Q: What the heck is Aardvark Israel?
A: Anyone who’s paid any attention to developments in the Jewish world knows about the problems of Hadassah and its youth movement Young Judaea over the past few years. Hadassah has lost millions of dollars and Young Judaea’s numbers have gradually fallen as a result of management, the fact that just maybe kids in the 21st century don’t want or have room for a Zionist youth movement as they much as they did fifty years ago, or maybe something in between. I’ve remained close enough to Young Judaea throughout my adult life to have realized that it’s not as simple as “this all happened in the last ten minutes, thanks to _________’s decisions”. Young Judaea was tiny when I was a kid way back when, sometimes attracting in the neighborhood of forty kids to a regional convention in Texas. (“What? You’re from Texas? Where’s your accent?” I’m still shocked when people still say this to me. Seriously? Hey, you’re from California? Where’s your surfboard? You’re from New York? Where’s your whitefish? You’re from Israel! Where’s your camel?)
“Listen, varmint-there ain’t enough room in this town for the both of us.That said, I’m leaving. My arnona payments are outrageous.”
Having graduated thousands of passionate alumni, many of whom either spent time on Year Course or even moved to Israel, there are a lot of Jewish armchair quarterbacks who feel very strongly about these issues. The news which broke yesterday, significant enough to warrant front page status on the Jerusalem Post, will only continue to stir the debate, even dividing people into two camps.
Just a few weeks ago, Year Course director and long-time YJ employee Keith Berman resigned from his position. Yesterday, via Facebook, Keith announced his future (and current) plans: to not only create a new MASA gap year program called Aardvark Israel but to do so with the help of several former Year Course employees. While it may be too dramatic to say that the battle lines are drawn, this is an issue which is going to stir strong emotions in people, some of which have already begun taking sides in the Jpost talkbacks and on Facebook walls. Having worked for Young Judaea both in the US and Israel, I personally now have friends working for both these programs. People have strong loyalties to their youth group, to their friends, and to Israel.
What we know:
-Aardvark Israel has a very well done website which wasn’t just designed yesterday.
-The program will offer an incredible amount of choice in specialty programs including travel, digital arts and media, spirituality, and more. The incredible amount of choice that exists on Year Course happened on Keith’s watch and more accurately, because of Keith, as his own personal vision and brainchild. (Ech omrim “brainchild”?)
-Among its new employees are the former director, assistant director, director of Shalem (Orthodox track of Year Course), director and assistant director of the Jerusalem track, among others.
-The price is around $15,000, not including flight and meals, which still makes it several thousand dollars cheaper than similar programs.
Some questions:
-Year Course over the last 10 years exploded from a program of 100-something participants to around 550 last year before the current recession. It is by far the most successful MASA program in terms of numbers. Is competition, choice, and change a good thing or are consumers now choosing between two of the same product?
-Young Judaea Year Course is part of a larger framework and ideology, taking kids from its movement and camps (albeit a smaller percentage that it used to), and giving them all the option to return as staff members, and hopefully even as Hadassah members and associates down the road regardless of whether or not they were previously involved in YJ. If Aardvark Israel “only” brings young people to Israel but does so in potentially large numbers, does it matter or mean any less that it lacks the backing and framework of Hadassah, Young Judaea, or another established parent organization?
-How much would the incredible and unrivaled achievements of Young Judaea and its Israel programs over the last century play a role in your decision as to which program you sent your child on? Is it more important to “save” Young Judaea or to develop new and alternative Israel program options? Is it one or the other? Is there a conflict of interest here?
As far as what I think, I’ll say this: if you want to give your high school graduate a life-changing experience, you could do no better than either of these programs. Talk to me about either if you have questions.
What do you think?
We're probably going to solve our piece of the high school problem by making Aliyah in 2013 and getting it over with.
We are Atlanta based, but I don't think anyone realizes we are here.
Besides, we have taken the time in the last week to read your entire blog, and a few others, so we are on to research.
Keep up the good work! Your posts are a good way to start the morning!
