Livnot U'Lehibanot

Established in 1980, [http://livnot.com/ Livnot U'Lehibanot] is an unaffiliated, educational and volunteer organization with campuses in Jerusalem and Tsfat in Israel.

The name Livnot U'Lehibanot, which in Hebrew means To Build and To Be Built, refers to the physical contribution the participants make to the building of the Land of Israel, and to the knowledge and experiences gained during the programs it offers [Sirena Rubinoff. "NY Blueprint" (April 29, 2007). [http://nyblueprint.com//Articles/view.aspx?id=286 'My Galilee Fellowship Experience: Building and Being Built in Israel'] .] .

Volunteers at Livnot, as it is often referred to, were responsible for many Western Wall tunnel excavations, aiding in the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants [Batsheva Pomerantz. "Jerusalem Post" (July 27, 2006). [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1153292010880 'Making a meaningful connection'] .] as well as helping to repair damage caused to the cities of Tzfat, Kiryat Shemona, Karmiel and Hazor in the North of Israel by Katyusha fire during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006 [Gabi Nachmani. "Jerusalem Post" (August 6, 2006). [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1154525812554&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 'Don't put socks in the packages...one of the soldiers lost a leg'] .] .

Program participants are mostly North American Jews between the ages of 21 and 35 who come on programs of various lengths with an emphasis on hiking and learning. While much of the learning is spiritual in nature, Livnot is non-denominational in its practice of Judaism. Livnot also runs free 14-day trips to Israel through Taglit-birthright israel.

Educational philosophy

Livnot is a non-denominational, unaffiliated, educational non-profit with programs open to Jews over the age of 21 who have little or no formal Jewish background. Livnot programs typically combine community service projects and hiking with educational seminars on various Jewish topics. All the educational components of the Livnot program are forum-based and encourage questions and dialog. The community service, hiking and non-coercive spirituality components are an integral part of the program's educational mission.

Other Livnot programs

Livnot U'Lehibanot offers a Taglit-birthright Israel trip, a heavily subsidized Galilee Fellowship trip [Sirena Rubinoff. "New York Blueprint" (April 29, 2007). [http://nyblueprint.com/Articles/view.aspx?id=286 'My Galilee Fellowship Experience: Building and Being Built in Israel'] .] , MASA 5 month Israel trip, two and three week trips, and a 30somethings program.

Notable alumni

*Jeremy Cowan, Founder of [http://www.shmaltz.com/ the Shmaltz Brewing Company] , makers of HE'BREW - The Chosen Beer.
*Michelle Citrin, the [http://www.roshhashanahgirl.com/ Rosh Hashanah Girl] .
*Faydra Shapiro, 2006 Jewish Book of the Year Award Winner (Education and Jewish Identity category), [http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=2003 "Building Jewish Roots"] , written about the Livnot Israel program.
*Miriam Eljas, owner and publisher of [http://nyblueprint.com/ NYBlueprint] , the leading online magazine and events directory for the Jewish community of New York.
*Eve Lyons, a published writer of poetry and fiction, also maintains a website collecting stories, memories, and photos of [http://dubrows.blogspot.com Dubrow's Cafeteria] , her great grandfather's restaurant.

References

External links

* [http://livnot.com/ Official website of Livnot U'Lehibanot]
* [http://www.jewishservice.org/vol_listing.html?catID=7&vid=751 Jewish Coalition for Service: Livnot]
* [http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/Programs/Livnot+U+Lehibanot.htm MASA Israel Journey: Livnot]
* [http://www.ujafedny.org/site/c.ggLUI0OzGpF/b.2609631/k.5F1F/Pesach_in_Kiryat_Shmona.htm Pesach in Kiryat Shmona]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll1Hgw_RWPM YouTube: Getting to Know the Neighbors]