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History to high-tech: Muss summer teen programs bring Israel to life

“Students gain a profound appreciation for their heritage and a lasting sense of pride,” Muss president Susan Sacks.

Muss Entrepreneurship students
Alexander Muss High School Entrepreneurship students outside the Wix office in Israel. Credit: Courtesy.

Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss) is inviting high school students to embark on adventure and personal growth through its immersive Summer in Israel programs. These life-changing experiences combine academic excellence, hands-on learning and cultural exploration, providing students with a transformative connection to Israel and their Jewish heritage.

Muss programs—the Jewish National Fund-USA’s college-prep, study abroad in Israel experience—use the land as a living classroom with history courses, experiential learning and travel-based education that bring their studies to life. Students visit iconic sites, cutting-edge technology hubs and vibrant communities. With opportunities for high school credit and college certificates, they can also boost their college application résumés.

Muss summer offerings include multiple program tracks tailored to different student interests, including:

  • The flagship six-week Summer Semester program provides a full academic curriculum and opportunities for high school credit combined with immersive travel experiences.
  • Muss Explore program, an action-packed five-week experiential-learning program, includes travel and Israel education without the stress of exams.
  • Muss Entrepreneurship program, a comprehensive four-week innovative learning experience, offers students to discover how Israel became the startup capital of the world while learning about problem-solving and teamwork as they conceptualize, build and pitch viable start-ups to a “Shark Tank"-style panel of professionals. Participants are also eligible to earn the New York University Bronfman Institute Certificate for Impact and Intrapreneurship.
Alexander Muss High School
Students on the Muss campus in Hod Hasharon. Credit: Jewish National Fund-USA.

“The Muss summer experiences are diverse in nature, but they all share a common thread—a journey that strengthens students’ Jewish identities and prepares them for future leadership,” said Susan Sacks, the president of Muss. “By spending time in Israel and engaging in meaningful discussions, students gain a profound appreciation for their heritage and a lasting sense of pride, not to mention a leg up on their peers when applying for colleges.”

Muss Summer is a proud RootOne-affiliated trip. RootOne helps expand access to and enhance the Israeli experiences of thousands of Jewish teens each year. Participants on RootOne-affiliated programs are eligible to receive vouchers of up to $3,000 to help offset program costs and complete engaging educational coursework before travel. RootOne is seeded through a generous grant by the Marcus Foundation and powered by the Jewish Education Project. (Visit RootOne.org for more information. Other forms of financial aid are also available.)

Muss Explore
Muss Explore students ride camels in the Negev Desert. Credit: Courtesy.

“This program has changed my life,” said Sari Gross, who attended Muss Classic last year. “I have made lifelong friends and memories that I will never forget. I feel more connected to my Judaism and feel the Zionist energy running through everyone’s veins.”

She continued, saying that “this magic that I feel daily is a result of the incredible teachers that I have learned so much from the amazing sites we have visited and simply being in my homeland.”

To register or learn more about Muss summer programs , visit: www.amhsi.org/summer.

About & contact the publisher
Jewish National Fund-USA builds a strong, vibrant future for the land and people of Israel through bold initiatives and Zionist education. As a leading philanthropic movement, the organization supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south as it develops new communities in the Negev and Galilee, connects the next generation to Israel, and creates infrastructure and programs that support ecology, people with disabilities, and heritage site preservation, all while running a fully accredited study abroad experience through its Alexander Muss High School in Israel.
About & contact the publisher
Alexander Muss High School in Israel is the only pluralist, college-prep, fully accredited program where high school students from the United States and across the globe study abroad together. The Israel-studies curriculum spans Jewish and Israeli history, using the land as the classroom, while our general studies department provides a multitude of classes at various levels.
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