The September 2009 session of Career Israel began on September 2nd with 145 participants from 11 different countries including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Columbia, Denmark, Romania, Australia, and Hungary. The session began with a 5-day orientation session in Jerusalem. Programming for the week included group bonding, learning about Israeli society, touring Jerusalem and experiencing Shabbat in Judaism’s holiest city.

During the second week of the program, Career Israel transferred to Tel Aviv for Ulpan, an intensive Hebrew-study program. In Ulpan participants studied Hebrew for 5 hours each morning in one of eight classes. Afternoons were spent touring Tel Aviv, volunteering, participating in lectures and seminars on topics such as Israeli politics, Arab citizens in Israel, NGO’s in Israel and text study about the Jewish holidays. Programming also included a three day tour to the North.

After Ulpan some of the participants will be moving to Jerusalem for the internship segment of the program, others to Haifa and a majority of the group will remain in Tel Aviv. Internship placements for the current session include: leading newspapers, hi-tech companies, the Knesset, hospitals, 5-star hotels, schools, advertising agencies, NGOs, legal-aid organizations, private law firms, museums, research assistants in universities, photography studios and more.

In addition to their internships, in the upcoming months Career Israel will have the following activities: Religion and the State Seminar, Dialogue Seminar with Israelis, IDF Seminar, Disengagement from Gaza and Sderot Seminar, Galillee tour, Haifa tour, Negev Tiyul and an ending seminar in Maaleh Hachamisha. Optional volunteer activities are also available for participants.