Touray Tanach is a learning and travel program for boys featuring a great summer learning, touring and playing sports in Israel, all in a warm Torah environment.

The program consists of serious Yeshiva learning of Tanach and Talmud, related fun, interesting tiyulim, and plenty of sports. Days will begin with a full morning seder followed in the afternoon by touring and/or sports. Nights will include great night activities, guest speakers, night seder and sometimes additional sports.

Participants will be based at Yeshivat Har Etzion (YHE) where they will daven, eat and stay together with the regular Yeshiva students. Learn from and get to know the motivated and dedicated Hesder students, Roshei Yeshiva and faculty of YHE. Two 4 day tiyulim, one up North and one down South, will also be an integral part of the program.

Learning will be under guidance of Rabbi Menchem Leibtag, well-known lecturer and author. Founder of the Tanach Study Center online, Rabbi Leibtag has pioneered a new approach to Chumash and Tanach which has thousands of people eager to receive his Divre Torah by email each week.

The learning will include Talmud, Tanach and related material. We have a team of top-notch educators to serve as our Rabbanim who will give shiurim.

Touring, while fun, will focus on sites straight out of Navi which are related to the learning and even be an integral part of the learning itself. The Tanach will come alive. The program will also include sports as you take advantage of all the great sports facilities in the adjacent Har Etzion Sports Center including football, basketball and swimming.

The program will be lead by Rabbi Ari Cutler. Rabbi Cutler, originally from Staten Island, is currently a Ram in Yeshivat HaKotel. He will be recruiting in the US and Israel and supervising the program in the summer. Rabbi Cutler has many years of experience running summer programs and is looking forward to working individually with each and every participant to make sure they get the most out of their summer with Touray.

For more information about our 2008 Staff.

For more information about Yeshivat Har Etzion.

Click here to see pictures from Touray Tanach 2008

For more information: Call 212-929-1525 x183
Email: touray@youngisrael.org

Sample Regular Daily Schedule

07:30 - Tefilla
08:15 - Breakfast

09:00 - Sicha - Rabbi Ari Cutler
09:15 - Shiur - Rabbi Moshe Taragin/Rabbi Menachem Leibtag
10:15 - Guided preparation on Masechta Megillah

11:45 - Break/Snack
12:00 - Shiur in Masechta Megillah - Rabbi Cutler/Rabbi Jesse Horn
1:00 - Lunch
1:30 - Organized Sports, swim or Tiyulim depending on the day*(see below)

5:30 - Snack

5:45 - Shiur
7:00 - Mincha

7:30 - Dinner
8:15 - Maariv

8:30 - Tanach Chaburah - Madrichim

9:15 - Chavrutot with Gush Talmidim or Guest Speakers

10:00 - Relax, Optional learning/night activity

11:30 - Sleep

Afternoons will vary by day: Sunday, Tuesdays, some Wednesdays and Fridays will be sports; Monday will be afternoon tiyul and Thursday tiyul, Tanach-based, with preparation by Rabbi Leibtag and others.

Here is a schedule of Tiyulim for summer 2008. Both the learning and tiyulim schedule is subject to change.

July 6 - Depart Via New York for Israel
July 7 - Arrival, Holy Bagel, Yeshivat Har Etzion, Unpack, Orientation, Kotel, Maariv

July 8 -  Depart for Negev, Ber Sheva, Avraham Avinu in the Desert, Sdeh Boker

July 9 - Depart to Eilat, Keturah, Study Southern Borders

July 10 - Hike Har Tzfachot at sunrise, Tehillim 19, swim, Ein Gedi, return to Gush
July 11 - Late wake-up, Shiur, Jerusalem, sports, prepare for Shabbat
July 12 - Shabbat in Yeshivat Har Etzion

July 13 - Begin Regular Daily Schedule (see above)

July 14 - Regular Daily Schedule, Shmitah presentation
July 15 - Regular Daily Schedule, Half-day Tiyul: Efrat
July 16 - Regular Daily Schedule
July 17 - Regular Daily Schedule, Full day tiyul: Shimshon, In the footsteps of Sefer Yehoshua

July 18 - Shiur, Jerusalem, sports, perpare for Shabbat

July 19 - Shabbat - In Yeshivat Har Etzion
July 20 - Regular Daily Schedule
July 21 - Regular Daily Schedule, Half Day Tiyul - Derech Avot, Sound and Light Show
July 22 - Regular Daily Schedule Chesed Program

