STUDY NOW. TRAVEL AFTER THE PANDEMIC.
A trip to Israel is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but the pandemic won’t last forever, and when it ends, you’re going to be itching to hit the road. Take an incredible online course now with Olami Inspire Online, and earn a trip to Israel that you’ll take when travel restrictions are lifted.
Inspired learning for everyday life based on Jewish values and teachings.
A DYNAMIC 1O WEEK PROGRAM.
A dynamic 10-week course designed to introduce students to classical Jewish philosophy, the relevance of Jewish wisdom to contemporary issues, and Jewish perspectives on some of life’s most challenging questions. Each session is approximately two hours.
AND AN INSPIRATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL.
Upon completing the 10-week, students are rewarded with a highly subsidized (nearly-free) trip to Israel, where you will explore the land, sites and people of Israel through an action-packed journey that will leave you inspired and connected to this special place. Been on Birthright? Come back with us.
“Olami Inspire was a life-changing experience. Although it was only a semester long, I definitely gained a lifetimes worth of knowledge.”
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Obviously, with the world on lockdown, travel is severely restricted and tourism, including educational trips to Israel, has been put on hold. While we cannot predict the future—and updates about travel, quarantine, and restrictions change almost daily—we anticipate travel to Israel to return to normal, somewhat, by the summer of 2021. In the event that it does, the Israel Trip Voucher you earn for completing Olami Inspire Online will be valid for summer 2021, winter 21/22, and summer 2022. We are keeping abreast of the situation and will change this policy if circumstances warrant it.
If you are a graduate of an earlier program and your voucher expired due to the pandemic, don’t worry, all vouchers have been extended for at least a year and will be modified as the situation warrants.
If you have additional questions, please contact tgluckin@olami.org
Yes you can. Your time is valuable. It is not unusual to get paid a stipend or to earn a travel grant to research a specific topic or work in a lab. This is similar. And the Israel scholarship is incredible. Depending on the program you choose you earn a travel voucher for an Israel trip that will make your cost either free or as low as $200.
Each week you login to a virtual classroom. Your instructor will be waiting. The other participants will be there as well. You participate and ask questions via chat. You will also answer poll questions, watch videos, take a quiz, and write a short essay each week at the end of each session.
Not a problem. You need to be there—live and in person—for at least 8 of the 10 sessions. You are responsible to submit assignments for all 10 sessions. All sessions are recorded and archived.
No. Not at all. This program is a live, interactive, engaging experience. Your instructor is live and in real time. You will interact and ask questions. It is just like being in a classroom, except it is online.
You will explore some of the most important issues concerning the relevance of Judaism in contemporary life. Some examples include the nature of free will, the intersection of faith and science, the Jewish historical experience, and the Jewish secrets of love and dating. See full cours outline below.
Your instructor is Tzvi Gluckin. He is über-hip. Click here to see what he does when he’s not teaching this course. There will also be guest speakers some weeks.
You need to participate—live and in person—for at least 8 of the 10 sessions. The sessions you might miss, you make up by watching the recording of that session.
After each session, you need to submit a 2 or 3 paragraph essay discussing what you learned (this is the minimum, you can make your essays as long as you want). You will be asked to answer specific quiz questions as well.
All participants are required to meet one-on-one with a local Olami representative in person. You will be contacted once the program is underway to set up a meeting. If no live representative is available in your area, an online meeting will be arranged. Most meetings last about 30 minutes. If a live event (class) is schedule in your area, you must attend. Both the one-on-one meeting and possible live class are program requirements.
If Monday nights are not good this semester and you do not think you can show up on time and attend at least 8 of the 10 sessions live and in person, please ask to be put on our list for next semester (there is no penalty for reapplying, we love hearing from you!).
That is correct. In most cases and depending on the program you choose, the Israel voucher we offer covers all charges charged to you by the Israel program you are accepted to. And that includes flight. Depending on the program, you may need to make your way on your own to a hub (like New York or LA), but the round trip ticket to Israel is covered. The program costs are covered as well.
No. Olami will only offer an Israel travel voucher for approved programs. But don’t worry, the list of options is massive and you should find a program that is the right fit for you. See below a list of available options. The list is divided between the $200 programs first, free options, and then other scholarships your voucher is good for.
No it isn’t.
Acceptance to an Israel program is up to the particular program you apply to. Each program is unique and has its own criteria. Once you are accepted you let us know. Your Israel trip voucher specifically goes to cover flight and some program costs. Depending on the program you are accepted to, you may need to travel to a hub (like New York or LA) on your own. (The Israel trip voucher can NOT be used to cover additional flights to a hub airport or any other travel/trip related costs).
Redeeming your voucher is easy: choose a trip from the list of approved trips, apply, go through that trips application process, once you are accepted, you let us know. And that is it. In some cases, and depending on the trip you choose, you may be required to complete a second in-person interview with a representative in your area. If this is the case, receiving your voucher will be contingent upon completing this entire interview process. You will be notified if this is applicable.
Olami Inspire Online is open to Jewish students, recent grads, and young professionals, aged 18-28.
Yes you are. Birthright does NOT disqualify you for this opportunity to travel and study in Israel.
Yes, using this Israel trip voucher will disqualify you for Birthright, however, the voucher is good for up to a year. Go on Birthright first and save your voucher for the future.
