Jewish Federation to build the first ever semester abroad high school program in Israel. In 2013, AMHSI was acquired by Jewish National Fund. It is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and now offers 10 different sessions throughout the year in six-week, eight-week mini-mester, and 18-week full semester increments, along with specialty programs for Jewish day schools and community organizations. The semester and mini-mester sessions include General Studies, where students bring their home high school curriculum, including AP levels, so they can return at or above their peers’ pace at home. AMHSI-JNF Board Member and Marketing Committee Chair Jeffrey Davis values this element. “One of the things I truly appreciate about the school is its unrelenting dedication to academic excellence. The students are not only ‘living Israel’ for their education,” Davis said. “By adding Israel to strong academics, the experience is life-changing; it’s an additional enhancement.” Along with General Studies, all sessions offer the Israel Studies curriculum, the bread-and-butter of the school, which spans 4,000 years of Jewish and Israeli history, using the land as the classroom. Upon completion, students are eligible to earn up to six college credits from the University of Miami’s Center for Contemporary and Judaic Studies. These credits, in conjunction with the admissions essays most students write about their experience studying abroad, place high schoolers in a competitive position to stand out among the crowds of university applicants. “I’m convinced I performed better in college because I went to Muss,” said Ronald Werner, an AMHSI alumnus and AMHSI-JNF marketing committee co-chair. “My time there made me more self-sufficient, helped me develop crucial critical thinking skills, and taught me the ability to survive in a new environment far away from home.” It’s not just the inner circle that knows this. The education industry is on board as well. Carol Doherty, founder of Doherty Educational Consultants, who helps students across the U.S. find the right college match, encourages the teens she works with to attend AMHSI. “I work with many Jewish students in my educational Students learning about the arrival of Jewish Immigrants to pre-state Israel at Atlit Beach
consulting practice,” she said, “and see that the transition from high school to college is a scary one for most. But the students at Alexander Muss are taking a very brave step a year or two earlier than is typical, and you can see the impact it has. The teens I have worked with came back wiser and more attuned to the world. They have a much improved sense of their Jewish heritage and seem more fulfilled as a result.” In the summer of 2016, Doherty visited the campus as part of the Educators and Administrators Seminar, a visit that’s a component of one of the many new elements being implemented by the school. She met with AMHSI co-CEO Leor Sinai, who told her that, “after 45 years of serving Jewish teens, Alexander Muss High school in Israel has broadened our student base into the market of continuing adult learning.” “The Educators and Administrators Seminar brings school counselors, teachers, independent educational consultants, and superintendents to see our program
Students learning Jewish and Israeli history before experiencing it on tiyul
conjunction with Alexander Muss High School in Israel and JNFuture—JNF’s young professionals group—to link the individual experience.” Successes include the Jewish National Fund-Alexander Muss High School in Israel Mentorship Program, which pairs a recent alumnus who is still in high school with a JNF Campus Fellow in their region; partnerships for the High School and College Summits at Jewish National Fund’s National Conference;
“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel Jewish just because I was. I felt Jewish because I wanted to be, and I realized how philosophical, beautiful, and selfless Judaism is as a religion. I don’t think I could have realized that without my AMHSI experience.” – SCHIR CZOPP, AMHSI ALUMNUS for themselves. They spend time on campus observing classes, meet the instructors—some of whom have been working with the school for 30 years—and discover Israel through day trips, living history lessons, and a full cultural immersion.” Sinai also discussed the development of a new tour, “Mini-Muss: Adult Journey Through Israel,” a trip for parents of AMHSI students who want the “Muss experience.” In addition to developing adult programming, AMHSI’s alumni relations continue to increase. Capitalizing on technological advances and the reach of social media, the school is reconnecting to past alumni. Social media and alumni networks are not only used to support new student recruitment, but reconnecting with past Muss alumni is also an integral part of Jewish National Fund’s Israel Continuum. “The Continuum provides a series of curricula, programming, and training to create advocates for Israel, beginning in early childhood, extending through university life, and into adulthood,” explained JNF Executive Director of Israel Advocacy and Education Yishai Goldflam. “Our education staff has begun working in
and special events connecting AMHSI alumni ages 22-40 with JNFuture chapters across the U.S. Like any typical alumni, AMHSI’s are a strong and proud group, but what sets them apart is their passion. They will often excitedly stop people on the subway or walk up to tables at an Israel fair any time they see the school’s name, always sharing which year and session they attended and launch into a happy memory. Some have also given back to the school directly. Paul and Liat Siegel of New York, NY met at AMHSI in 1994. Liat always felt connected to Israel because of her family connection, but for Paul the school played a significant role in sparking his passion for the Jewish homeland. “The program was deeply meaningful in terms of connecting us to Israel,” Paul shared. The Siegels now fund an annual scholarship and are committed to providing students with the same experience they were afforded when they were teenagers. Said Paul: “Everyone should have the opportunity to establish a long-term connection to Israel, especially in the formative stages of one’s identity. The impact lasts a lifetime.” Alexander Muss High School in Israel transforms the lives of its students, and leaves a lasting and meaningful impact on the greater Jewish community. As an institution that values knowledge and growth, it is ever-changing and adapting. Today, as a proud member of the Jewish National Fund family, the possibilities continue to expand, and who knows what the next 45 years will bring. Please contact info@amhsi.org, call 800.327.5980, or visit amhsi.org for more information on Alexander Muss High School in Israel. The Power of Education
B'Yachad
19