Eco Israel Program

• Ecology & Permaculture Design
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Alternative Building Techniques
• Jewish Spirituality & Israel Studies

Dates: September - January, February - June
Duration: 5 Months
Program Cost: $5,000 (participants are eligible for up to $3000 in scholarship funds from MASA)
Program includes internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate

Community Living

The residential community of the farm is usually about 30 folks. Besides for Eco-Israel, Chava v’Adam is also home to Israeli national service volunteers, some of whom are doing their Shnat Sheirut, the year of pre-army service, or the Sheirut Leumiy service program instead of joining the army. Israeli residents of the farm stay for one year, starting each September, and are usually between the ages of 18-23.

The language on the farm is Hebrew & English.
Apprentices are housed in spacious, double-occupancy domes on the hilltop overlooking the farm. Each dome comes with two beds, a wood-burning stove, and shelving. Community living space includes solar showers, compost toilets, shared kitchen & library.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared on rotational basis & shared communally. All meals on the farm are vegetarian.

As an apprentice, the farm is free to be your home as much as you wish to make it one. We enjoy group hiking, yoga, and prayer, as well as Shabbat & Holiday celebrations.

The farm is off the electricity grid of Modi’in. We are without internet access and phone lines. Our power supply comes from solar panels & a back-up generator.

Program Curriculum

• Field Work
  Our classroom is the living-outdoors and the experiential education will be very-hands on. Agricultural work is centered on 5 separate hand-dug & bio-intensive garden plots, each filled with a great diversity of heirloom, open-pollinated vegetable varieties, as well as an abundance of perennial flowers & herbs, and a small orchard.
  Work varies depending on the seasonal patterns and weather conditions. All work is done side-by -side, and with the assistance of farm staff.
  Daily field activities can involve working in the vegetable gardens, with animals, in construction projects using wood, stone, and/or mud, and maintaining the general upkeep & order of the site.
  You will be learning by doing. This means you will be exposed to the sometimes difficult but realistic pressures and responsibilities of running a farm…which could mean long work hours and extreme weather conditions. As an apprentice, the farm’s success will depend on you…your attitude and work ethic. You will have to have a certain level of mental & physical preparation to continuously approach this lifestyle.
  As much as the work is demanding, the blessings are endless…a real-time education with practical experience, both the wonders and the challenges, of daily farm happenings.


• Class Work

Our guided educational component is broken up into the subjects of agriculture, permaculture living skills, plant crafts & culture, Eretz Yi’srael studies, and Jewish Studies.
Agriculture Greenhouse management & plant propagation, garden bed preparation, compost & vermicompost, irrigation techniques, soil fertility management, plant botany, seed saving & the seed industry, social issues in modern agriculture, environmental issues in modern agriculture, history of agricultural evolution.
Permaculture Living Skills Using whole system thinking & design, we will study how our daily decision-making processes affect our greater ecosystem. Using permaculture techniques, we will approach mud/stone building, water conservation & recycling, perennial-based agriculture & animal husbandry.
Plant Crafts & Culture Applied herbology & medicine making, fermentations, canning, jams, wine & beer making, breads.
Eretz Yi’srael Studies History of the land of Israel (cultural & agricultural), Jewish land ethics & agrarian practices.
Jewish Studies An overall survey of Jewish spirituality, ecology & the Hebrew calendar.
Hebrew Language Skills There will be an organized program that is individualized to each person's level - work in a book coupled with time with an Israeli living on the farm who will help you. You will be in a community mixed with Israelis and English speakers so you can take full advantage of the opportunity to speak whenever you wish.
Field Trips Half-day visits to overnight stays from the Negev Desert to the Golan, to a diverse range of related points of interest in Israel, cultural & agricultural.

