2008 - 2009

This year there were close to 220 students in the program. The Mount Scopus branch had 40 students, the Bar-Ilan University branch has 70 students, the Givat Ram has 20 students, the Rehovot branch has 25 students and our branch in Ashkelon has 40 students. Our newest branch, the intown Chaverim program for olim and Israelis which opened this past year in Beit Avichai in downtown town Jerusalem had 25 student-age participants. This was the first attempt to have an off-campus group with native Israelis for both students and student-age participants. Here the students can get a ‘taste’ of traditional Jewish life in an open and fun framework.

2007 - 2008

In this year we had close to 200 students in five branches: Hebrew University Mount Scopus with 35 students, Hebrew U Givat Ram with 15 students, Bar Ilan with 70 students, Ashkelon with 40 students and Rehovot with 20 students. In the second semester we created a pilot project in Nachlaot (Jerusalem) with Tzeirim baMerkaz program of the JDC to get israelis and olim together. The pilot had 20 participants. This year was the second year of the Poland trip in which 18 students joined.

2006 - 2007

In 2006-2007 we had close to 160 students in the five branches. This was the first year of the branch in Ashkelon which was our first branch in South Israel. The branch was opened in the Ashkelon College under the auspices of the office of the Dean of students and was a huge success with 30 students in the first year.

2005 - 2006

The Chaverim Project had a very successful year. The Jerusalem Branch grew to 72 students including 17 student teachers. The Rechovot branch reached 36 students including 6 student teachers, and the newest branch, at Bar Ilan University, reached 40 students including 10 student teachers. At the Jerusalem chapter, the students are mostly from the FSU but also from France, Iran, Slovania, and South America. There was a shabbaton in Arad on Dec. 19-20, a Hanuka party on Dec. 24, Tu BiShvat Seder, a trip to David’s Citadel Museum, a model seder for Pesah, a Jerusalem Day event, an Israel Independence Day trip, a pre-Shavuot learnathon, a weekend retreat in kibutz Maálei Gilboa and in Efrat.  The guest speakers on the Wednesday night lecture in Russian included: Dr. Moshe Navon (History of Second Temple Period), Mr. Reuven Kuperwasser (History of Talmudic Period), and Mr. Samuel Gurelik (History of the Geonic Period). We had three evenings for the teachers, with Dr. Rabbi Chaim Iram from the Beth Din of Jerusalem who spoke to the teachers on the issue of conversion, and Rabbi Dr. Aviad haCohen who spoke on issues in teaching bible and with Rabbi Dr. Raphael Shuchat who spoke on teaching Bible to unaffiliated Jews. Second semester we offered a credited course for New Immigrant students at the Rothberg School of Hebrew University on Basic Concepts in Jewish identity.

2004 - 2005

A new branch at Bar-Ilan University in March 2004 has opened and a credited course in Basic Judaism at the preparatory program for imigrants at the Hebrew University in March 2004. The Foundation is considering as well two additional projects, one in Jewish education and one in Jewish social culture that will be announced later this year.

2003 - 2004

A new branch was added at the School of Agriculture in Rehovot.

2002 - 2003

During the year 2002/3, there were several special programs that included:

• Chanuka and Purim parties.
• A guided tour of the Western Wall tunnel excavations.
• A special Tu B’Shvat Seder led by Rabbi Dr. Raphael Shuchat.
• A theater production in Russian which presented various Chassidic stories.
• A pre-Passover Seder.
• A visit to Yad Vashem.
• An excursion on Jerusalem Day in conjunction with WUJS.
• A special Shavuot “Night of Learning” (seder) including many guest lecturers.

In addition, twice, Sheva Brachot dinners were held in honor of two newly wed couples from the Chaverim program.

This year, three unique Shabbat retreats were held in Arad, in the Old City of Jerusalem, and at Kibbutz Shluchot. The Shabbatonim, help create an experiential environment through

Another innovation this year was a special program to aid New-Immigrant students who were undergoing the conversion process. Special mentors were appointed to these students to teach them in conjunction with the conversion program created by the Jewish Agency’s Institute for Jewish Studies and the Rabbinical Courts. Fifteen conversions were assisted by us this year and will eventually be brought before the Rabbinical Court for conversion.

In conjunction with this program, a few special and touching cases were encountered. In one instance, one of the educational assistants was asked by one of the participants to assist her in making her kitchen Kosher, after receiving a contribution of new kitchen utensils that same week. This same student, who is expecting a child, expressed a wish to undergo conversion as soon as possible so that her child will be born Jewish.