CHUSY: A Trip to Israel
USYers entered the synagogue and found themselves at a ticket counter. All USYers received a coach ticket on El Al, with an upgrade to first class available for a $5 donation to Tikun Olam. After boarding the plane in the BJUSY youth lounge and watching the sights through the window (a DVD of different countries one would fly over on the way to Israel) we landed in Israel. The Hebrew School rooms were each set up as different cities in Israel with different facts and activities. We visited places such as Tel Aviv, Eilat, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Masada. In Tel Aviv we had the opportunity to dance to Israel music, sell different Israeli products on the boardwalk in Eilat, write notes for the Kotel and for Israel soldiers in Jerusalem, painted our faces with mud masks at the Dead Sea, and played an Israel trivia game at Masada. Of course, we cannot forget the great falafel and other Israeli snacks we ate throughout our trip.

CRUSY: A Night in Israel
We began our evening program by leading Havdalah under the starts for the "Havdalah Happenings" for the young families in our synagogue with the Rabbi. We had six rooms in the shul set up as various cities and places in Israel with a executive board member leading the activities in each location. In Tel Aviv we played an Israeli game and had an authentic Israeli dinner with salads, falafel, and chocolate. In Jerusalem they wrote letters to be placed in the Kotel by a board member who was in Israel on the T.R.Y. program. They discussed Arab-Israeli politics in Gaza and had tea in a Bedoin tent. They made candles and told mystical stories in Tzfat and soaked themselves in mud and swam in the dead sea.

Hagalil
Our synagogue prides itself on promoting Israel, and our USY chapter is a huge venue for getting the informal Israel education out through exciting hands on experiences. The Israel program that stands out this past year was when our synagogue sister shul from Kiryat Bialik sent a group of high school students to stay with us for a week. We made sure they felt right at home by hosting them in USYers' houses, and the night they arrived we had a big welcoming event which included games and ice breakers to help them get comfortable. This gave our members an opportunity to talk to their Israeli counterparts about their lives and the differences between growing up in America versus growing up in Israel. By the end of the night, the kids who had come for a few icebreakers and a cultural lesson had begun to develop life-long friends.

Hagesher
Our Israeli Festival last winter was a huge hit at Har Zion! We set up a number of tables in a large auditorium in our synagogue and we brought Rak-Dan, a popular Israeli Folk Dancing Guru from Philadelphia, to lead us in some Israeli dancing. One Sunday after Hebrew School, we invited all of the religious school students and teachers to join the USYers as we learned new Israeli dances, experienced Israeli Culture, and raised money for Tikkun Olam. Around the dancing area were Bedouin tents made from pillows and draped blankets where people could sit, relax, and watch their friends try to keep up with the dances. At one table, USYers, students, and teachers had a chance to make their own Israeli food by combining freshly cooked falafel, Mediterranean salad, humus and techina together in warm pita bread. At another table, we helped raise money for the Michael Levin Scholarship Fund, which enables people to experience the rare opportunity to travel to Israel. At yet another table, USYers, students, and teachers could pay to make key chains with English and Hebrew beads. The Israeli Festival had an outrageous turnout, with over 100 kids enjoying this incredible event.

Hanefesh: Roses for Israel
Supporting the Israeli economy is a vital part in our chapters' awareness of Israel. Following this idea, Emanuel USY ran our "Roses for Israel" program twice last year. For Rosh Hashanah, and again on Mother's Day, we sold beautiful roses grown in, and sold from, Israel. Synagogue members sent in orders and we ordered them from M&M Roses, based in Moshav Sde Nitzan, Israel. They come in dozens of red, white, pink, yellow, and the ever-popular rainbow. Once they arrived, a few days before the holiday, they were prepared at the synagogue for pick-up. USYers unwrapped, sorted, cut, and watered the roses. When congregants picked up their roses at the synagogue, they were given packets of information with the roses as well as food for them. This event was great because it was both beneficial to the Israeli economy and all of our profit was donated to Tikun Olam. Another positive aspect is that the lovely roses brightened up many homes in the community. Many people responded to the fact that the roses were from Israel. Through this event we continued awareness about Israel. We showed that even though we're thousands of miles away, we can still make a difference.

Hanegev
On our Israel Wacky Wednesday, we snacked on our favorite Israeli foods, such as falafel, hummus, schwarma, Israeli Salad, etc. We then had a discussion on the Election process in Israel. Afterwards, everyone decorated their cookie like a ballot and voted for which party they would vote for.

