What is HiBuR?
HiBuR is an innovative and immersive exchange program that fosters connections between teens from the Boston MetroWest area, and Beit Sefer Hugim, a public high school in Haifa. Through HiBuR, teens develop person to person connections, learn about each other’s Jewish cultures and identities and develop a sense of Jewish Peoplehood that extends beyond local and national boundaries.
The program includes two mifgashim (gatherings in Hebrew) in which teens visit each other’s families and communities, an extensive curriculum for MetroWest participants, as well as a year-long joint curriculum with the Hugim school.
The Boston mifgash, which takes place in the Fall, begins with a joint weekend in NYC and continues with a week of home hospitality in the Metrowest area. During the Israel mifgash over February break, the teens spend a week with their hosts in Haifa and end with a weekend together in Jerusalem.
The NYC & Boston mifgash focuses on the American Jewish experience. It includes visits to:
- The Tenement Museum
- Ellis and Liberty Island
- Times Square
- 9/11 Memorial Museum
- One World Observatory
- Massachusetts State House
- Mayyim Hayyim
- Brandeis University
- Plimoth-Patuxet
- Shabbat and Simchat Torah at a liberal congregation
- Visits to different Hebrew/Religious Schools
During the 10 day Israel adventure, the teens experience some of the culture, history, and people of Israel. this exciting trip includes:
- A 6-night stay with hosting families in Haifa with visits to nearby sites such as the ancient port city of Akko, a Druze village and a kibbutz.
- A guided, full-day tour of the mystic city of Tzefat and the Golan Heights.
- A day trip to Tel Aviv, with a visit to Independence Hall and Old Yaffo.
- 3 Days in Jerusalem, beginning with a hike up Masada and a dip in the Dead Sea.