Seminars

Throughout the Nativ year, a number of seminars are held to enhance the academic and volunteer experiences of the group. These seminars are each three to five days long and are mostly during the second semester, when the group is volunteering. Annual seminars include:

Israel Experience Week

A week of participating in an activity of your choice. The four options are an archaeological dig (run by the Office of the Antiquities), connecting to the land and people of Israel with Hashomer Hachadash, and a week-long trip to Poland (additional cost applies) and a three week-long trip to India with JDC and the Gabriel Project (additional cost applies).

Israel Today Seminar

An in-depth week of exploring different aspects of Israeli life at an intensity that the Nativers may not otherwise reach on their own. Each day Nativers choose the topic they want to explore for the day and then visit sites and meet with experts on the subject. Topics include Israeli politics, Israeli culture, Israel and the environment, the Israeli hi-tech industry, and much more.

Leadership Week

A week of leadership training both on a theoretical and practical level. This week focuses on providing the Nativ students with tools to become actively involved leaders both on the college campus, in the Conservative Movement, and beyond. Sessions are run both by the Nativ staff and outside guests.

Israel Activism Seminar

A week of Israel activism training to teach the Nativers how to be leaders on their college campuses. This week is the last of the major seminars and always leaves the Nativers feeling excited to go back to their campuses and work hard to keep the conversation about Israel legitimate and fair.

Tiyulim (Hiking Trips)

Throughout the year, Nativ goes on three tiyulim to become more familiar with the land of Israel.

Sukkot Tiyul

Over the week of Sukkot, where each track goes down to the south to the Judean Desert and hikes for three days, sleeping outside and bonding as a group.

Negev Tiyul*

A six-day tiyul through southern Israel, hiking through the areas of Ein Gedi, the Negev, and the Eilat Mountains.

Galil Tiyul*

A five-day tiyul towards the end of the program in the beautiful regions of the Galil and Golan.

*On the Negev and Galil tiyulim, different options are offered to the students both in terms of intensity of hiking, as well as experiential activities in the locations which are visited. Past activities have included desert arts workshops, kayaking, chocolate workshops, and much more.

Erev Nativ

Once a week, the whole Nativ group comes together for an evening of learning.

Each week the group explores a different topic, either through a lecture by a guest speaker or through programming organized by the Nativ staff. Most subjects are related to Israel and/or Judaism to help enrich, process, and contextualize the experience of the Nativers.

Optional Evening Programming

Throughout the first semester, Nativers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of programs that take place in the evenings.

The options range from NBL (Nativ Basketball League), a self-run league; to Café Ivrit, where the Nativers and staff go to a different coffee shop each time and speak only in Hebrew. The program varies from year to year based on the interests of the Nativers and the staff, guaranteeing a rich selection catering to everyone’s interests!

Some of our most popular options have included a capella, Heschel’s Jewish philosophy, mishmar, kipa-making club, Yoga, Zumba, Israeli movie night, JET (Jewish Educator Training), and an Israeli history course.