The point is made, however, and we would be interested in finding out how to help efforts like this once we are there (or possibly before).
Keith really has turned up the bitchiness level to a new extreme with this move!
A new low from a guy who we thought could get no lower…
Simon, Debbie, Leanne etc… just hope you've thought this through properly…
i think there is still a serious chunk of winter ahead of us.
I guess I should have written this above but I ask that people keep it civil. I know there are strong feelings out there but I wrote this in order to talk about some of these questions I listed in a respectful manner. There are plenty of other places to vent and it doesn't really advance the discussion. Thanks, Anonymous person who is more than likely a Facebook friend of mine.
I'm completely removed and ignorant of the politics of the situation, I just understand that there is a plan or two for kids to go experience Israel, and to me that seems good, so nobody fire at me, please… I'm an innocent bystander!
These are also programs that I am only coming to know of because of this blog, so that's a positive.
Just driving towards getting a cool "Oleh" sticker. But then again, if it weren't for Benji, I might not have even stumbled on Nefesh B'Nefesh.
Told you, we're out in the sticks here, and for ill or better, now we can recognize the viability of going home. Whatever the politics and who screwed who (not sure I want to know) what is/are good ways to get youth to Israel and spark that fire?
With that, I'm just going to bow out a bit and see what all of you good people have to say and hopefully learn something new.
It is a good thing that Keith Berman moved on. Young Judaea and Year Course can now go back to being the great program it was before Keith made a mess of it.
Great article, Benji – I think adding more competition to the Israel experience "mix" will only force the existing programs to up their game. Kol haKavod to Keith for taking a truly bold step.
On another note, I wouldn't worry about the "anonymous" comments. Sounds a lot like sour grapes coming from those with an axe to grind.
(That is, I wouldn't worry – until you wake up and find a camel's head in your bed, or a vest filled with raw gefilte fish.)
Seriously? Hey, you're from California? Where's your surfboard?
I usually just point to my car and that ends the discussion.
On a serious note, I have more than a few decades of experience in being involved with Jewish organizations as both a participant and a staff member.
I have never seen an organization in which there were not similar issues.
The internal and external politics always come to play.
Does light emanate from the genitals of all horses in Texas?
Bulldog, are you not at all tempted to ask why so many people have an 'axe to grind' as you put it?
I don't usually address anonymous commenters, and I'm not going to break my rule here. I've written on Keith's situation before on my own blog, and pointed out my prior association with both him and Young Judaea.
If you want to have a discussion, come out of the shadows and stand behind your words.
I think it’s wonderful that new programs are being offered. I remember when I was on Year Course and many of my peers chose that program because there were no other good options. I think that, especially in this economy, any program which offers high school students an affordable way to visit such a beautiful country should be lauded and not chastised for lack of loyalty. Is it not disloyal to take away valuable programs from our children because we so blinded by our attachment to a dying organization. How can we expect Year Course to break away from its avarice and reclaim its past grandeur if we do not show them that we will not tolerate anything less than the best for our children. I loved Year Course, but I am not ignorant to its flaws. I stand by Keith because I want my kids to have the best possible gap year experience, and I believe he is in a position to make that happen.
Mazal Tov Kieth
There are many programs to choose from and have been for a while. Sure, Keith and others have the right to create a new one, but doesn't this new one seem all too similar to Year Course? And does having ideas like tracks/specialties and implementing them for an organization mean you still own the ideas? I guess you do, but it's going to look like incredibly dirty business. I wouldn't be surprised if a legal battle comes out of this.
Also, the price difference, although significant, appears to me as a lie. Not having stipends is going to cause major socioeconomic divides and will be really problematic for apartments, and not paying for the flight is just a way to make the program look cheaper. Actually, in both cases it just makes the program look cheaper.
Honestly, the whole thing makes me sick. I feel very sure that this was a sketchy move on "Aardvarks" part.
