Summer 2007

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom

Albert Einstein

important communication:

innovationisrael will be back in the summer of 2009

See you then!!!!

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last summer at innovationisrael

During the intense and challenging month the group of American and French students spent together, they formed some of the closest, warmest friendships they have ever experienced. The program had extraordinary variety, both during a given day and throughout the month.

At the start we spent three days in the Northern Galilee, hiking, river wading, and doing outdoor fun activities like kayaking, rope park, and zip lines. We then settled at the Kfar Hayarok, a mere ten minutes from Tel Aviv University (TAU), for a two week period, with morning classes at TAU. The students loved the teachers and the lectures, and their classmates were English speaking Israelis. In the afternoons, we went around to visits and workshops. We covered creativity in what could be called the business side, where an idea is implemented in a factory or company, sometimes a big one (like Kodak) and sometimes a startup with only a few people. On the bus we discussed their different corporate cultures, the science behind what they did, and what we thought of their plans. We visited academic research labs, both at Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute and learned about the fascinating things they do as well as observed their work environments. We traveled to an artists’ village and visited studios, where the kids did outdoor painting and pottery. Everyone enjoyed that! In Tel Aviv we visited the studios of a sculptor and a painter and asked them about their work. We visited the Cameri theater backstage, guided by an artist. On another day we did a photography workshop on the streets of Tel Aviv. We had beach time in Hertzliya with a barbecue at sunset, after a swim and several games of Frisbee. We were also at the Mediterranean shore in Tel Aviv and Caesarea. We had a memorable outing to a Maiumana-David Broza show in Yaffo. We shopped in the Tel Aviv ‘shuk’, did a fantastic treasure hunt in town, and visited Yaffo on a fascinating historic tour complete with dressed up acting. We had a number of other trips, like the blind persons’ museum and the Palmach museum at the Ayalon institute. We also did community help hours.

We travelled for two weeks, and discovered amazing biotechs, bio-medical devices and environmental companies, research labs, and facilities, and met with the people that created them. We inspected the Israel water pumping and carrier system and saw electricity plants fueled by waste, wind, and sunlight. At every stop, we had a researcher or manager guide us. Every day entailed a discovery of a new idea as well as the meeting of a creative person. In addition, every day had a good amount of relaxing fun, a water or nature activity, or a city outing.

We covered Middle East politics and history through a succession of experiences, staged at different venues with several lecturers. We did a workshop at the Diaspora Museum, and at Rabin Square; we surveyed public opinion, and learned for a whole weekend with a political scientist from the Interdisciplinary School in Hertzlya.

In Jerusalem, we spent time at Yad Vashem and followed up our museum visit with a workshop lead by a prominent Holocaust educator. We also studied Torah in Jerusalem with a unique teacher. We had many inspiring educators that gave the students the opportunity to explore and discover.

Our tour itinerary took us to the northern coast, with time in Haifa and Acco, then to the Kineret and the Golan, and then back through the Galilee to Caesarea. We showed the kids the different landscapes, talked about the wars in Israel's history, and about agriculture and fish pools, bird migrations and the varieties of trees in the Galilee. We spent time with the Druse and learned about their religion. We visited and learned about the kibbutz and its development as well as new forms of pioneering, with biotech startups in the Jordan Valley and in Tzipori. After a long weekend in Jerusalem, we headed south, stopping at Intel for a memorable visit. At Ben Gurion University (BGU) in Beer Sheva we visited several remarkable laboratories. We looked at nanotechnology and satellite technology, as well as the making of a race car by engineering students. Later that afternoon we rode on camels and experienced Beduoin music and hospitality.

At four o’clock in the morning we headed towards the Metzada. By 8:00 we were having breakfast at the bottom of the mountain.  We spent time at the Dead Sea and Ein Gedi, hiking and splashing in the waterfalls. We saw Mitzpeh Ramon and Sde Boker, including the cutting edge desert research at BGU. We spent a day at Nitzana, on the border with Egypt. There we were guided by 19 year old Uria, a pre-army Israeli with tremendous presence and warmth.We did archaeology at a dig the next day, and before we had realized it, we were sitting at a Tel Aviv restaurant saying good bye.

At this point, many of the kids have already visited each other, and email, messaging, and facebook, all seem to be helping with the separation, plus, of course, how busy they all are.

Thanks to the parents of innovationisrael ’07 kids for your support!

"I'm finaly back in Paris. I really miss the ambiance, the bus, the group...even the lectures! I really want to thank you. I spent an unforgettable summer!! Hope to see you some day in Paris, Boston or in Israel."

TS, student

"The summer is over, we're back home and school starts in a few days. T had a fantastic experience during the program this summer. She found it very interesting (courses and visits), in a warm, good atmosphere. She is very happy to have new good friends and hopes to keep in touch and see them soon in France, Israel or USA. The idea and organization were great."

OS, parent

"I think we chose the best trip for E. It was the perfect setting for engaging in Israel and friendship without the social and logistic issues of moving 300 people. Though we have heard very little about each of the days she spent, we can tell she grew in so many ways. InnovationIsrael is a unique opportunity - a brilliant and modern journey!"

JS, parent

"J has been talking about his experiences in Israel non-stop. The program was fantastic for him. He has already heard from several of the other participants and planned a trip back to Boston and one to Chicago. He was sobered by learning about the Holocaust and excited about the technology innovations (even gave us a stock tip!) he learned about. Thank you again for providing such a wonderful educational opportunity for our son."

L and T, parents

"I just wanted to tell you how grateful I feel for finding your program. It was the best way I could have spent my summer, and I wish it could have gone on for another month. Any program I ever do will me measured against the high bar you set with innovationisrael. I took more away from the experience than I could have expected, most notably some very, very good friends. Something about the cohesion of this group allowed me to connect with other people more quickly and deeply than I've ever been able to before. Even though the kids themselves were a huge part of it, it couldn't have happened without you providing the forum, the atmosphere and the activites that allowed those friendships to be made. Thank you so much for the intellectual and social stimulation that made this summer so memorable."

AF, student

"I just wanted to thank you for providing A with such a memorable experience on so many levels. After about 16 hours of sleep, he has shared so many stories of places, lectures, and mostly the wonderful friendships he made during the month. He felt safe at all times and experienced adventure almost every day. I hope this is a program that you will have the energy to continue for many years to come."

RF, parent

"I was fortunate to meet and speak with the Innovation group that visited Kibbutz Kfar Blum July 7. Now that I have time to write a note, I would like you to know how impressed I was by this group of high school people. The young people showed a great interest in Kibbutz Kfar Blum and I was impressed by their energy and their willingness to walk around the kibbutz with me..and by their intelligent questions. I do believe organizations like "InnovativeIsrael" are tremendously important to the country and its people."

Dr. Judith B. Criden, member Kibbutz Kfar Blum

"Thank you again for realization of your project which was very fruitful for E. "

DS, parent

"My experience in Israel was really the most phenomenal time of my life. Even now, there are moments in my day when I have flashes of Israel, and I just think back to how amazing everything, and everyone really was. Also, now that everyone is back to their lives, with getting in school-mode, and even looking into and applying to colleges (I can't believe I'm applying to college either, time flies soo fast!) I know that we each look forward to our emails, or letters, and just catching up with each other....and there's stil that warm, close feeling with everyone. I love knowing that there are genuine friends in my life, all from this trip."

GC, student