MBI Reminder and Conference Call Summary

MBI Reminders and conference call summary

The final payment was due this week- if you have questions about your balance please be in touch with Yelena Adelman at money@habonimdror.org.

If you are contributing to kupa this is also due this week. The recommended amount is $140 and we would like this sent as a separate payment from the final payment.

Kupa is a communal fund of money that will be allotted to each bus. This will be used for day to day necessities such as replacing water bottles, replenishing sunscreen and toiletries. This is also a fund that can be used to buy the whole bus ice cream or to get a cake for someone’s birthday. This also covers the souvenir bus and MBI shirt they will all receive at the end of the summer. The way the money is spent is ultimately up to the participants on each bus.

If you would also like to bring spending money you can. Unless you are buying expensive gifts you do not need more than $100. The best way to bring this would be in cash, but a debit card is also acceptable. All of the money is collected and carried by the counselors and they keep track of how much each person has. They then organize getting the money transferred to shekels prior to a time when the MBIers will have a chance to go shopping. The 2 places they will have an opportunity to shop will be a market in Tel Aviv and on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem.

Packing reminders
Sleeping bag- can be lightweight, does not get cold at night
hat
something that hold 3 liters of water (recommended camelback or similar product, water pouch can be placed in a backpack which can be used on day trips and hikes.
sturdy sandals (Birkenstock/naot/teva or chaco sandals) NO FLIP FLOPS- they cannot wear flip flops on day trips in cities.
NO TANK TOPS DURING THE DAY!
Closed toed shoes (sneakers or hiking boots) – they will be doing a project where they build rafts and then sail them across the Kinneret. For this they will need sneakers or boots that will get wet. They cannot wear sandals, or sandals with closed toes or crocs. They must wear real shoes. It is suggested that they bring an old pair of sneakers or a separate pair of shoes to hike in. They will have a few days after the rafting project before they hike again so this should them time to have their shoes dry out if they don’t bring a spare pair.

Luggage- the suggestion is to bring a duffel bag on wheels. In addition to checked luggage you can bring a carry-on plus a backpack. It has been suggested to brig nth sleeping bag and a backpack on the plane as carry on.

Cell Phones- if you want to rent a cell phone the easiest way to do this is through Israel phones. The order form can be found on our website. This is convenient as they will drop the phones off on the first day at the airport and then pick them up before the kids leave. Renting a cell phone will be the best way to be in touch with your child during the summer. They will not have access to internet and will have limited access to pay phones. Kupa can buy calling cards so kids can call home if they find a payphone or borrow a friend’s phone.

Passports- Gil, Rosh MBI, will carry all passports with him all summer. He travels with the group from place to place and will keep them either in his room in a safety lock box or with his during the day.

Free Weekend-
This will take place on July 16-July 18. Those who have filled out the free weekend form will leave the hostel, which will be north of Haifa on the morning of the 16th. There are 3 drop off points, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The exact locations and times will be worked out in the coming weeks and will be sent out to MBI families who will be responsible for getting that information to the hosts. Those who are not going out for free weekend will have a relaxing weekend at the hostel. There will be counselors staying with them who will run light programming. If you have not sent your form in please do so prior to July 5th. After this we will not accept new free weekend requests as we need to finalize bus arrangements.

Safety/security/supervision
In regards to safety and security, MBI gets daily updates about security issues. If for any reason the daily itinerary needs to be changed our coordinators in the Israel experience office organize a revised schedule. If there is a serious safety concern we revise the program in a way that puts safety at the highest priority. This happened in 2006, when the war in the north broke out; the program was moved to the south for the remainder of the summer.

In regards to supervision, there is a balance between giving MBIers freedom and space to be 16 year olds versus supervision and safety concerns. Most nights they will have unstructured free time and the counselors will be at the hostel or camp sight. They will also be around at night to enforce bedtime and make sure everyone is accounted for. During the day they are with the group the whole time during a hike or city tour. There will be a few times when the kids have time to walk around on their own but there will be boundaries set and counselors at those boundaries and kids will need to be in groups.

Blog- the blog will be used during the summer to update families about what the MBIers are doing day to day. I will speak to Gil everyday and get a rundown of what they have seen and discussed that day. I will update the blog every 2 days. The blog is not a way to communicate with me directly during the summer. I will be in NY all summer and will be available by phone and email for specific questions or concerns. The blog can be found at www.mbi2010.blogspot.com . you can get blog updates right to your email by signing up at www.feedmyinbox.com.

Tzevet (Staff)
We have 8 North American Habonim counselors, 2 Australian Habonim counselors, 3 Israeli counselors, and 2 Israeli tour guides. Each bus will have 3 Habonim counselors, 1 Israeli, 1 tour guide and medical/security personnel (medic).

Medical concerns
Kids who take medication can choose to carry their medication and be responsible for taking it themselves. If they do not want to do this the medic on the bus can carry it and give it out. They can also bring over the counter medication such as pain reliever. The medic also has over the counter pain reliever and fever reducer.

We contact parents in emergency medical situations only. During the summer kids go to the doctor often due to colds due to change in climate, strenuous activity, dehydration etc. Sometimes on Shabbat the only place to see a doctor is in a hospital but this does not mean it is an emergency. We ask for patience in regards to medical situations in general as your child may call home before I have a chance to speak with Gil, or will call you when they are sick but not call when they feel better. The time difference makes these situations tricky as well.

Drug/Alcohol Policy
This is a no tolerance policy. Anyone caught using or in possession will be removed from the program immediately.
Piercings and tattoos are also not allowed.