THE JEWISH POST
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THE JEWISH POST & NEWS, Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Community news
Jewish agency pays tuition, boarding and flight from New York
By RHONDA SPIVAK
Local Grade 9 Gray Academy student Jonathon Peters will be going to study in Israel for three years in the Elite Academy Program next September.
In the Elite Academy, classes are taught in English in Grade 10, with intensive Hebrew language studies leading to instruction in Hebrew for all subjects in grades 11 and 12.
North American students have their choice of a secular co-ed, boys’ regular orthodox, girls’ regular orthodox, or girls’ Chabad Lubavitch orthodox schools. All schools are fully-subsidized boarding schools.
Ken Peters, Jonathon’s father says he first heard about this program from “the Jewish Agency emissary from Toronto, Liane Sela, who visited here two years ago”.
Jonathon’s twin sisters Ilana and Rachel have already been living in Israel for almost two years, and he is looking forward to re-uniting with them.
“Jonathon will be studying in an Elite Academy affiliated school in Hod Hasharon, a small beautiful lush town north of Tel-Aviv”, says Ken.
In order to be accepted to the program Ken says “The student must demonstrate academic achievement, emotional maturity, leadership capabilities, a desire to study in Israel and the ability to live away from family during his or her studies”.
He adds, “There is no requirement to make aliyah, or for the student to do army service after Grade 12 graduation”.
On May 20, Abe Reichman, the Israeli director of the Elite Academy will be in Winnipeg to recruit students for this three year high school program in Israel, which is a joint program of the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government.
This year 60 North American high school students participated in the Elite Academy Program. Since 1992, more than 15,000 high school students from Europe, South America and South Africa have been enrolled in it.
The program has affiliated boarding schools, yeshivot or kibbutz regional high schools, and offers students the ability to live in Israel like an Israeli, immersed in Hebrew language, Israeli culture and customs.
Jonathon Peters says what he is most looking forward to about the program is “being in Israel itself”. The only kids he knows in the program are “the kids I first met at the interviews in New York in March”.
According to Ken Peters, students in the Elite Academy Program span all levels of observance and academic interests. Some are quite familiar with Israel having made several trips there; for others, Elite Academy will mark their initial entry.
Upon acceptance to the program, a school that matches the academic, social and religious needs of the student is chosen under the guidance of their parents and Elite Academy staff. Special curriculums are devised for students who have exemplary talent in mathematics, physics and computers. All Elite students take part in field trips, extracurricular activities and seminars with their Israeli peers.
Each Elite student is paired with a host family who provides home-away-from-home hospitality during Sabbath and school holidays. Whenever possible, the families are veteran immigrants from English-speaking countries.
Ken Peters explains that once a student is enrolled in the Elite Academy Program, the Jewish Agency pays a lot of the costs. “The Agency pays tuition, the student’s airfare from New York at the beginning of the three year program and back at the end of Grade 12, boarding in the school dormitories, food, as well as medical, drug and emergency dental insurance”.
“Once a student graduates from their chosen school, they will receive an Israeli Matriculation (Bagrut) that is recognized by the top universities and colleges worldwide”, Ken Peters says.
Aside from the Elite Academy, North American students who want to study in English can consider the American School in Netanya. “The tuition is about $25,000 USD and there is no boarding. It has an American curriculum and you do not write Israeli matriculation exams”.
Ken says an advantage of the Elite Academy program is that it offers “a Zionist education, integration into the Israeli curriculum, the bagrut (the Israeli matriculation certificate), and a dedicated staff of teachers and counselors intent on ensuring the welfare of the students. The ratio of students to teachers/counselors is amazingly low, which is very beneficial to the students”.
For more information contact ken.p.peters@gmail.com (preferred method) or phone Ken at 489-0715 or elite Academy Program, call toll-free 1-866-835-0430 or visit www.elite-academy.org.
Community news
Three Year High School Scholarships in Israel
Jewish agency pays tuition, boarding and flight from New York
By RHONDA SPIVAK
Local Grade 9 Gray Academy student Jonathon Peters will be going to study in Israel for three years in the Elite Academy Program next September.
In the Elite Academy, classes are taught in English in Grade 10, with intensive Hebrew language studies leading to instruction in Hebrew for all subjects in grades 11 and 12.
North American students have their choice of a secular co-ed, boys’ regular orthodox, girls’ regular orthodox, or girls’ Chabad Lubavitch orthodox schools. All schools are fully-subsidized boarding schools.
Ken Peters, Jonathon’s father says he first heard about this program from “the Jewish Agency emissary from Toronto, Liane Sela, who visited here two years ago”.
Jonathon’s twin sisters Ilana and Rachel have already been living in Israel for almost two years, and he is looking forward to re-uniting with them.
“Jonathon will be studying in an Elite Academy affiliated school in Hod Hasharon, a small beautiful lush town north of Tel-Aviv”, says Ken.
In order to be accepted to the program Ken says “The student must demonstrate academic achievement, emotional maturity, leadership capabilities, a desire to study in Israel and the ability to live away from family during his or her studies”.
He adds, “There is no requirement to make aliyah, or for the student to do army service after Grade 12 graduation”.
On May 20, Abe Reichman, the Israeli director of the Elite Academy will be in Winnipeg to recruit students for this three year high school program in Israel, which is a joint program of the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government.
This year 60 North American high school students participated in the Elite Academy Program. Since 1992, more than 15,000 high school students from Europe, South America and South Africa have been enrolled in it.
The program has affiliated boarding schools, yeshivot or kibbutz regional high schools, and offers students the ability to live in Israel like an Israeli, immersed in Hebrew language, Israeli culture and customs.
Jonathon Peters says what he is most looking forward to about the program is “being in Israel itself”. The only kids he knows in the program are “the kids I first met at the interviews in New York in March”.
According to Ken Peters, students in the Elite Academy Program span all levels of observance and academic interests. Some are quite familiar with Israel having made several trips there; for others, Elite Academy will mark their initial entry.
Upon acceptance to the program, a school that matches the academic, social and religious needs of the student is chosen under the guidance of their parents and Elite Academy staff. Special curriculums are devised for students who have exemplary talent in mathematics, physics and computers. All Elite students take part in field trips, extracurricular activities and seminars with their Israeli peers.
Each Elite student is paired with a host family who provides home-away-from-home hospitality during Sabbath and school holidays. Whenever possible, the families are veteran immigrants from English-speaking countries.
Ken Peters explains that once a student is enrolled in the Elite Academy Program, the Jewish Agency pays a lot of the costs. “The Agency pays tuition, the student’s airfare from New York at the beginning of the three year program and back at the end of Grade 12, boarding in the school dormitories, food, as well as medical, drug and emergency dental insurance”.
“Once a student graduates from their chosen school, they will receive an Israeli Matriculation (Bagrut) that is recognized by the top universities and colleges worldwide”, Ken Peters says.
Aside from the Elite Academy, North American students who want to study in English can consider the American School in Netanya. “The tuition is about $25,000 USD and there is no boarding. It has an American curriculum and you do not write Israeli matriculation exams”.
Ken says an advantage of the Elite Academy program is that it offers “a Zionist education, integration into the Israeli curriculum, the bagrut (the Israeli matriculation certificate), and a dedicated staff of teachers and counselors intent on ensuring the welfare of the students. The ratio of students to teachers/counselors is amazingly low, which is very beneficial to the students”.
For more information contact ken.p.peters@gmail.com (preferred method) or phone Ken at 489-0715 or elite Academy Program, call toll-free 1-866-835-0430 or visit www.elite-academy.org.