What about Young Judaea? By pulling this move and pretty much attacking Year Course (planning this under Young Judaea payroll, launching it on the first day he wasn't the YC director, planning a program pretty identical to YC, all of which is highly unethical), Keith is also attacking Young Judaea. It is my understand that a lot of this has to do with his difficulties with Hadassah, but by pretty much setting out to beat Year Course, Keith is affecting Young Judaea in a negative way. Young Judaea sets out to enrich youth across America with knowledge about Israel. Aardvark can't honestly claim that they are pro-benefiting Israel if they are fighting YJ while doing it. It is one thing to create more opportunities to go to Israel, and another thing to fight a youth movement in order to do it. Israel gap-year programs are not the only things that benefit Israel.
Shalom all,
I was the central shaliach of YJ and worked in the movement for 15 years. The issue is not a bigger variety of gap year. No body would have blamed keith if he had started a program AFTER leaving YJ. But to work on a program while you are on YJ payroll, to copy the program and take ideas a programs that were conceived by other prople on YC, to take with you people as they are still YC employees (one of them is now in South Africa with a YC group), to approach recruiters and shlichim of YJ and try to bribe them with money, to do all of that while you pretend to be innocent and idealistic – this is immoral, and I don't care how much "ideology" you pretend to have. If while dating someone you seeing someone else – it is called cheating – why this situation is different then that. We have become to cinical about everything that has to do with our public life and work. We allow anything, we try always to understand everybody, to be neutral. This is a shame. Don't be neutral – Make a stand. And my stand is that it stinks – A LOT!!!!
I'm a proud Year Courser and a former Year Course staff member , and having known and worked with the founders of Aardvark Israel for a decade, I'm pretty convinced that there is no one on earth more committed to the ideals of Zionism and Jewish Identity than those individuals who are a part of Aardvark Israel. In fact, it was sometimes hard for me to work with Keith and some of the other members of his staff because I felt they were TOO committed to the ideals, to an impractical extent.
On the other hand, it seems to me that Hadassah has shown a lack of interest to continuing to promote these ideals amongst youth. I recognize that Hadassah is having serious financial problems, but in my experience, Hadassah practices willful blindness to the future of its organization (aka YOUNG people). Did you know that Hadassah's Young Women's Division includes everyone under 45? Hadassah's internet presence is frankly pathetic, and in the three years I've been back in the States, EVERY time I've tried to become involved with Hadassah locally or nationally, I have received the very distinct impression that anyone childless, unmarried, or under 35 was unwanted.
Unlike what I've seen of Hadassah, Keith and the other members of his staff at Aardvark Israel are TOTALLY committed to bringing youth to Israel for the purposes of Zionist and Jewish education. I think a gap year in Israel should be about those values, not any particular Movement. So however shady Aardvark's origins may seem, I wish Aardvark Israel the best in accomplishing its mission.
Regardless of Hadassah's actions, however horrible they may be, by abandoning Year Course and attacking it, Aardvark is attacking Young Judaea. Young Judaea is NOT just Hadassah's movement! There are so many club meetings, conventions, regional events, camps and more that people do not even know, or perhaps choose not to care, about. Although Young Judaea may not be as huge as it was in its glory years, it is still making a difference in America and for people around the world. It is the very reason that I, and many other Americans care about Israel as much as they do. The creators may be dedicated to bringing kids to Israel, but they simply chose not to realize that they would be affecting this glorious youth movement. They were too extreme in their actions. If they were responsible, and real educators who cared about Young Judaea, they would not have started Aardvark. It is despicable of them to form a program working against Young Judaea, especially in the ways they did.
I dont know Keith but it appears that Keith saw a great opportunity to establish his own company where he would not be constrained by the framework of external organisations. This is no different to someone working in a high-tech company who leaves to set up their own start-up or an Accountant working in one of the big-4 accounting firm who leaves to set up his own practice. There is nothing wrong or unusual with Keith planning a new business venture while he was employed by YJ. As long as he has not violated any non competition agreement, Keith has done nothing unethical or wrong.
disclosure:
1. i am an old Judaean and was on YC 89-90 (and it was formative in my decision to make aliyah) and will always have a soft spot in my heart for YJ and YC.
