סמינר רמה בישראל תשע”ז Ramah Israel Seminar 2017 Handbook For Seminar participants and their Parents 2 CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. PREPARATION TIMELINE 4 III. PRE-DEPARTURE 5 A. Passport Instructions 6 B. Immunizations 7 C. International Flights and Airport Procedures 8 D. Luggage 8 E. Travel Insurance 9 F. Clothing & Equipment 10 Recommended Packing List 10 G. Laundry 13 H. Spending Money and Currency Exchange 14 I. Conference Call 15 J. High School Credit IV. SEMINAR PROGRAM 15 A. Kvutzot (Bus Groups) & Bus Request Forms 15 B. Host Shabbat 16 C. ETGAR 17 D. Communications: Mail, Fedex, Fax and Email 18 V. STANDARDS AND RULES 21 A. Medical Form and Information 21 B. Medical Care & Health Insurance 22 C. No Smoking Policy 22 D. Security 22 E. Statement on Standards and Procedures 23 F. Termination of Participation 24 G. Emergency Scenarios 24 VI. BACKGROUND: Life in Ramah Seminar . 25 A. Staff and Organizational Structure 25 B. Room Assignments 26 C. Itinerary / Educational Program 26 D. Religious Atmosphere and Practices 27 E. The Hebrew Challenge. 28 F. The Journey to the Negev Desert. 28 G. FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Seminar 29 H. Preparation: Intellectual and Personal 33 I. Suggested Reading List 35 J. Ramah Israel: The Whole Picture 37 RAMAH POLAND SEMINAR 2017 - INFORMATION and GUIDELINES 37 3 I. INTRODUCTION As Director of the Ramah Israel Seminar, I take pleasure in sending you the Ramah Israel Seminar Handbook. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find all of the information you will need between now and your arrival in Israel. Therefore, we have created the: All-you-ever-needed-and-wanted-to-know-about Ramah Israel Seminar The Handbook will guide you through the pre-Seminar preparation period and will serve as a resource for your parents/guardians throughout the summer. Our hope is that the Handbook will give you a sense of what to expect from the Seminar program - and from yourself – throughout the summer. Although we will usually address the Seminar participant, all of the information should be read and referred to by parents or guardians as well. How to use this Handbook: We organized the material in your Handbook under two main categories: “Procedures” – This includes all of the information requiring forms or payment to be sent or submitted by various deadlines. All forms are available on our website and can be accessed through the Seminar Home Page at http://seminar.ramah.org.il . “Background” – This category includes descriptions of the Seminar program and how it fits into the Ramah experience, along with suggestions of how you can prepare yourself mentally and practically for the summer in Israel. We suggest reading this section carefully as the summer approaches. To begin with, we highly recommend that you and your parents/guardians skim through the entire Handbook in order to familiarize yourself with its contents. Relevant material can then be read or re-read as you prepare for Seminar. We are very excited about our specialized tracks: Seminar Shvilim, Yedidim and Hi-Tech. These programs are great options for anyone interested in a specialized experience. The information found in this handbook is relevant for all Seminar participants. We look forward to a wonderful summer! Hold on to this Handbook!!!! It will be your Seminar guide until August 7th! להתראות בארץ! Rabbi Ed Snitkoff Director Ramah Israel Seminar 4 II. PREPARATION TIMELINE The following is the application schedule. All forms are available on line. Please use this Timeline as your personal form and payment checklist (the last column is provided for you to check-off the items you have completed). APPLICATION PROCESS PROCEDURES DATE DUE DONE ! AND FORMS Seminar Application Poland Seminar Application PART 1 & PART 2 (For Poland applicants only) Online Application, Seminar/Poland Authorization Form Priority deadline Photo, Forms and Deposit of $1000. for application Jewish Education Form and deposit is Deposit January 15 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION February 10 Full Tuition Payment Due April 1 Overseas Flight Confirmation March 15 Form Domestic Flight Plans Form April 15 PART 3 Medical Form March 31 Send by mail or upload Forms and Information Hebrew Questionnaire March 31 Available On-line Send by mail or upload Independent Study Program April 15 Assignments Due (if applicable) Send by email Bus-Group/ Kvutza Request Form March 31 ETGAR Registration Form March 31 Passport Information Form March 31 Host Shabbat-Visitation Form June 15 High School Credit Form May 31 (optional) (to be printed out & mailed) Payoneer Expense Card and Phone Sign up by Rental Information (optional) June 15 Airport Procedures PART 4 Kvutza (bus-group) Assignment Information Available in Kvutza Itinerary Poland Itinerary and kvutza June assignment Baggage Tags Last Minute Announcements 5 Cancellation Fees: Cancellations received before March 31, 2017 $400 (USD) Cancellations received between April 1st and April 30th $700 (USD) Cancellations received between May 1st and May 31st $1200 (USD) Cancellations received after June 1st No Refund . It is recommended that you purchase a trip cancellation policy to cover any possible financial loss should you have to withdraw from the trip. Preparatory Assignments for Poland trip: st First assignment due January 31 Your application will not be acted upon until this assignment is received. th Second assignment due March 15 th Optional third assignment due April 15 Scholarship Information Visit our website at http://seminar.ramah.org.il/tuition-scholarships/ III. PRE-DEPARTURE A. Passport Instructions PLEASE APPLY FOR YOUR PASSPORT IMMEDIATELY. Obtaining a passport can take weeks, sometimes months. When you receive your passport, please place a piece of white tape across the bottom of the outside front cover and print your name upside down. (While this request may sound unusual, it facilitates a safer and smoother handling of this vital document in Israel.) Complete the Passport Information form (online) by March 31, 2017. IMPORTANT NOTE: U.S. Passports must expire no earlier than six months after the Seminar program ends. U.S. CITIZENS Application forms for passports may be obtained at any county clerk's office, as well as at some post offices. Be sure to have with you the following: 1. Your birth or naturalization certificate for proof of citizenship. If you have had an American passport before, neither of these documents are needed. Just bring your old passport. Birth certificates must bear the seal and signature of the registrar of birth. The expiration date on the US passport must be at least 6 months after the return date. 2. Two recent, identical passport-size photographs, 2" square, full face on a light, plain background. Snapshots and vending machine pictures are not acceptable. 3. Proper identification, such as a laminated school identification card with picture and signature. (The clerk will sometimes ask for parental verification.) This is not necessary if you have had an American passport with an identifiable photo before. 4. There is a fee for applying for a passport; fees may vary slightly from office to office. 6 CANADIAN CITIZENS Canadian citizens should apply for their passports with the Canadian authorities. Be sure to bring your valid passport with you to the air terminal on the day of departure. CITIZENS OTHER THAN U.S. OR CANADIAN Please contact us regarding re-entry permits and transit visas. IF YOU WERE BORN IN ISRAEL Regardless of what citizenship you currently hold, if you were born in Israel (or at least one parent has Israeli citizenship even as an immigrant), contact the local Israeli Consulate and/or shaliah aliyah to determine what procedures you need to follow before leaving for Israel. PASSPORTS MUST BE BROUGHT WITH YOU TO THE AIRPORT ON THE DAY OF DEPARTURE. U.S. Government regulations prohibit anyone from leaving the country without a valid passport in his/her possession. Remember not to leave anything on the plane, including ticket stubs, baggage checks, etc. It has happened in the past that, inadvertently, the return domestic ticket has been discarded. This led to complications in the return flight. Participants should give all tickets and travel documents, including their passports, to the Seminar staff upon arrival in Israel. We highly recommend that you make two photocopies of the inside cover/first page of the passport (including your picture and passport number), in addition to uploading a copy of the passport to your application. Keep one at home and bring one with you to Israel, kept separately from your passport when you travel to and from Israel. Ramah staff will keep this copy in the safe with your passport until the return flight. In case of loss, many border crossings/ airports will recognize a passport copy as legitimate proof of citizenship, and it will usually be possible to re-issue the passport from a copy. B. Immunizations All information concerning immunizations can be found on the Medical Form. Please be certain that all of your immunizations are up to date. National Ramah Commission policy states that in addition to all state required immunizations, all Seminar participants must receive vaccinations for Meningitis and Hepatitis A. There may be other vaccinations added to the list of required vaccinations over the months preceding the program. You will be informed. Participants who have not completed the REQUIRED vaccinations will not be permitted to attend the program. 7 C. International Flights and Airport Procedures 1. FLIGHT SCHEDULE and AIRPORT PROCEDURES Participants in the Poland Seminar will be flying from: JFK (NY), LAX (LA), YYZ (Toronto) or ORD-Ohare (Chicago), to Warsaw on Sunday, June 18, 2017. They arrive in Israel on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 , and will return to North America on Sunday, August 6, via Europe.