Depending on the program you did, you may still be eligible for a 3-week Israel trip voucher for a free learning experience. However, if you are already involved with the Maimonides Fellowship or partnering organizations, Olami Inspire Online is probably not the right program for you. Apply to Olami Inspire Online and email us as well for more details.
Olami Inspire Online is able to offer credits via a partnership with the Theological Research Institute (TRI). TRI is accredited by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS), which is a program of the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York. Olami Inspire Online’s official course listing is “Ancient Jewish Ideas in the Modern Era.” You can view the complete listing on the NCCRS site here.
If you decide to take Olami Inspire Online for credit, you need to take the following steps:
Go to the relevant department on campus that signs off on transfer courses and submit the following items:
Name of transfer program (Theological Research Institute), name of Accrediting Agency (National College Credit Recommendation Services)
Name of desired course to be taken (Ancient Jewish Ideas in the Modern Era). If your university does not accept national accrediting agencies (which is what NCCRS is), TRI courses are also offered via Excelsior College with Accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which should replace the above first two items that you will submit. Once you receive the permissions needed, you enroll online for the course at TRILTD.com
You then complete Olami Inspire Online.
Upon completion of the course you take a proctored final exam
When TRI receives a digital or actual copy of your final, a signed proctor form, and a signed academic honesty form (TRI provides the forms), TRI will send a transcript to your college and the process is complete.
Olami Inspire Online is a 3 credit course and your cost is $300 paid to TRI. If your university doesn’t accept NCCRS credits, you will be charged an additional $300 in order for your credits to be processed through Excelsior College (making your total cost $600).
Sound confusing? Don’t worry. If you chose this option, we will put you in touch with someone who will guide you through the entire process.
You need a computer and a broadband internet connection. We use the Zoom webinar platform. If you do not have Zoom, you’ll be prompted to create an account when you login for the first session. Do it. You will be sent a link to the online classroom a day or two before the first session.
Yes. Olami Inspire Online is a safe and secure environment.
Yes! Tell them to apply today.
Contact us at tgluckin@olami.org.
SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE
Program Intro and Orientation. TOPIC ONE: Faith vs. Knowledge: the prerequisites for belief. TOPIC TWO: Judaism 101: monotheism and pleasure – the basics of Jewish thought
TOPIC ONE: The Cycle of Time: the Jewish calendar as a tool for growth. TOPIC TWO: Guest speaker: The Kaballah of You (understanding the mystical root of your personality).
BOTH SESSIONS: The Jewish View of Love, Relationships, Marriage, and Sex
TOPIC ONE: The Jewish View of Prayer: Do I have to do it? Do I have to do it in Hebrew? TOPIC TWO: The Kosher Laws: a Jewish party in your stomach.
TOPIC ONE: The Seven Wonders of Jewish History: understanding the miracle of Jewish survival. TOPIC TWO: Guest Speaker.
TOPIC ONE: The Jewish Experience at Mt. Sinai: what happened and why does it matter? TOPIC TWO: Is the Torah we have today the same as the one we started out with? Plus: The Moon Cycle Code.
TOPIC ONE: Give Me a Break: Understanding the Shabbos and the essentials of rest. TOPIC TWO: Guest Speaker
TOPIC ONE: The Chosen People: is it a racist idea? Are the Jews really chosen? TOPIC TWO: Video presentation: Exploring the Harmony Between Torah and Science.
TOPIC ONE: Heavy Duty Thinking: free will – philosophy, implications, and practical applications. TOPIC TWO: Guest Speaker.
TOPIC ONE: History of Oral Law: What is it and why does it matter? Program Wrap-up and Finale.
Open Forum: Send in your questions—no holds barred—and they will get answered (we hope).
APPROVED TRIPS
Choose the trip of your choice and your cost is either $200 or FREE depending on the program you choose. Other scholarship options and internship opportunities are available as well.
Acceptance to an Israel program is not guaranteed and is determined exclusively by the particular program you apply to. Each program is unique and has its own criteria.
Your Israel trip voucher specifically goes to cover flight and program tuition ONLY.
Depending on the program you are accepted to, you may need to travel to a hub (like New York or LA) on your own. The Israel trip voucher can not be used to cover additional flights to a hub airport or any other travel or trip-related costs. Some programs may require a refundable deposit to hold your spot; that you purchase travel insurance; or that you pay toward tips or other additional fees. Check with the individual tour provider for details. These costs are not covered by your Olami Inspire Israel trip voucher.
Please note: in addition to Israel, some partnering organizations offer trips to places like Poland, Spain, Costa Rica, and other locations. Your Israel trip voucher is good for Israel trips only.
The following trips combine travel, fun, and some Jewish study. They are the perfect follow-up to a Birthright experience and cost only $200 with your Olami Inspire Israel travel voucher. Spots are limited, so apply as soon as you are accepted.
The Akiva Trip (the Israel trip only, not Poland)
The following trips are more study-oriented than the trips listed above and they are FREE with your Olami Inspire Israel travel voucher (flight included). You must participate for at least 3 weeks on one of these programs in order to use your voucher (if you don’t have time this summer, save your voucher for the winter break). Many of these programs are yeshiva-style and therefore gender specific, please make sure you check out each program carefully before you apply!
If you are interested in a yeshiva or seminary experience, generous flight scholarships are available for students who want to study at the following programs.
A monthly stipend may be available for students enrolled for 3 months or more.
Join one of our exciting internship programs in Israel and receive $600 towards your flight. Total cost of the 2 month program in Israel is only $350.