Overall Programme and Goals

• To experience social action volunteer work as a way to empower people and bridge gaps between the western world and Africa.
• To understand an African third world country with its hardships and challenges.
• To help nurture and strengthen the new Ghanaian Jewish community.
• To learn about Jewish and Israeli efforts to help Africa.
• To be an "Or L'Goyim"

Tikkun Olam is the new Year Course Track that takes Zionism and Jewish values into the developing world. For three months of the year chanichim will travel to Ghana where they will volunteer and help create lasting change. Here chanichim will live the Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the World) and Or Lagoyim (Light unto the Nations) creating a more just world and helping make sustainable real change in Africa.

After learning a broad spectrum of Hadracha skills and techniques and after being equipped with informal education tools, chanichim will travel to Ghana for their second semester of the programme.

In this English speaking country in north-west Africa, chanichim will practice the Jewish values of tikkun olam – repairing the world – and become committed and passionate about their role as Zionists and Jews in creating a more just world. On their return to Israel for the last part of the programme, volunteering in the Israel Experience portion, students will complete the circle they’ve started – Israel and Judaism as the core of social justice, setting an example to the whole world.

No prior experience is needed in order to be a participant in this programme, just a strong desire to help humanity.
No special Hebrew level is required.

Jerusalem Studies (September – November)
The Jerusalem studies section will be the similar as for the rest of Year Course and chanichim should read the Jerusalem Studies section of the website carefully. In addition there will also be extra classes to prepare for the African experience.  Examples are:

• Games workshop - Theory and practice of indoor and outdoor games.
• How to teach Hebrew – ideas, songs and games that will prepare chanichim in order to teach those who know nothing at all.
• Leading T'fillot – practically leading the t'fillah and story telling.
• How to teach Israeli dance
• Practice implementing youth and adult educational curriculums about Israel.
• How to live in the third world: a practical guide.

Volunteering in Ghana (December-February)
Chanichim will travel to Ghana’s capital Accra, where they will be living for the next 3 mounts. Half of the week will be spent volunteering with different projects set to help and improve Ghanaian life and health and half of the week volunteering with the local growing Jewish community.

Accra Volunteering - Living in an apartment complex, every 5-7 chanichim will share an apartment that has a living room and a kitchenette, and where they will be cooking kosher food. Daily life will be dedicated to volunteering in one of the many volunteer projects around Accra. Chanichim will be able to choose from a few different options, each one requires different skills:

• AIDS prevention
• skills training for street youth
• economic development for women
• improvement of human settlements and shelter conditions

Chanichim will have the help and support of our 2 staff members that will guide them through the volunteer placements and will lead the service learning course, designed to process experiences. Twice a week chanichim will enjoy an informal activity – a tour around the city, a lecture or a meeting, created to help chanichim to become an active part of the community and experience Ghanaian life in interesting, fun, and profound ways.

Sefwi Wiawso Community Volunteering- every Friday morning chanichim will travel up north to the town of Sefwi Wiawso, home to the small and devoted Jewish community. The 150 members are very warm and welcoming and anxious to learn more Hebrew and about Israel. Chanichim will join the community for Tfilot, teach Hebrew to youth and adults and establish a youth movement club. Staying in a hotel for the weekend, whilst volunteering with the community, chanichim will be only a walking distance from the town, and will go back and forth.  Chanichim return to Accra on Sundays.

Israel Experience (March – May)
The Israel Experience portion of the programme will be the same as for the rest of Year Course and chanichim should read this section of the website carefully. All options are open for chanichim to choose from – whether it is MADA or Marva, Kibbutz or a youth Village. Recognising the experience chanichim gained whilst in Africa, along with their enhanced skills, chanichim will be able to choose to volunteer in a more community related option such as: teaching kids, guiding street youth, working with the Israeli scouts and more.

Order your FREE Year Course brochure and DVD.

Includes all the
latest information
on all FZY Year Course programmes.