2. I became friends with Keith back when he ran the Hamagshimim house in Jerusalem 15 years ago, but haven't been in touch with him (or YJ) for years.
that said, i have mixed feelings on this. If the planning and groundwork was really done on YJ time, with YJ money and people, than yeah, that is unethical.
that said, go read this: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1146165.html
it gives a sense of how this could be a good thing – on the one hand, a smaller but more movement-oriented YC that gets back to its Judaean roots, and on the other hand, a newer program that offers a
wider variety of experiences for the non-affiliated and less ideological. I would think that there is certainly room for both in the market, and each could provide an important service for a certain segment of (post) Zionist youth.
I would wish the best of success to both programs, hoping they can compliment rather than damage each other.
I applaud the Aardvark program if it increases the overall numbers. What i do not approve of though is the underhand nature of the move. The website was reg'd 4 months prior (accessible info if you know where to look!) to launch date by a YJ staff member, staff on the aardvark site are not real staff etc. I'm sure lots of underhand moves have gone on that no one knows about too. All very sad, but yet not that surprising when you look at the senior staff of aardvark.
I wish luck to the new program in getting people to Israel as that is the most important thing but as a former employee who had to put up with a lot of incompetence I don't have much confidence in this new scheme as they seem to have handpicked a rather bizarre bunch of staff (that's being polite)
I am not a Young Judaean – but it does raise questions
http://is.gd/7M6OM
From my personal experiences of Keith, I am thoroughly unsurprised by his latest actions. After all, this is a man who in recent years ignored the needs of year course participants, the needs of the movements he was supposedly catering for and the ideology he claimed to live by.
Whilst serving as Year Course director, Keith's sole aim appeared to be to grow numbers and further his own name. Quality of programming, chanichim satisfaction and the ability of the programme to produce great leaders/educators rarely seemed to matter.
In creating Aardvark, and given the manner in which it has been created, Keith demonstarted once again his utter disregard for morality and ideology and specifically, 3 of the most important Jewish youth movements in the world – YJ, FZY and the Tsofim – who are all involved in the YC programme.
Unlike the for-profit Aardvark, these youth movements seek to take Jewish kids on a wider Jewish and Zionist journey across many age ranges, in the USA, UK and Israel, and play a massively important role in the educational and social growth of many Jewish youngsters. In competing head on with these youth movements' flagship programme, Keith has shown that he does not care what harm he does to the movements.
Keith cannot be trusted, full stop. And he certainly cannot be trusted in an area as vital as Jewish/Zionist education and the creation of our future leaders.
Now is the time to support Year Course and its phenomenal new director.
I have kids who will be old enough for this type of program in the coming decade, and competition does tend to improve the 'product'. I've read a lot of the criticism made lately about programs like Birthright, for instance, and the feeling that that program should have more 'aftercare' or 'followup'. It seems to be that the Year Course has followup options available which encourage a greater commitment and/or aliyah to Israel, whereas Aardvark does not. From a consumer POV, Aardvark may be a bit cheaper, but what will my kids REALLY get out of it longterm? Because of this concern, Year Course seems like a better option for us.
I took YC while Keith was heading it and it was a truly fantastic experience. However there were many things lacking from the program, one of the essential things was that Ideology became secondary to fun. It seems that Keith has brought this with him to Aardvark.
Ideologically, this whole thing stinks. It is obvious that legally the whole arrangement is very flawed, and rumors has it that Aardvark already lost in court. It also seems like a big part of the reason for constructing Aarvark is to traumatize YJ and FZY. Morally it is also indefensible to use a non-profits resources in order to create a for profit organization.
Competition is good, and it enhances the programes, but this wasn't made in order to enhance peoples experiences, Keith went out of his way to disrupt YJ and FZY to a point that is beyond unacceptable. Simon Cohen appeared on a live internet broadcast this year and spoke of the next 100 years of FZY, while he obviously was involved in this very fishy business. Supposedly they actually approached YC participants and tried to persuade them to leave the program and return to Israel with Aardvark.
This whole thing stinks, Keith should be ashamed. As Zionists we should not encourage this kind of immorality!