FAQ (39)
What is the food like?
LJY-Netzer is a vegetarian youth movement and we aim for all our meals to be healthy, good quality and appealing to all children. On smaller events the Movement Workers or a dedicated volunteer team cook the meals and on larger events we employ a team of professional cooks. We accommodate all food preferences and allergies and make sure no one goes hungry on our events.
How are the leaders trained/checked?
All our leaders are DBS-checked as according to legal requirements. We run a three year leadership training course as well as regular refresher courses before events. The training includes everything from how to plan and run a session, to how to look after the participants’ welfare as well as confidentiality, disclosure and child protection.
What will my child/ren be learning on LJY-Netzer?
At LJY-Netzer we teach according to our ideology. The topics we tend to cover include: Social action and responsibility, Israel and Israeli culture, Liberal Judaism, Jewish history, Progressive Zionism, current affairs and how it fits with our ideology, prayer and Torah. We are keen to tolerate and encourage an atmosphere where a plurality of views are aired, and we would never criticise anyone for holding a certain view.
My child has learning difficulties/a disability. Will they still be able to attend?
We do everything possible to include everyone. We train our leaders in how to engage children with learning difficulties or any disability that may affect their involvement.
For several years we have had participants who have autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia and are able to include them fully in our activities. If your child has mobility issues or requires a wheelchair please contact us. Unfortunately, at this time some of our sites are inaccessible to people with these issues but we will do everything possible to accommodate them where possible. We are constantly reviewing this and hope that in the near future we will have sites where this is no longer a problem.
If you would like to chat about this further please give the office a call on 0207 631 0584 and you can chat to the movement worker who is responsible for your child’s age group.
It’s pretty expensive, is there any financial help?
We never want financial constraints to prevent anyone attending our events and therefore offer financial assistance for all events. All enquiries and applications are dealt with confidentially by Shelley (shelly@liberaljudaism.org), who is the LJY-Netzer line manager. Roughly 25-30% of all applicants receive some form of financial support each year, and in 2012 we gave away over £30,000. We give awards of all sizes so please don’t feel unable to contact us.
Can my child/ren be in a room with their friends?
On our smaller events most participants of the same sex will be in one large room so this isn’t an issue. For our larger events the application form will give you space to write 3 preferences for roommates. We will consider every request and do everything possible to make everyone happy although this is not always the case. Participants spend very little time in their room while on events as there is so much going on, therefore, being in a different room or with only one friend will not stop friends seeing each other while on camp.
How much sleep will my child/ren get on the event?
We have bedtimes and wake up times on every event between which they are not allowed to leave their room. We also have dorm leaders who remind the participants of the wake up time and calm them down before they go to bed. However, they are away from home and will often stay up talking before heading to bed and getting a good night sleep.
My child/ren has medication to take. How does that work?
Medication is held and distributed by the medic on the event. All medication must be specified on the application form and then given to the Movement Worker or medic when you arrive to the event. Please go over your child/ren’s medication with them before you leave. At the end of the event the medication will be given back to the participant before they go home.
What security do you have in place on events?
All our sites have risk assessments and are safe for children to be in. Events at synagogues have the usual synagogue security. On our larger events all our staff wear identification badges as well as being trained by the CST in identifying and dealing with intruders and strangers. We also inform the local police of our presence and take their advice on any appropriate situations. For Israel Tour we liaise with the Israeli Government through the UJIA. For Kayitz Netzer, we stay in the centre of major cities and in all the years we have run the tour we have never had any problems.
Why should I send my child/ren on LJY-Netzer?
LJY-Netzer is a chance for your child/ren to make new friends who have the same cultural and religious background while learning more about their identity and having a chance to shape it through education and fun. LJY-Netzer helps participants gain a sense of social responsibility, confidence, leadership and team work as well as learning new skills from sports to arts and crafts to cooking. LJY-Netzer is an inclusive community where everyone is encouraged to take part and this gives them an international network of friends that they can always rely on and see several times a year.
What is your policy on bringing mobile phones?
As a general rule we don’t allow mobile phones on our events. If they want to use their phone as a camera or music player they are allowed to do so if they remove their SIM card. We do this so they have an immersive experience and get the most from their time on the event. If you have any questions about this please contact the office on 020 7631 0584
What do you mean by ‘education’?
Our education on events is done informally through creative techniques so your children will not be sitting in a classroom as they do at school. Our educational sessions include being active, arts & crafts, drama, discussions and group work to provide education in many different ways. We aim to make it interesting and thought-provoking; we call it “fun-Jew-cation” for a reason!
Is it like Cheder/Saturday/Sunday School?
Not really. We don’t sit in classrooms and talk at you but instead we do lots of discussions, acting, drawing and creative stuff. We think that learning about your Judaism should be a really exciting experience supplementary to your cheder/Jewish school. If you haven’t found Jewish education inspiring before you’ll be surprised with what you get out of our sessions. All our leaders have gone through hadracha training and know so many different, creative and unique ways to educate.