Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY) and USY High
Begin 2011 Semester of Study in Israel

by Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, National Ramah Director, February 2011

I am thrilled to report that 44 enthusiastic students just began a semester of study in Israel at TRY and USY High, programs of the Ramah Jerusalem High School. The feeling at Newark Airport Sunday night was electric, as tearful parents said goodbye to their 10th, 11th, or 12th graders who would be spending the next 2 (USY High) or 4 (TRY) months studying in Israel, learning to love Israel in new ways, and experiencing incredible personal growth by being abroad, independent of parents, and making new friends.

Among the 44 participants, 23 are from our Ramah camps (Berkshires-2, California-2, Canada-5, Darom-1, New England-6, Poconos-6, Wisconsin-1). There are 21 USYers overall, and in total, 14 are both USYers and Ramah campers. As is generally the case, most of the participants (34) are in 10th grade. We also have nine 11th graders and one 12th grader.

Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), the Ramah Jerusalem High School at the Ramah campus in Jerusalem, currently offers 10th-12th grade students a four-month second-semester program each spring. USY High (11th and 12th graders) provides students the opportunity to participate in two months of the Jerusalem High School experience, and then return to finish their semesters at their home schools. TRY/USY High is a fully accredited academic program, providing all students with a continuation of their required courses of instruction in all subjects, as well as an outstanding program in Israeli and Jewish history, all within a Ramah setting of joyful Conservative Jewish living.

Ramah’s High School Division, under the direction of Daniel Laufer, provides Ramah campers as well as students outside the Ramah camping system with a program during which they spend time touring throughout Israel, and become more deeply committed to Israel and Zionism. Hundreds of students over the past few years have been positively influenced by this program.

TRY/USY High is open to students from day schools and public schools. All academic arrangements are made through our New York office, and students are even able to continue their elective or non-core courses, as Ramah arranges for tutors in most foreign languages, arts courses, and many other disciplines as needed. AP courses are offered for those who are taking them first semester at home, and SAT and other standardized testing preparation is available, as well as the administration of the actual standardized tests.

Students live in the safe, gated community at the Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem, the home of the Ramah Summer Seminar for the past five decades. Socially, academically, and religiously, students grow in meaningful ways unimaginable prior to the experience.

In addition to these benefits, college admissions officers have remarked that a semester-abroad during high school is an impressive experience demonstrating independence and initiative.

If you would like to learn more about our TRY Program, or begin the application process for 2012, please visit our website or contact Judy Greene, our NY-based Coordinator of Israel Programs, at 212-678-8883. Scholarship assistance is available.

We look forward to a wonderful semester for our 44 participants in 2011.