Typical Day

FAQS

1. How much experience do I need to be accepted?
   While previous farming experience might allow for an easier transition into the lifestyle of the program, prior work in agriculture is by no means necessary. We work as a community, in a supported environment. You will learn as you go. And for those of you with lots of experience, there’ll be plenty for you, as well!!
   More important than previous experience is the openness & willingness to learn and experience. This applies to community living even more so than to agricultural skills. If you have never had the chance to live with community before, please understand that this will be a new experience for you, something that will take some getting used to.
2. What does the farm do with the vegetables & fruit grown in the gardens?
   There is an on-site farm store that is open daily, every afternoon. The store sells everything from cloth diapers to books on organic living and dry fruits & nuts. Twice a week, we feature vegetables & fruits grown on the farm and grown by other local farmers. This “farm stand” is frequented by many regular customers, who have become part of our extended community.
3. What type of farming clothes should I bring? Are there any other crucial items I should have with me?
   Durable clothing that can handle wear & tear…and keep you comfortable! And whatever clothing you might want to wear when you head to town after work or to Shabbat & holiday celebrations.
   It’s also very important to bring along a headlamp, work gloves, a towel, a change of sheets, a mosquito net. If you choose to bring shampoo & conditioner & soap with you, please make sure the products are natural & bridgeable.
4. Outside of tuition cost, can you estimate how much money I will need for the length of the program?
   You will need money to travel on your own on free weekends. You will also need to cover your costs if you want to go out for an evening or something. We estimate you will need approx $500-$1000 spending money, but it really depends on you and what you like to do. But this is money you should have before coming to the program.
5. How easy is it to travel to and from the farm?
   Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are easily accessible from the city of Modi’in by bus & train. The trip can take anywhere between 30-45 minutes. The farm is very close to the city of Modi’in. By foot, you can be at the bus stop or train station in one hour. Taxi cabs service the farm, as well, and charge about 30 shekels (about 8 U.S. dollars).
6. Is there vacation time?
   Program participants have most weekends free, as well as most Jewish holidays. You will also have one week vacation time during the program. Of course, if family or close friends are visiting the country or an emergency arises, you can take off extra time.
7. Are we allowed to have guests stay with us?
   Yes. But guests are considered to be volunteers on the farm for the duration of their stay. Let them know they’ll be asked to join us for work. Guests do not join us in classes. While they are on the farm, they are free to join us for meals. Also, realize that you will be living with a dome-mate, so it must be ok with your housemate if you have your guest sleep over on the farm, in your dome.
8. Will there be internet access on the farm?
   There is internet access on the farm but there is only one computer, a laptop, for a community of 30. Also, because of our remote location, the connection is very slow.
9. Do I need a visa? If so, what kind, working or school?
   When you arrive in the country, you will receive a normal tourist visa that covers you up to 3 months. We will extend your visa to be a student visa.
10. When will I hear about the scholarship money?
    Once your MASA application is complete (including our signature on the final page) then you will hear from them.
11. How religiously affiliated is the farm?
    The farm is not affiliated with any particular approach to Jewish living & practice. There is great diversity among the community members in relation to how one connects to God and the Jewish rituals & culture. We do practice in an egalitarian, pluralistic way. There is no work on site during Shabbat. Each participant is free to celebrate as they choose, but the farm itself closes down on Shabbat,
12. Are there any farm rules we need to know before we arrive?
    Yes. We do not eat meat or fish at all. We do eat dairy though. Also, we do not allow any disposable utensils or dishes to be used on-site.

Staff

• Yigal Deutscher, Founder & Co-Director. Yigal grew up in New York City & began farming as an ADAMAH Fellow at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Connecticut. He received a certificate in Agroecology from University of California, Santa Cruz (Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems), as well as a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia. He is also a member of the Jewish Farm School Collective.
• Naomi Katz, Co-Director, Community Coordinator. Naomi received her BA from Brown University and MA UC Berkeley. She taught high school for years in the US and also started a school garden program with students in East Oakland, CA. Besides for her work with Eco-Israel, she also teaches with Chava v'Adam in two elementary schools in Modi'in and serves as the community coordinator for the Israeli residential members of Chava v’Adam.

Application Process

Costs

• The overall cost of the program, which includes housing, food & field trips, is $5,000. participants are eligible for up to $3000 in scholarship funds from MASA an organization under the umbrella of the Jewish Agency, supporting long-term programs for foreigners in Israel. Once you’ve been accepted to Eco-Israel, registering through the MASA site automatically puts you in the pool for scholarship funds.
• The tuition does not include the flight. If you want to look for other scholarships, there is a listing of resources on the MASA website. People have also been successful finding funds through local Jewish organizations - synagogues, Federations, etc.
• Eco-Israel does not provide health insurance, but there are a number of affordable options. The one we recommend is through a company called Harel - they provide tourists with insurance for about $1/day.

Contact