OTZMA: Live and Volunteer in Israel

The first 3 months of OTZMA were in a beach city called Ashquelon living in a dorms with all the other participants. A typical day was waking up and going to Ulpan for about 3 or 4 hours. The teacher was engaging and understanding of our different skills set. Then we would have time to rest and go volunteer.
Since our main objective the first 3 months was to learn Hebrew, I volunteered twice a week along with another participant from our program coaching youth soccer at the local sports center. We had a good time helping out the kids with their soccer skills, and I even learned some Hebrew.
When I wasn't at Uplan or volunteering I took full advantage of exploring the city, especially the beach. One of the highlights of OTZMA was about once a week during our first 3 months we would go on field trips to see different parts of the regions and get different perspectives from the various cultures in Israeli society.
The next 4 months I moved to a different city up in the north called Carmiel, where I lived with 2 other participants. 5 days a week we would be volunteering in various places; a kibbutz for adults with special needs, a local high school, a Bedouin community, an after school program and a foster home. These were very meaningful experiences that gave me great introspection while helping others.
The final months I spent in Tel Aviv, where I interned for a newspaper. It was a fast paced work environment, which I truly enjoyed. I was glad that Tel Aviv was saved for last because it was such a big bustling city compared to the first 2 cities I volunteered at, and it was a nice way to end the program.
The 10 months flew by, I learned so much, made a ton of new friends and gained once in a life time experience. It was amazing!

OTZMA Israel is a great opportunity to meet lifetime friends, volunteer in amazing communities in any field that interests you. Amazing educational component. A chance to spend 5 or 10 months in the most amazing beautiful country in the world!

I did Otzma almost 20 years ago and still feel very connected to the experience. You are immersed in different communities so truly have an opportunity to learn Hebrew, meet Israelis, and help the local community in different ways.

Otzma provided a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and connection to Israel as a whole, the communities we lived in, and the Jewish peoplehood. The program provided a safe and meaningful ways to connection with Israeli communities and allowed me to work in fields that were of great interest to me. I learned so much from the communities I worked with and developed a very strong relationship with my host family and still visit them when I go back to Israel. And if it weren't for Otzma, my Hebrew wouldn't be as good as it is!

This is a great program. I became part of the local community, met fantastic OTZMA participants, learned new skills through my volunteer and intern work, and traveled around Israel and nearby countries on the weekends. For anyone who is looking for a safe, interesting, and fun adventure - OTZMA is for you.

I went on Otzma 2004-05. It was nothing short of amazng. I delved more deeply into Judaism, fell in love with a country, had so many volunteer experiences that helped me discover myself professionally, experienced beautiful nature, bustling cities, learned Hebrew, made great friends, ans grew so much as person. If you are thinking about this prgram, do it! Bring you motivation, a can do attitude, roll up your sleeves, and carve your own path. What you put in, you will get back in spades!

I participated in Otzma 2004-05. It was incredible. I delved more deeply into Judaism, fell in love with a country, made great friends, and got so many experiences I never could have gotten elsewhere. Before Otzma, I was conflicted about entering the finance career I had prepared for. All of the experiences I had in Otzma (volunteering at a teen crisis center, a kindergarden, a research insitute for counter terrorism, the Israeli yoga teachers' society, a therapeutic horseback riding center, etc etc etc) helped me to discover what truly makes me happy professionally: deeply connecting with others and helping others who are suffering to grow and thrive.

After Otzma, I ditched my path towards finance and became an integrative psychotherapist. I work in California as well as for an NGO based in Africa. It is an amazing experience to take a year out of one's life and see what work you are drawn to when money is not a factor. As a volunteer with Otzma, I was working as much as I would in a full time job, but all of it was my choice based on my passions. This program has structure, but also allot of room to roll your sleeves up and just get in there, in whichever area you are most drawn. If you are thinking about this program, do it, and don't look back! Bring your motivation, a postive attitude, and hard work, and everything you give you will get back in spades!

What can I say... my decision to do OTZMA was one of the best decisions I made in the last 26 years of my life.

The best way to learn about a country and connect with the people and connect on a personal level, is to spend a year there living and volunteering.

Otzma provided me with a life changing experience, that allowed me to connect to Israel through volunteering and living in several areas around the country. It is this experience that has influenced many decisions that I made afterwards and gave me life long friends that I am still close with today.

Most importantly, I was given the opportunity to give back and hopefully make a impact in the lives of the youth and teenagers that I worked with in after school programs, schools and community centers.

Are you looking for a way to give back, learn, grow and have an out of the box experience? Than Otzma is the program for you.