METNY
Each year the USY director and the Israel Affairs Vice President work together to host an Israel Lounge Night. Israel Lounge Night is a program aimed at mixing social, educational and spiritual activities to encourage USYers to become more aware of current events in Israel. This year at Israel Lounge Night, our chapter president and Israel Affairs Vice President worked hard to put together an Israel jeopardy game. After the game, USYers took part in an engaging discussion about last summer's war in Lebanon. For dinner, the USYers dined Israeli style on falafel and hummus. Following dinner, we benched and sang ruach songs. To make our youth lounge more festive for this special event, executive board members met earlier in the afternoon to hang Israeli flags around the room to get in the spirit.

NERUSY: Israel Lounge Night
This year, for the first time, we had a lounge night devoted to Israel. We framed this lounge night as a trip to Israel, complete with passports. There were five different cities in Israel for everybody to visit, and at each location each person received a passport stamp. The first location was Jerusalem. There each person got the opportunity to write a note for the Kotel. When we davened Ma'ariv we also said that we were doing this "at the Kotel." Since one of the things Tzfat is known for are candles, we had candle making kits, and everyone had a blast making their own Tzfat candles to take home. We had Israeli music playing all night in the Tel Aviv location. We had Israeli snacks and drinks as we listened to many different Israeli artists. We also shared pictures of our Israel trips. There was an Ein Gedi location where we put on mud masks. The last place that we visited was Haifa, where we had a discussion about the Lebanon War from this past summer. We broke down what each side wanted and how everything started. We ended the night with the rest of the food and music, and everyone had a great time.

New Frontier: Lag Ba'Omer Bonfire
Our Lag Ba'Omer bonfire began back at the synagogue parking lot with our usual Havdalah and icebreakers – especially important considering the four new teens that joined us. Admittedly coincidentally, the night we planned to have this event was the same night as Lag Ba'Omer, a Jewish holiday on which beach trips and bonfires are common. We discussed how the celebration originated and the traditions that go with it. At the beach, we enjoyed making s'mores, talking, and just having fun by the bonfire. On our way back to the temple's parking lot we had an Israel program in which we discussed our Jewish identity, how we see ourselves as young Jewish adults, and how the land of Israel affects the Jewish people, communally and individually. Responses were thoughtful and varied, and it was fantastic to hear so many new and different faces bringing so much good input to the discussion.

Pinwheel
Our best Israeli program was the movie and discussion night where the rabbi along with our USYers discussed the Israeli situation, with the captives: Ehud Goldwasser, Gilad Shalit, and Eldad Regev. We also discussed if Israel is always right and doing the right thing or if it too makes mistakes. It was a great night and everyone left the event feeling enlightened and illuminated.

Tzafon
This year Akiba USY's best Israel Program was the creation of our very own map of Israel. The idea behind this project was that each USYer that had pictures from summer or family trips to Israel would bring in their extras and we would put together a map of Israel as we saw it with our own eyes. As we sprawled all the pictures out on the floor and separated them into groups based on which city they were taken in, it created a time for stories and opportunity to share our personal experiences. With the help of many art supplies such as paint, glitter glue, and stickers, our map became a huge collage full of color and design. At this program we also enjoyed Israeli food and music while we shared stories about our Israel experiences. This program provided a chance for USYers to experience the culture of Israel through pictures, music, food, and personal stories and hopefully encouraged those who hadn't been to Israel to go on a USY summer program. The map was displayed at the Community's Yom Ha'atzmaut Celebration and will be permanently displayed on the walls of Congregation Knesset Israel.

Supplies List:

• Big role of paper
• Map of Israel
• Pencils and pens
• Glue
• Stickers
• Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Glitter glue pens
• Pictures taken in Israel
• Knishes
• Carrots and hummus
• Israeli music CDs
• Israeli Fruit Juice
• USYers with stories from summer or family trips
• USYers who want to learn more about Israel

Seaboard
Bedouin tent lounge night was our best Israel program. We coordinated this program with the arrival of two shlichonim teenagers from NOAM, and the return of our Seaboard Shlicha, Osnat Exman. Together we cooked pita and sipped tea, while getting to know each other and discussing life in Israel compared to life in America. We decorated our youth lounge to make it look like a Bedouin tent, by hanging sheets around the room and throwing pillows on the floor to eat on. Sheets, pillows, a camping stove, pita mix, hot water cooker, tea bags. Israeli friends are also recommended. It was a great way to bring together American and Israeli culture.

SWUSY: AAUSY goes Outback
AAUSY's big Israel event this year was an outdoor movie night. We set up a projector screen in our Israel Affairs VP's backyard to watch Ushpizin in our sleeping bags, ate homemade falafel and other Israeli goodies, and discussed current events in our homeland.

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