Tamar Program
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
The premier Spanish-language MASA framework program, designed to train madrichim to direct and lead social transformation in the Movement and their communities to Jewish-Zionist, Israel-centered values. Tamar is conducted in two geographic tranches per year.
• "North" opens in August for Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, USA & Spain participation;
• "South" opens in February for Argentina, Chile & Uruguay. Both commence with a 4-month Machon course (MACHON L'MADRECHEI CHUTZ L'ARETZ – Institute for youth leaders from abroad).
Thereafter, they enter either Marvah or Mada, and then progress to Volunteer components, either on Kibbutz or working with underprivileged urban communities (cf. below). The Desk's madrichim – all Movement graduates who made aliyah – escort and apply Maccabi curricula throughout.
Tamar programs are constructed on a basis of varied Modular-Components:
MACHON is a top-level annual Young Educator & Leadership Training course, the most effective youth movement academy, shaping over 12,000 leaders since 1946.
MADA is an intensive 60-hour theoretical & practical First Aid course with proficiency and graduation tests to qualify for real work as MDA (Magen David Adom) ambulance crews at stations in cities and localities across the country. They interact with volunteers from Israel and other countries in genuine volunteer service to the people of Israel. As to the formative experience: there is no such thing as routine day on an Israeli ambulance crew. If they were still children before, they're adults afterwards. At the end, there's a diploma of participation.
MARVAH IDF service is a personality-forging rite-of-passage for young Israelis, defining patriotism and personal identity with the State of Israel. We consider it a very relevant and fundamental experience in the education process of young people from abroad. They undergo some physical toughness training, run obstacle courses, survival techniques, learn to handle an automatic rifle, study the history of the IDF and learn the IDF's Ethics Program, but are never exposed to danger situations or actual combat zones.
After Marvah or Mada, the Tamar group recombines for the Kibbutz or Volunteer experience:
KIBBUTZ Many kibbutzim are not as they were in the 1950's & 60's, but retain the essence and nature of communal life and decision-making, a way of life almost unique to Israel, and certainly nowhere else in the Jewish world. Tamar participants work in agriculture, animal husbandry, gardening, kindergartens, etc. and learn Hebrew in Ulpan frameworks at levels suited to their knowledge and proficiency. There are weekly encounters with professionals and educators on leadership technique, Israeli actualia and Jewish Identity. Maccabi counselors accompany the group throughout the period..
URBAN VOLUNTEERING Participants live in Tel Aviv and volunteer in hospitals, Golden Age day-care, clubs and Youth-at-Risk programs and come into contact with a wide variety of Israelis, and become familiar with the daily realities of living in Israel.
