Photo: Noam Dahan
YOU OPEN THE DOOR
ASCENT WILL OPEN THEIR HEARTS SAVE THE DATE
JULY 15-16 י״ג תמוז-י״ב
More and more young Jews are finding themselves disconnected from the Jewish people.
“OUR CHALLENGE IS TO DEFEND THE JEWISH FUTURE AGAINST VOLUNTARY SELF-DESTRUCTION - AND WE MUST FACE IT SQUARELY.” Professor Alan M. Dershowitz
Jewish tradition teaches that
PEOPLE CONNECT THROUGH LOVE.
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ASCENT OFFERS LOVE
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ASCENT OPENED ITS DOORS AND HEART 36 YEARS AGO, ENABLING OVER 460,000 YOUNG JEWS TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS, AND FEEL A CONNECTION TO THEIR PEOPLE. By serving as a nurturing and safe space, open 24/7, Ascent became a gateway for the uninitiated to experience the mystical city of Tzfat, its rich scholarly, kabbalistic and artistic history, and its unique ability to imbue visitors with an authentic sense of creativity and spirituality.
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Today, these same hilltops and cobblestone alleyways provide a uniquely peaceful and inspiring environment for young Jews from Israel, around the world and across the spectrum of Jewish life to learn, think, absorb, hike, meditate and experience the depths of what it means to be Jewish. Ascent provides them with a pivotal space to reconnect with their inner self and their Jewish heritage, against the backdrop of their visit to Tzfat.
IT IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT TRANSFORMS THEIR JEWISH IDENTITY AND ENGAGEMENT FOR LIFE.
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The Ascent experience is much more than just the study of Judaism – it is a living, breathing, cooking, eating, meditating, painting, touring, all-encompassing experience of the Jewish soul.
AND THE LONGER PEOPLE STAY AT ASCENT THE MORE THEY BENEFIT.
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Participants feel the love and warmth projected by our staff and respond, quickly making friendships and coming back for more. Hands-on activities, like baking Challah, creating Shabbat candles and Shofarmaking, engage participants in authentic, tangible and personal celebrations of Jewish life. Community volunteer programs and meals with local families provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and create warm connections with the people of Israel. Dynamic classes, inspiring texts, meditations and discussion sessions open the door to timeless Jewish knowledge and wisdom for life, making Judaism relatable and applicable. Jewish music makes their hearts come alive and their souls set on fire as they dance, sing and unite with their fellow Jews.
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THE MORE PEOPLE CONNECT, THE MORE THEY LOVE OUR LAND, OUR PEOPLE AND OUR VIBRANT TRADITIONS.
ASCENT IMPACTS THE LIVES OF OVER 50,000 JEWS EACH YEAR.
Including students, travelers from around the world, IDF soldiers, hikers while on the Israel trail, or young Israelis looking to take a pause from the daily pressures to find life’s meaning.
7,016
IDF SOLDIERS & OFFICERS
17,432
STUDENTS &TRAVELERS
22,760 GROUPS & FAMILIES
9,405
SEMINARS (OUTSIDE ASCENT)
1.68M WEBSITE VISITS
The rate of disengagement and disenfranchisement among young Jews is rapidly increasing, but Ascent is creating engagement and commitment for a strong Jewish future.
85%
of non-ultra-orthodox American Jews are not married to Jews and raising Jewish children. 8|
41%
of American Jewish adults classify themselves as unaffiliated.
56%
of adult American Jews do not visit Jewish/ Israeli websites.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE NEED YOU TO ENABLE ASCENT TO DO MUCH MORE. Only with YOUR HELP can we DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COME THROUGH OUR DOOR AND WELCOME 50,000 MORE GUESTS ANNUALLY. Over the next ten years YOUR HELP will ENABLE ASCENT TO CONNECT THE LIVES OF 1 MILLION YOUNG JEWS TO A BRIGHT JEWISH FUTURE.
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PHASE 1: OPENING OUR DOOR TO NEW AUDIENCES: Renovation of 40 of our 55 rooms. The key to future growth is attracting organized groups with specific standards, such as Birthright, IDF officer training courses, educational seminars and groups of youth visiting Israel, and to increase the length of their stay. OPENING OUR DOOR TO THE DISABLED: Accessibility for all guests by installing platform lifts, accessible bathrooms, assisted navigation systems for the blind and hearing loop systems for the hearing impaired. OPENING OUR DOOR TO NEW PROGRAMMING SPACE AND NEW ACTIVITIES: Open new workshops and activity rooms and renovate existing public space to facilitate an even better Ascent experience. As our Sages teach, “A beautiful house opens a person’s heart”.
ASCENT IS AT THE FOREFRONT, INNOVATING NEW ACTIVITIES TO INFORM, INSPIRE AND CONNECT. RENOVATING ROOMS
ACCESS FOR THE DISABLED
$600,000
$150,000
UPGRADED PROGRAMMING SPACE AND NEW ACTIVITIES
$250,000
Total: $1,000,000
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ASCENT IS CHANGING THE FUTURE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN IMPACT EVEN MORE LIVES.
JOIN ASCENT IN OPENING THE DOOR SO WE CAN OPEN THE HEARTS OF ANOTHER ONE MILLION JEWS! | 11
“I had the best time
“Ascent is the start
of a journey and it will always feel like home.”
Or Shoshani
Tany // Australia
“A really a thrilling experience
“Ascent gives me: A
Chen //
Mechina Masabacha
sense of acceptance and openness between people and the feeling we can really talk to each other with such kinship and love”
M.P. Gadi Yavarkan //
(Former Rosh Mechina Be’eri)
“Ascent opened my
Clara Chaya
heart and it’s doors to me when I arrived in Israel and is providing me with a welcoming home while I grow in my Judaism”
at Ascent Tsfat, Best Hostel, Awesome Mate, Loved it, Top notch, up there, it was amazing”
for those who do not know the ultra-Orthodox world and I would recommend it to every service year, every youth group, Mechina or students who want to get to know other parts of the Israeli society”
“My experience
Natanella//
from Ascent was warm, accepting, loving. I enjoyed every moment here”
Mechinat Bnei Zion
Rabbi Shaul Leiter , Executive Director
US: 646-492-0812 | +972-52-677-0140 | +972-4-692-1364 x106 director@ascentofsafed.com Rabbi Mordechai Siev , Director of Development
US: 516-304-4467 | +972-54-643-7770 | +972-4-692-1364 x129 siev@ascentofsafed.com
Contributions can be made online at myAscent.org/donate or mailed to: ISRAEL: PO Box 296, 2 Ha’Ari Street, Tsfat 13102, Israel (Non-Profit #58-006-515-9) US: 383 Kingston Ave., Rm 28, Brooklyn, NY 11213-4333 (Tax ID #11-2879462) UK: c/o Ascent, 3 Sunny Gardens Parade, London NW4 1JA (Charity No. 328625) CANADA: For tax deduction, please email development@ascentofsafed.com. AUSTRALIA: c/o Mr. & Mrs. Herszberg, 6 Goathlands St., East S. Kilda VIC 3183, Australia MyAscent.org | FB.com/AscentTzfat
TSFAT. SOUL. EXPERIENCE