גרסה להדפסה

Yisraelink was established in 2001 to reconnect Chicago area Israelis to their Jewish roots, Israeli culture and community. Yisraelink has been very successful because it offers a wide array of programs and activities that emphasize Jewish Education and Israeli culture. These programs and activities foster a strong Jewish identity and sense of pride.

ASSIMILATION

Statistics show that Israelis living in the U.S. are extremely vulnerable and therefore have the highest rate of intermarriage and assimilation:

• Yisraelink serves an Israeli community of 20,000 out of greater Chicago Jewish population of 270,000
• Israelis come to the USA for a variety of reasons including military or economic hardship
• Most Israelis arriving in Chicago are secular and have never had to grapple with the issue of Jewish identity because by virtue of their living in Israel, being Jewish was a given
• When they arrive they are largely unaffiliated and isolated by language & cultural barriers - they are consequently most vulnerable to be a lost.

YISRAELINK OUTREACH INCLUDES:

MaccabimHebrew School–Maccabim Hebrew Sunday School connects public school children to their Jewish and Israeli identities. Our talented Israeli teachers used fun filled activities and advanced techniques to ensure that our children learn and connect with their Jewish heritage in Hebrew. Our mission is to fulfill the words of King Solomon – “teach each child in the manner they grasp to ensure the lessons last a lifetime”.

Daily & Weekly Classes - Classes and study groups are conducted throughout the greater Chicago area on topics such as Jewish ethics, values, philosophy and classical texts. More than 10 classes are conducted weekly with over 100 participants!

Monthly Guest Lectures and Workshops - Experts from different fields and lecturers from both Israel and the U.S. conduct programs and workshops in fields that will appeal to the Greater Community such as Jewish values, family relationships and Jewish philosophy. (Between 80-200 participants)  

Family Holiday Events - From Rosh Hashana to Shavuot, all Jewish holidays are celebrated with Sukkahs, feasts, Lag Ba’omer bonfires and the like, YisraeLink opens its doors to the many Israelis throughout Chicagoland who wish to celebrate Jewish holidays in an Israeli atmosphere!

Educational Weekend - In the atmosphere of a holiday resort, YisraeLink conducts intensive weekends for approximately 250 individuals to celebrate Shabbat together and attend lectures about  Jewish values, family and marital relationships, and spirituality by world renowned speakers in both Hebrew and English to accommodate non-Hebrew speaking spouses. Children’s and teen programming are also offered. This is a very popular program as participants always leave reenergized and recharged!

Shabbat Programs - Yisraelink invites all Israelis who are unaffiliated with any synagogue to participate in our uniquely Israeli Shabbat services, meals atmosphere!

“J-Touch” - Teens meet weekly in a fun atmosphere to develop their Jewish leadership skills while strengthening their Jewish identity, spirituality and love for Israel!

[email protected] - An internet service offering networking and classifieds for job seekers, items for sale, and the like!

Singles Events – Gather Israeli singles together for educational lectures, Shabbatonim and events.

Hebrew Library - A plentiful supply of books, audio tapes, DVDs,  CDs, board and computer games are available in a wide range of subjects for  all ages and stages!

Community Services - YisraeLink assists in various community needs such as job placement, small loans and grants, care packages and food collection for the needy, visits to the ill and support to their families, referrals for family counseling, and help in acclimating to the governmental requirement and different customs of life in the United States.

Yisraelink’s outreach efforts have been tremendous successful in bringing Chicagoland Israelis closer to Judaism and the Jewish community. Our results over the last two years include:

• More than 800 individuals attend Yisraelink programs and events at least once a year.
• Over 100 individuals now attend weekly Jewish classes
• 40 new Israelis now attend regular Shabbat programs
• 15 Children joined a Jewish program thru the summer
• 16 formerly public school Israeli children have been enrolled in Jewish day schools.
• 18 new children have enrolled in Yisraelink’s Sunday school over the past year
• 70 individuals committed to observing at least one extra Jewish deeds.