Abracadabra!

2018-2019 Programming and Israel Affairs Handbook

Michelle Goss
SWUSY
Programming and Israel Affairs Vice President, 2018-19

Some of the material contained in this packet was written by past SWUSY IAs, current and past IGB
members, and various other helpful people.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Special Message from your Regional IA​ 3

Non-Israel Programming……….... 4

Bringing Israel to your chapter….. 5

Summer Programming…………... 6-8

Chalutzim…………………………. 8

Israel Advocacy…………………... 9-10

Resources…………………………. 11

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 A Special Message from your Regional IA

Shalom Chapter IAs!

Congratulations on being elected to serve your chapter in a vital role!

IA is a fun position and I know everyone will do great at it. However,
chapter IAs is not all about Israel. It is, as I’m sure you’ve all been made
aware, PROGRAMMING. I urge you to be willing to ask for help. This
packet is beginning resource, and I am always available to help you run the
best programming possible.

Israel is wonderful place, however, it is also really complex. There are

people, cultures, and ideas that some of you cannot support, but these are
part of the complex puzzle that makes up Israel. One of my goals is to help
y’all explore these viewpoints in your chapters. As difficult and
uncomfortable these conversations can be, a willingness to listen can help
one defend and support Israel more fully and in a way consistent with one’s
personal beliefs and values.

Israel’s pop culture has so many fun facets that we can explore
together, and I’d love to help y’all get your chapters more immersed in the
culture. There is music, games, food and so much more for us to share.

So what is “abracadabra”? This Aramaic phrase means “I create what

I speak”. My goal this year is to live by that and I hope you all will too. Once
you say you’re going to do a program, don’t be afraid to commit to it. This
phrase is also to help us remember that Israel is a magical place. That’s
something we will share with our chapters, and together, we will bring the
magic of Israel to SWUSY!

Abracadabra
Michelle Goss, your 2018-2019 regional IA

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 Programming

10 great non-Israel programming ideas

● Disney night
○ Do all disney characters or pick a specific movie. Dress up, disney themed
games, tons of options here!
● Sports night
○ Wear sports jerseys, dress as favorite athlete, play sports trivia, eat popcorn and
hotdogs…
● Redneck / cowboy night
○ Super fun dress up option as well as “out of the box” game options. If a redneck
can think of it they will try it!
● Board games
○ This is pretty self explanatory, I think.
● Scavenger hunt
○ A hunt that gets social media involved as well is always a great way to advertise.
● Fiesta!
○ Complete with a piñata, lots of amazing food, but you may have to be careful how
you announce it or the whole congregation might show up!
● Beach party
○ Come on, everyone loves the beach, especially if you don’t live in a beach city.
● Mini golf
○ Set up mini golf throughout the synagogue I am sure you can find some great
obstacles!
● Bowling
○ Go to your local bowling alley and have some fun!
● Super Hero night
○ Dress up as your favorite hero and watch a marathon.

10 Extra Themed Programming Ideas

● Hipster night
● PJs night
● Tacky Prom
● Decades
● Blacklight/Glow night
● Trivia night
● Star Wars night
● Game show night
● Olympics
● Red Carpet

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10 Fantastic and Easy Israel Programs
● Israel Art contest
○ Ask everyone what Israel means to them, then have them show it in the art form
that best appeals to them an can be done with the resources there.
● Speaker (AIPAC, someone just returned from Israel, local congressman, etc)
○ Ask someone to speak to your chapter about Israel, maybe even have handouts
to go with it
● Israel Fair
○ Hold a fair where the different booths are like different cities in Israel. Give fun
Israeli prizes.
● Tel Aviv Disco
○ Hold a dance party to Israeli music. Play games like musical chairs and the
winners get Israeli treats like Bamba.
● Donald Trump and Israel
○ Suggest the viewpoint that Trump is actually a friend to Israel. Do your research
ahead of time and be prepared to defend Trump while educating the group.
● Tel Aviv Hold ‘em
○ Hold a game of Poker where teams get better hands by answering trivia on Tel
Aviv
● Stream Israeli sports events
○ Get everyone together for an overnight and have concession stand food and
stream Israeli basketball or soccer
● Bedouin Tent Night
○ Invite everyone for Bedouin hospitality. Provide music, tea, and light snacks while
everyone sits on the floor
● Israeli movie night
○ Pretty simple. Chose an Israeli movie and watch. If you want to, talk about the
movie afterwards
● Israeli junk food night
○ Get some Israeli junk food and dig in!

