birthright israel
Being able to staff birthright Israel was
AMAZING!! I went on birthright as a student three years ago, so going back as
a staff member was even more special. I was very fortunate for a number of reasons. First of all, I got to staff with three fantastic people, Ben Bernell, Hanan Nayberg
and former JCSC Shoshanna Kogan. We were all under the age of 27, so at times
it was hard for us to remember that we were staff. We took 74 students
on the Hillel Campus trip and we were one of the largest campus groups on birthright! Group/school bonding is key. Encourge
the students to wear their burt orange with pride and kick up those school cheers!
One of the best parts of staffing the trip
was your ability make the the trip everything you wanted and more, and since I had been on the trip before, I was able to
re-create some of the moments that were most special to me and share them with the UT students. Moments like floating in the dead sea, and sharing a night under the stars in the Bedouin tent with the
entire group. We sang songs around a campfire and prayed at the Western Wall,
but every moment was done to make it special. The high light for me, and most
of the students was the Mega Event, the students really bonded and enjoyed the worlds largest Jewish Dance Party don't be
afraid to put on your dancing shoes, the students love to dance with the staff!!
Birthright students are the students who
have never been to Israel on a group trip before. Usually they are the students
who are truly engagement students and therefore you have to look all around to find them.
Since the current Intafada began, it has been difficult to attract students.
In previous years, there was a lottery to choose the participants, and now if you qualify, there is room. Safety is the number one reason that people will not go. I
felt perfectly safe while I was there. Birthright does a really great job insuring
that the trip is a safe one.
Recruitment
Lucky for me Hanans entire job first semester
was birthright recruitment. He really made a huge effort to get the word out,
design postcards and talk to up to everyone. I often tabled with Hanan on the
West Mall and the dorms to get people to sign up. We even made paper applications
to collect peoples names and then called them to remind them to sign up on line. I
found what caught peoples eyes most was just a huge sign that said FREE TRIP TO ISRAEL.
We really pushed the concept of being able to go with your friends, and this really was the reason many people sign
up. We heavely targeted the Greek houses, and about 30 of the 74 students in
the trip were in a Greek house.
Interviews
Interviews are great because you have
an opportunity to sit for 10 minutes talking to an engagement student that you never met.
We set up walk-in times so you are not consumed
by it all day long. We did it for three days and different hours each day. Betsy, Margo, Ben and Hanan and I all did interviews.
We interviewed over 100 people!! And at times Hillel felt like a doctors
office. Dont forget to snap a photo of each person so you can remember what they
look like as you try to learn their names.
Birthright israel has developed their
own interview sheet, but I would use that and some of our questions (from the old interview sheet). Have all the applicants fill out ALL the paperwork at the interview (it was 1000 times better than chasing
them for one signature).
The interview process went as follows: Welcome, Take picture, Grab file with printed web application, grab the forms, applicant
info and interview sheet, conduct interview, ask for further questions, plug an upcoming israel event if there was one, and
then walk them out.
Orientation
This was all Hanan. Although I was there to get to know the students and help out where I could, I had nothing to do with the
planning and implementation of this. I did however paln the:
Iron Chef
Students who were there for the orientation
sat at tables, and made their own pizzas with the given ingredients which were a mix of middle east and southwestern treats. We spent a long time baking these, but when the orientation was over we all dug in
to the wonderful gourmet pizzas.
Tips for the Trip
HAVE FUN!!
If the students see that you are having a great time then they will too. Play
them Israeli songs, sing at the top of your lungs, dont be afraid to act silly and dance on the beach, become friends with
the students, make funny jokes, dont be scared to try new things. Bring fun things
for the students like stickers for their name tags. We encouraged the students
to wear lots of longhorn year and have lots of school pride! Bring lots of COUGH
DROPSwe must have gone through 400 drops in two weeks. Also, the student will
get sick, and so will you. Do everything you can to stay healthy so you can take
care of others who need your tender loving care.
Follow up/related programming
Scrap Booking
We encouraged students to get doubles of
their pictures, and we invited all of them to come a make a page in the universal scrap book (on display at Hillel).
Disco Boat
My part of this whole pre-birthright thing
was the disco boat. This took place before orientation. We made this mandatory for all students who even applied to go on the trip.
This was my KSH grant and I got $2000 to put this on. It was trually a
fantastic night of dancing and partying out on Lake Travis. Here is the outline
of the night.
Disco Boat Party 11.13.03
5pm-5:30pm
·Leave Hillel with food, drinks, coolers w/ ice and decorations
(Margo and Ben)
·Meet DJ Mike C. at Boat and get him set up on upper deck
(Remember 88 decibels, 110 volts)
·Hang glitter curtain on boat entrance
·Hang two painted banners on railings
·Set up bar area
6pm-7pm
·Students arrive at Hillellook at their photos and remember names and welcome them with open arms and excitement!
·Come into lobby and make a nametag
for themselves
·Begin to Load busses (In front
of Hillel or in Parking Lot)
7pm
·Busses depart Hillel to Lake Travis-Lakefront
Boat Rentals
· Hanan and Jenna give brief welcome
(Besty, RDK and Susan in busses as well)
·Who are you name tags for game
will be stuck in students back
-Each person is one half of a famous couple
-Nametags will be placed on back of students
-They must figure out who they are
-Then they must find their partner and introduce
themselves
8pm
·Call Margo, as busses get close
·Music should be playing as students
get on boat
·Tell people to go to upper deck
for Welcome
·Turn down music and officially
Welcome Students (Jenna and Hanan)
Explain, Who are you? game
We are so excited to see everyone!!! Blah blah blah
9pm
·Turn music down and announce Iron
Chef (Jenna and Hanan)
·Have 2 sign up sheet for teams
(one current BRI and one alumni)
·Invite those who are interested
to meet in specific area
·Pass out ingredient sheet
Here is what is provided, what else do you need
·Tell them to Brainstorm ideas
10pm
·Boats dock
·Thank everyone for coming
·Pass out lets go books, reminder Iron Chef cards, other give
away