July 23 - Regular Daily Schedule
July 24 - Shiur, Full Day Tiyul: Hike, In the footsteps of Sefer Shoftim

July 25 - Late wake-up, Shiur, Depart for free Shabbat

July 26 - Free Shabbat

July 27 - Back to the Gush, Regular Daily Schedule
July 28 - Regular Daily Schedule
July 29 - Start Four Day Tiyul: Hike Har Gilboa, Emek Hanelam, Beit Shean, Sefer Shmuel

July 30 - Nachal Yehudia, Kinneret Cruise
July 31 - Nachal Zavitan, Kayaking the Jordan
Aug 1 - The Holy City of Zefat, afternoon travel to Modiin

Aug 2 - Group Shabbat in Modiin
Aug 3 - Regular Daily Schedule in Gush Etzion
Aug 4 - Regular Daily Schedule
Aug 5 - Regular Daily Schedule, transfer to Old City
Aug 6 - Regular Daily Schedule in Yeshivat HaKotel
Aug 7 - Shiur, Full Day Tiyul: In the footsteps of Sefer Melachim, Lachish, Tel-Arad, Masada

Aug 8 - Friday - Special Activity

Aug 9 - Shabbat in Yeshivat HaKotel, Old City, Shabbat Chazon

Aug 10 - Sunday, Tisha b’Av in Jerusalem, Mincha at the Kotel
Aug 11 - Full Day Water Hike, BBQ
Aug 12 - Late wake-up, Shiur, Free time/shopping, Banquet, Chaim David Concert
Aug 13 - Kotel, depart to America, see you next year.

July 6 to August 13, 2008
$4,950

All dates and prices are subject to change. Price includes airfare from New York. Please let us know if you wish to extend your stay in Israel beyond the dates of the program. Price includes everything but spending money.

Touray will provide 3 strictly Kosher Mehadrin meals per day.

Touray will not have a doctor or nurse accompanying the group at all times. A Israeli Chovesh (medic) will accompany the group on all tiyulim. Medical issues will be handled by local doctors at a Jerusalem Family clinic utilizing English speaking doctors whenever possible. Participants will be provided with medical insurance coverage. If you have special medical needs, please contact our office to discuss those needs well in advance.

Security is a top priority on all Touray programs. An armed guard will accompany the group during all tiyulim.

Acceptance to Touray will be based on an interview and excellent references. We reserve the right to accept or reject any candidate. Touray has specific rules and policies, partially outlined in the Touray Tanach Guidebook, with which all participants must comply. Touray reserves the right to remove any participant from the program. Should this occur, no refunds will be given. All participants are expected to conduct themselves according to halachic standards and have exemplary midot as befitting a ben-Torah, shomer mitzvos.

Other facilities available in Alon Shevut, where the Yeshiva is located, include a Bank Mizrachi and Makolet (general store). Though Touray will provide 3 meals a day, of course, it will be nice to know that in case you get hungry Alon Shevut has a Felafel/Shwarma stand and nearby in Efrat there is a Burgers Bar and Pizza shop that deliver.

What makes Touray Tanach different from other Summer Kollel Programs?
At most Yeshiva High Schools, learning Tanach usually takes a back seat to Talmud related subjects. At Touray, we have integrated Tanach into the daily learning. Yeshivat Har Etzion, and its affiliated Herzog Teacher's College is known worldwide as the avant-garde of advanced Tanach Study in the Yeshiva world. In Touray Tanach, we will have a special opportunity to study first hand with their staff and teachers.

Another huge difference between Touray Tanach and other learning programs is the Israeli environment. The base for the program, Yeshivat Har Etzion, is the largest Hesder Yeshiva in Israel. It is known worldwide as the intellectual mecca of the Hesder movement. The Roshei Yeshiva are world renowned Torah Scholars. We will have the honor and privilege to hear from them directly during the summer. We will have the opportunity to learn together with many of the regular Israel yeshiva students.

What makes Touray Tanach different than other summer Tiyul Programs?
The tiyulim (touring) will not only be fun, they will also be educational as they will directly connect to the serious Tanach learning. The tiyulim will challenge you as they include serious hiking, animal riding, and overnight camping. Finally, they are specifically designed to give you a deeper understanding of the importance of the Land of Israel, and how it connects with your daily Torah Study.