10 EXTRA ISRAEL PROGRAMMING IDEAS

● Israeli music night

● Skype with someone from Israel
● Honor an IDF officer
● Burgers Bar
● Bedouin Tent Night
● Israeli dancing
● Krav Maga
● Gaga
● Camel rides
● Ice cream (glida) social

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 Summer Programming

● Pilgrimage ● North America

○ Israel Adventure ○ Classic
○ Poland ○ East
○ Eastern Europe ○ West
○ Yozma ○ Northwest
○ L’Takayn Olam ○ DREAM USY

Pilgrimage Tracks
● Israel Adventure
Spend your summer hiking the hills of the Golan, snorkeling in Eilat, praying at
the Kotel, eating falafel (or shawarma!), meetings your best friends, and falling in love with
Israel!

● Israel Pilgrimage/Poland Seminar

Explore Jewish life in Poland, followed by four weeks of renewal in Israel. A full
week is spent discovering the history and culture of Polish Jewry, including visits to the
concentration camps of Sobibor, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Treblinka. Poland
Seminar also includes city tours of Warsaw, Cracow and Lublin.

● Eastern Europe/Israel Pilgrimage

Discover the unique cities of Eastern Europe, from the towering spires of Germany
and the Czech Republic to the countryside of Poland. Learn about the past, present, and
future of these unique Jewish communities, including visits to concentration camps. This is
followed by four weeks exploring Israel.

● Yozma
Yozma/ USY Israel Pilgrimage, offers immersive, fun, meaningful travel to Israel for Jewish
teens, grades 10-12, with cognitive and social challenges. Yozma/USY Israel Pilgrimage
participants will be supported by specially trained professionals as they travel, learn, grow,
and volunteer alongside a group of their peers. Participants can choose from two of USY’s
Israel Pilgrimage trips: ​USY Israel Adventure​, exploring the country’s diverse landscape
and deep history, or ​L’Takayn Olam​, a social action-focused trip where in addition to
sightseeing teens engage in ​daily service projects.

● L’Takayn Olam
A four-week trip to Israel that includes both sightseeing and social action projects on a
daily basis. The group will spend time up north, down south and in Jerusalem, as well as
spending time volunteering on an army base. This program is a chance to explore the
Jewish homeland and lend a hand to help make it better.

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North America Trips
● Classic Wheels
Travel coast to coast with other Jewish teens on this six and half week adventure. Along
the way, you’ll meet the famous mouse at Disneyland, watch the sunrise over the Grand
Canyon, and discover a rainbow of natural phenomena, from the California Redwoods to
Yellowstone National Park to the vivid pink and orange hues of the Painted Desert.
● Wheels East
Begin your USY summer experience here! From the CN Tower in Toronto to the Wizarding
World of Harry Potter in Orlando and all points in between, see the best of what the East
Coast has to offer on this summertime adventure for 7th and 8th graders!
● Wheels West
Cruise down the sunny Pacific Coast Highway with other Jewish teens on this West Coast
bus tour, stopping along the way to relax on the beaches of California and explore the
natural beauty of the American West. USY on Wheels, West is a four-week trip for
first-time travelers to visit new sights, adventure in the outdoors, and experience
meaningful Jewish living, all the while forming lasting friendships by taking on new
challenges together. You’ll explore unique cities from San Francisco to Denver, reach new
heights hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, and discover your own hidden
depths.
● Wheels Pacific Northwest
Take in the rich coffee-soaked culture of Seattle, the quirkiness of Portland, and the beauty
of Vancouver, British Columbia on Pacific Northwest. Explore some of North America’s
most spectacular sights from Mount Rainier in Washington State to Crater Lake in Oregon,
and top it all off with a week-long Alaskan cruise on Norwegian cruise lines!
Note:​ This trip begins in Seattle and ends in Los Angeles. USYers are responsible for
making their own travel arrangements to Seattle and from Los Angeles at the conclusion of
the trip.
● DREAM
Explore the beauty, experience the culture, and taste the flavors of the Dominican Republic
this summer with USY! DREAM USY: An Adventure in the Dominican Republic, is our new
summer program in partnership with the DREAM Project, a United States-based nonprofit
focusing on early childhood education and community enrichment. On this two-week
tropical adventure, a select group of passionate teens, grades 9-12, will travel to the
Caribbean to give back to the local community, take part in Dominican culture & traditions,
discover the area’s unique Jewish history, and have fun in the sun! All participants will earn
approximately 25 hours of community service work

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Chalutzim
Do you love Israel? Are you interested in learning more about the Jewish State? Do
you want a safe space to share your opinions? Then ​Chalutzim​ is for you!

Chalutzim​ is an enrichment club for those who wish to be a part of a community and
participate in more in-depth conversations about Israel.

