Jan 18, 2007 -- Students from the Yeshiva University High School for Boys will leave on January 17, for Istanbul, Turkey, to spend their winter vacation learning about and strengthening the local Jewish community. The 12 students, all from the New York/New Jersey area, will meet with local rabbis and Jewish communal leaders in an effort to learn more about the distinct challenges confronting the Turkish Jewish community. They will visit an old age home, interact with young people at a local Sunday school, run a program for youth groups, and visit local synagogues for daily prayers and learning programs. “Turkey is a fascinating part of the world,” said Daniel Schuval, coordinator of special projects for the high school, who is accompanying the students on their trip. “The country has a formal relationship with the state of Israel and a rich Jewish history, but despite that the Jewish community is somewhat isolated. We are hoping that our students will interact with members of the Jewish community and learn from them.” Local Jewish community members will show the students interesting sites in Istanbul. The school worked with the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Turkey to arrange for visits and touring opportunities. Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future also helped the high school plan the mission. A detailed itinerary of their trip is available. The students were selected for the trip based on their ability to learn from the experience and share its lessons with others, which they will be expected to do when they return. “We also selected students who could bring their Torah Umadda (the view that religious studies and secular studies enhance and enrich each other) experience to life for others,” Mr. Schuval said. On January 22, the students will travel to Northern Israel to help groups that were affected by the Lebanon war this summer. The time in Israel will be dedicated to providing hands-on-assistance to relief centers, facility renovation, and food distribution. Yeshiva University High Schools teach and perpetuate the values of Torah Umadda. The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy /Yeshiva University High School for Boys and the Samuel H. Wang High School for Girls are dedicated to preparing our students for adulthood both as broadly educated and caring members of general society and as knowledgeable and committed Jews. The YU High Schools provide a challenging academic program of general and Jewish studies in an atmosphere that grounded in adherence to the traditional ideals and practices of Modern Orthodox observance.