Club Israel

Hebrew in Public Schools

Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:07 by Adam Stewart

Shalom, and welcome to another update from Shorashim.

These past few months, Shorashim - along with a number of partners in Chicago, including parents and students - have been dedicated to expanding and preserving Hebrew learning in the public schools in the Chicago-area. We are proud to say that last Monday, the Glenbrook High School District voted to add Hebrew to their course offerings and the Niles High School District elected to preserve the program that was considered for reduction. At the Niles High School District Board meeting, we were proud to see over a hundred community members - parents and students - come out to support the program (see video on our facebook page and the article in the Pioneer Press).

The new addition gives Chicago its seventh public-high school Hebrew program, and along with the offerings at jewish day schools and camp programs such as Chalutzim at OSRUI, makes Chicago the largest community of teen Hebrew learners in the world outside of Israel. For Shorashim's Club Israel, public high school Hebrew classes are where we are able to do some of our most creative work and we we continue to engage hundreds of students a month in Israeli culture and Hebrew language.

Shorashim Welcomes New Shaliach to Chicago

Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 06:03 by Sharna Marcus

Shorashim, in partnership with Habonim Dror - Camp Tavor and the Jewish Agency for Israel, welcomes its first Shaliach (emissary) to Chicago: long time Shorashim staffer Shahar Gal. Shahar’s passion for youth education started as a branch leader in the Hanoar Haoved movement in Israel. In the army, he served as an infantry solider and also worked with disadvantaged youth. Shahar is a licensed and accomplished tour educator in Israel.

Since arriving to Chicago, Shahar has been running Israel programs in local high schools and Israel clubs. He has also been reconnecting with Chicago Community Taglit-Birthright Israel groups that he has staffed in the past. During his time in Chicago, Shahar is also a fellow in Project Incite, a cohort of youth professionals who are to become part of the next generation of innovative Jewish educators. As part of the program, he participated in the ten-day seminar in Israel, after which he staffed a Chicago Community Taglit-Birthright Israel trip with students mostly from the University of Illinois.

Shahar is married to Lee Perry Gal - also a Shorashim educator - who is pursuing an advanced degree in ancient history and archaeology. They live in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Chag Sameach - Happy Passover

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 10:00 by Adam Stewart

We wish you a very happy Passover holiday and hope that you have an enjoyable and relaxing Seder tonight. May the meaning of freedom bring you joy and give you strength in all that you do! Drawing by a kindergarten student at Temple Chai in Long Grove as part of an activity with Gilad Shalit's "When the Shark and the Fish First Met."

These past couple of months have been busy ones here at Shorashim, as we finished up our Taglit-Birthright Israel season by bringing over 700 participants on their first trip to Israel. Although allocations are somewhat down for the summer, we enjoyed record registration for our summer groups, and look forward to bringing many more people on this amazing experience.

We were proud to partner again with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on their fourth annual Alternative Spring Break to Israel. College students and young adults engaged in awesome and meaningful projects like "Earth's Promise" in which they helped Ethiopian immigrants in Beer Sheva build sustainable urban gardens on neglected city land. Many of the participants attended the opening of the new indoor playground in Sderot - a reinforced structure that gives children in the area a safe place to play.

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