Rabbis and educators accompanied thousands of young adults, professionals, college students and JWRP participants throughout the Land of Israel this summer. These trips expose your students to many inspiring classes and scenes, and by extension, can help you in continuing to help them strengthen their commitment to Judaism.
Indeed, there are some students who opt to stay in Eretz Yisrael after the trip and continue learning in a local yeshiva or seminary. However, the vast majority of the participants on these sorts of trips return to their homes, colleges and careers.
Below, are five great methods to help you follow up with all those who do not opt to stay in Eretz Yisrael after the trip.
1. Learning – Steer them towards some great Jewish Apps – encourage your participants to download one of the free or low-cost apps that will help them stay connected on a daily basis. (If you don’t know what to suggest, start here: http://amazingjewishapps.com)
2. Mezuza – Give them a class on mezuza and then encourage and facilitate the purchase of a kosher klaf and an inexpensive transparent box to put on their bedroom doorway.
3. Shabbos – Most dorms don’t allow burning candles. But they can make the bracha on incandescent lamps. Teach them this and facilitate their buying a pair of electric Shabbos candles to use beginning the very first Shabbos back in the US.
4. Facebook – Create a special invitation-only facebook page for each group to continue to intereact with each other and you. On Sunday, post a Jewish-question-of-the-week. On Friday, ask who is planning to light their electric Shabbos candles tonight, etc.
5. Music – Help them connect daily with Jewish music and nigunim: tell them about http://www.shirhalev.com
I hope you find these suggestions helpful! Feel free to share with all of us any additional suggestions you have in the comment section below.