Jan 7, 2009 -- Since their respective launches in 2004 and 2005, Yeshiva University’s (YU) Mechinah Program and Basic Jewish Studies Program (BJS) have reached out to hundreds of young men and women around the world with limited Jewish backgrounds. Through specialized courses and extra-curricular activities, the programs offer students a hands-on Jewish learning experience. Students live and learn in a Jewish community committed to traditional values and contemporary thought, while simultaneously obtaining a degree from a top university. “The programs provide introductory classes to Jewish text and Jewish observance in a warm and non-judgmental environment,” says Rabbi Zev Reichman, director of the men’s Mechinah Program. The programs draw students from all parts the world—including Panama, Morocco, France, Venezuela, Belgium, Ukraine, Peru, Germany and Italy among others—all with varying degrees of Judaic knowledge. Students study at their own pace, choosing from a variety of courses. Their curriculum includes explanatory prayer services, individualized mentoring and chavrusa [study partner] learning. Students also experience Shabbat hospitality and retreats with faculty, as well as field trips to Jewish sites. Despite the differences in their backgrounds, the program participants integrate into the general YU student body over time. One such student, Liorah Sabbah, grew up on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, never receiving a formal Jewish education. Upon completing high school, she enrolled at YU, excited about the opportunity to learn about Judaism at an in-depth level, but anxious about leaving her home. Rabbi Reichman has been amazed by students’ progress. “One student entered the program a few years ago without the ability to read or translate a Hebrew word. Today, he is about to enter YU’s semicha [rabbinic ordination] program,” he says. “At first I was hesitant to come to New York and to YU. I was scared of how people would view me as a foreigner,” says the Stern College for Women sophomore, who learned English in three months before making her journey. Sabbah has quickly adapted to YU and thoroughly enjoys partaking in the BJS Program. “I love the Shabbatonim, meeting different people, and finding answers to my questions. I am surrounded by so many wonderful people who help guide me in the right direction.” Shoshana Schechter, director of the women’s BJS Program, says that each student has her own unique story that has led her to YU. “No matter their background, they all share a common bond—a passion to learn more about their heritage. It’s inspiring to watch the students deepen their Jewish identities and commitment to Torah - things they never felt so strongly about before,” Schechter says. Sophie Lachmann, a biology major at Stern, grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia, and came to YU three years ago. “After all those years struggling to be observant in Barranquilla, I was given the opportunity to expand my knowledge of Judaism, earn a college degree and most importantly, become part of a big Jewish community,” says Lachmann, a junior. “I hope to remain close to all the amazing people that I have met along the way—the BJS Program has been like a family to me.” Lachmann particularly enjoyed the Gerald and Mary Swartz July in Jerusalem program, where Mechinah and BJS students spend their summers learning in and touring Israel. “It was a life-altering experience for me,” says Lachmann. To learn more about the Mechinah Program and the Basic Jewish Studies Program, visit www.yu.edu/jumpstart.