Chalutzim​ means “pioneers,” in Hebrew, referring to the settlers who created the early
Israeli state. Just like the first settlers, today’s USYers must settle a new reality in the
Middle East and beyond

Chalutzim Is…
● a safe space for open and honest debate and talk about issues related to Israel and
its neighbors
● a gathering for advanced and detailed Israel-based education
● a network of other Jewish likeminded teens in the region and around the globe on
the issues facing Israel every day.
● A network of USYers, online and in-person, who love Israel and wish to find
solutions to the issues it faces every day

Israel Advocacy
Why is Israel Advocacy Important?
Israel Advocacy is a strong pillar of USY. The goal of each IA VP should try to educate
USYers about current events in Israel and Jewish events around the world. An educated
USYer is prepared to defend the state without defending the goverment or taking passion
out of the equation. Instilling this kind of education is not always easy, but through
engaging and educational programs and events, each IA can ensure that chapter
members have a strong understanding of the conflict, culture, innovations and more.

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Overview and Goals
Over the 2018-2019 year and continuing in the current year, International USY has been
working to strengthen the bonds USY has with organizations such as AIPAC, Stand With
Us, and the David Project.

Doing Your Part

Israel Advocacy is one of the most important through which each USYer can do his or her
part in building a strong future for the Jewish homeland. Tell this to each USYer, reminding
him that he or she is the future of the Jewish people and that through advocacy and
education he or she can do their part in securing a future for our homeland.

How Can I Promote Advocacy?

-By joining the Chalutzim club, a club which centers around Israel awareness and culture

-By doing Israel updates at chapter events and meetings to keep USYers informed on
political, social, and cultural events in Israel

-By urging USYers to conduct research themselves on Israel through news websites such
ashaaretz.com and jpost.com, which will allow them to form their own opinions on Israel’s
actions

-By conducting programming that focuses or the amazing aspects of Israel, thus showing
why Israel is important to the Jewish people.

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 10 Tips to Better Advocacy
1. Israel is a democracy- always remind people that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.
2. Israel wants peace- many Americans think that the lack of peace is due to both Israelis and
Palestinians. Always stress that Israel’s main goal has always been and always will be peace.
3. Offense- Stay on the offense. Remember that what people hear sticks with them and so if they
hear you constantly talking about Israel’s commitment to democracy, freedom,and peace, then
that is what will stick with them.
4. Don’t stress the (ancient) past- It’s all about the future! The fact that the Jews have lived in Israel
for thousands of years, is religiously based, and not a convincing argument. Stress the recent
past (Post 1948) and relate it to the present and future to give a valid argument. The fact that
Israel has offered to return lands captured in war in exchange for peace, yet Palestinian
authorities refused is a valid argument.
5. Sell the dream- Don’t focus too much on land and who has to give up what. You lose your
audience when they begin to think that one side has given up or has taken too much land.
6. Cooperate- Make sure that everyone else around you is talking about the same hopeful message,
or the same political message. Mixed messages get people confused and send out the wrong
idea. Things get accomplished when a uniform message is sent.
7. Spread your message where it needs to be spread- The phrase“preaching to the choir” applies
here. It is important to talk to all USYers, but it is most important to reach out to those who are
indifferent to Israel.
8. Television is the medium- Most people get their news through television. Media, especially in
America, can be incredibly biased against Israel. This is why it is so important to provide your
chapter with accurate news sources and to talk about media biases so that people in your chapter
can watch out for them.
i. 7 Violations of Media Objectivity
ii. Misleading definitions and terminology
iii. Imbalances reporting
iv. Opinionated reporting
v. Lack of context
vi. Selective omission
vii. Using true facts to draw false conclusions
viii. Distortions of facts
9. Keep it simple- Instead of overwhelming people in your chapter with tons of new information; pick
a few key things you want to stress. Repetition is key! Keep stressing your key points and people
will catch on! If you want to stress peace, then keep bringing up peace and maybe give a new
example every week or every few weeks so that people don’t have to retain tons of information,
and your key point is still being put out there.
10. Delegate- You are not the sole advocator of Israel. Jews in USY and even the U.S. are
responsible. If you need or want help, get other USYers involved, or even get your entire
synagogue involved (like Sisterhood)

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 Resources
Use your favorite search engine to find these and other websites offering a full range of ideas,
philosophies, perspectives, angels, and views on International Jewish Affairs, the Middle East and the
State of Israel

● USY ● JTA
● USCJ ● ADL
● Masorti ● J-Post
● AIPAC ● J-Vibe
● If Not Now ● The Forward
● Al-Jazeera ​(An Int’l and Arab source) ● FOX News
● J-Street ● CNN News
● Jewish Voices for Peace ● MSNBC News
● Breaking the Silence ● Breitbart News(? - ​scary stuff​)
● Jewish Federations of North ● Ha’Aretz
America

How to Contact Me Website

Phone: (405)772-3362 swusyia.weebly.com

Email: ​rmichelle9901@gmail.com

Instagram: m.and.m.goss

Snapchat: mgoss2

Facebook: Michelle Goss

ABRACADABRA!!!
To a Magical Programming year!

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