September 3, 2020 – New York, NY: A group of 100 American high school and college gap semester students have embarked on a life-changing journey to connect with their Jewish roots and further their education at Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel (High School in Israel) and Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE-JNF) respectively. The students arrived in Israel on September 2nd and have begun their mandatory two-week quarantine, per Israel’s strict COVID-19 protocols. The students will undertake their studies online during this period.
In preparation for the students’ arrival, High School in Israel and AMIIE-JNF worked with Israel’s Health and Education Ministries to ensure that health and safety protocols on campus met and exceed the highest standards.
Students hold an impromptu picnic
"JNF-USA’s High School in Israel made a strategic decision to move forward despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus,” said Chief Institutional Advancement Officer, Rabbi Leor Sinai. “So long as there is an opportunity to bring our youth to Israel we will – and we are. To see the faces of our students at Ben Gurion Airport was a dream come true! Education is the greatest cause of our time!"
Students at High School in Israel participate in an innovative academic adventure unlike any other, where Israel is transformed into a living classroom. At a time when many teachers, students, and parents across the U.S are navigating an unconventional Fall semester in virtual classrooms, a growing number of students are thinking outside the box, and screen, turning a global pandemic into an invaluable learning opportunity through High School in Israel and AMIEE-JNF.
Students relax before classes begin
“AMHSI is so thrilled to welcome 100 high school and college-aged students to campus and to Israel this fall,” said Dr. Mark Shinar, head of school. “We don’t take their participation for granted, especially in this COVID-19 reality. On every level, our successful opening is a result of tremendous hard work and deep partnership between students, their parents, and the school, and it is with that partnership in mind that we look forward to giving our students a remarkable formal and experiential experience that will, no doubt, foster within them a commitment to lifelong Jewish learning and leadership.”
For more information about JNF-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel or Frontier Israel, contact Greg Litcofsky, Executive Director of Recruitment and Partnerships for AMHSI-JNF, at glitcofsky@amhsi.org or 212.879.9305 x250.
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About Alexander Muss High School in Israel
For over 45 years, AMHSI-JNF has led the field in providing amazing and transformative Israel study abroad experiences for international high school students. AMHSI-JNF instills in its students a lifelong sense of pride in their Jewish heritage by developing deep-rooted connections to Jewish life, the Jewish people, and to Israel, and helps prepares our students for academic and independent life in college and beyond. And now, The Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE-JNF) is welcoming students to its inaugural gap semester program: Frontier Israel. This program will provide students with a robust service learning and volunteering experience, while at the same time allowing students to forge significant relationships with the people and communities in which they are embedded.
About Jewish National Fund-USA
JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure for ecology, special needs, and heritage preservation.