Israeli Society at a Time of War

Summer Program July 7-18, 2024
  • Experience the reality behind the headlines
  • Learn by direct encounter with Israelis from all communities: Jews and Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and Druze, and many others.
  • Israeli students from many different backgrounds will be your guides as you tour different communities
  • See how Israelis with different affinities have responded to the events of the past year
  • Consider how Israelis of different backgrounds navigate the future

This is a for-credit course in the Martin (Szusz) Land of Israel Studies department, run by Profs. Kobi Cohen-Hattab and Shawn Zelig Aster, in collaboration with Visiting Scholar Prof. Csaba Nikolenyi of Concordia University (Montreal, Canada). Students will prepare background reading, participate in the touring, and prepare presentations to earn academic credit. The course will explore how Israeli society reacted to these watershed events, looking at continuity and at changes.

Students who participated in the 2023 Concordia program said:

“Truly life changing opportunity, I’m so glad I got to meet and learn from such a diverse range of scholars, politicians, and places!”

“This was amazing! I recommend it highly to anyone who seeks to better understand this part of the world. You won’t regret it. You will look back upon your experience with fond, powerful, and profound memories and insights.”

“This program was the perfect opportunity for a hands on experience to comprehend the complexities of the Israeli identity and the various challenges faced in the country”

And here is a fuller report on last year’s program: 

For questions not answered on this website, Concordia University students should contact Corey Newman at [email protected]. Students from other universities should contact Prof. Shawn Zelig Aster, at [email protected]

Concordia 2023 group at the Beduin town of Rehmeh in the Negev

Click here to fill out the registration form

Apply for the program in two easy steps:

  1. Apply by providing a transcript and short essay  Acceptance letters will be issued within three weeks.
  2. We will contact you to arrange payment of the program fee. Concordia students can apply for scholarships from the Azrieli Institute to cover the program fee.

Application deadline: May 1, 2024.

We strongly encourage early applications, as places will fill up, and scholarships will be awarded primarily to students who apply early.

Scan for more info:

The program fee is 5200$ Canadian, or  3830$ USD. This includes tuition, all transportation, medical insurance, entrance fees to sites, Israeli SIM card, and lunches while on tours

Application deadline: May 1, 2024. We strongly encourage early applications, as places will fill up, and scholarships will be awarded primarily to students who apply early.

Students will prepare background reading, participate in the touring, and prepare presentations to earn academic credit.

This is a Bar-Ilan University course. Students who successfully complete the required coursework, including presentations, participating in the touring, and writing requirements will receive a Bar-Ilan University transcript indicating the relevant course credits. This transcript can be presented for transfer credit at accredited universities in Canada and the US

Academic credit

 

The summer program will take place during the following dates: July 7-18, 2024

  • Guided touring of Israel by Bar-Ilan University students of the Land of Israel Studies department, for university students from Canada and other English-speaking countries
  • Nine day trips to sites as diverse as Daliyat El-Karmel and Massada, Jerusalem and Yeruham
  • Understanding Israeli society through direct person-to-person encounters with Israel’s diversity
  • Encountering all aspects of Israeli society:
    • Ethnic groups: Jewish and Palestinian Arab
    • Religions: Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Baha’i
    • Diverse Communities including Ethiopian, Moroccan, Haredi, Beduin
  • Exploring how Israeli identities integrate history with present-day reality

 

  1. An orientation zoom will be held in the week of June 17, 2024
  2. Students arrive at Bar-Ilan University International School on July 7 2024, for an introductory class
  3. July 8: Morning class followed by tours of Jaffa and Tel Aviv, exploring tensions and changes.
  4. July 9-12: Tours of Jerusalem’s Old City’s Christian and Jewish quarters, of the Israeli President’s Residence and Israel’s Culture of Memory
  5. July 14-15: Encounters with the Ethiopian Jewish community in Kiryat Gat, and the Beduin Arab community of Rehmeh, the kibbutzim on the Gaza border, and the complexity of life in Sederot, Sedeh Boker and Massada
  6. July 16-17: the Baha’i Gardens and community in Haifa, the Ahmadiya Mosque in Haifa and the Druze community in Daliyat El-Karmel
  7. July 18: Concluding class at Bar-Ilan University

Q&A

Who covers my airfare?

Students are responsible for their own airfare. Quebec government bursaries may help cover airfare and other expenses, for students at Quebec universities.

When does the program begin?

You should arrange to arrive in Israel by the afternoon of July 7, 2024. We will arrange a meeting-point at Ben-Gurion Airport (TLV), Israel’s main airport, at 1pm on July 7, and we will hold our introductory meeting at Bar Ilan University, Building 410, room 225 at 2pm on July 7, 2024.

When does the program end?

The program ends with a concluding meeting at Bar-Ilan University on Friday morning, July 19. Students are welcome to extend their stay in Israel further, at their own expense.

Who covers my expenses while on the program?

Program fees include:

Dormitory at Bar-Ilan University and lodging while on the program, between July 7 and July 19

Meals while touring (but not meals at Bar-Ilan University. There are many supermarkets and inexpensive cafeterias at Bar-Ilan University).

A SIM card, loaded for use while on the program

Medical Insurance while on the program (required for all students, even for those who have their own medical insurance)

Transport while on the program and entrance fees to all sites

Do I need a visa to visit Israel?

Holders of Canadian or American passports do not need visas. Nevertheless, any student accepted to the program will receive a letter indicating their acceptance, which they can present to border officials upon entry into Israel.

Will my university recognize Bar-Ilan University credits?

Bar-Ilan is internationally recognized as a research university. Students who successfully complete course requirements will receive a transcript indicating that they completed the course, and will be able to bring this transcript to their home university for transfer credit.

For questions not answered on this website

For questions not answered on this website, Concordia University students should contact Corey Newman at [email protected] or [email protected]

Students from other universities should contact Prof. Shawn Zelig Aster, at [email protected]

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