I decided that I needed a change of scene to clear my head before I made any life altering decisions. I didn’t want to just take a vacation and be lazy for a while, I wanted to do something that would give back to the community. I decided to return to my place of birth, Israel.

A friend of mine turned me onto the Masa Israel website and I spent several hours reading through the myriad different programs available. When I read the description for Masa Israel’s Because We Care five-month-long...

Learning and belonging at Hebrew University

Published : December 24, 2010

Growing up in Atlanta, Scott Berger first became involved in Judaism as a teenager through Bnai Brith Youth Organization. But, it was not until he was a freshman at Tulane University that he first traveled to Israel with Birthright.

“I had no idea what to expect and it was thrilling for me to be in a country filled with other people like me,” says Scott. “I knew I wanted to spend more time there.”

During his fourth year at Tulane, Scott decided to study in Israel. But, as an architecture student at a university that discouraged study abroad in Israel, the process was not simple. “My study abroad advisor encouraged me to take a semester off and look into university programs where other Tulane students had studied,” says Scott. “I...