Germany Close Up

A most beloved program, Germany Close Up, is back!

**Trip postponed**

Join your fellow Young Adults on a trip for young American Jews run by a Berlin-based NGO and sponsored by the German government with the goal to explore the country and experience German culture. This is an incredible opportunity to join Rabbi Jason Rodich on the journey of a lifetime!

The program will focus on the following topics:

Berlin and united Germany
The Holocaust and the Nazi Era (including a visit to a former Concentration Camp)
Transatlantic/German-American relations (including a meeting with officials of the German Federal Foreign Office)
Current German Politics
Jewish Life in Berlin, past and present
German-Israeli relations
Visit to a city outside of Berlin

Participant Requirements:

Space is limited.
Applicants will be selected by Germany Close Up in consultation with Emanu-El.
Each applicant needs to be 21-42 years old at the time of the trip!
Applicants are required to be Jewish (according to the Reform movement).
A citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada.

We love and adore all of our members, including those who don’t fit these criteria. This policy is set by the funders in Germany and is not flexible.

Trip Postponed, please check back for the next opportunity!

In order to complete your application, please have the following documents ready to attach as a single PDF file:

Cover letter
Resume
A 500-word statement outlining your interest in the program
One letter of recommendation (from a person outside of Emanu-El) — please choose someone that can speak to your candidacy to this program and ability to contribute to a positive group dynamic.

Please contact David Wolk for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can participate?

There are 20-25 spots available on this trip.

Who should apply?

We love and adore all of our members, including those who don’t fit these criteria. This policy is set by the funders in Germany and is not flexible.

These are the details of program eligibility:
• There are 20-25 spots available.
• Applicants will be selected by Germany Close Up in consultation with Emanu-El
• Each applicant needs to be 21-42 years old at the time of the trip!
• Applicants are required to be Jewish (according to the Reform movement)
• A citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada

If you would like to apply, below are the application requirements.

To complete your application successfully, please have the following documents ready to attach as a single PDF file:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• A 500-word statement outlining your interest in the program
• One letter of recommendation (from a person outside of Emanu-El) — please choose someone that can speak to your candidacy to this program and ability to contribute to a positive group dynamic.

When your application is prepared, click here to apply before the deadline of March 17, 2022!

How do I apply?

To complete your application successfully, please have the following documents ready to attach as a single PDF file:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• A 500-word statement outlining your interest in the program
• One letter of recommendation (from a person outside of Emanu-El) — please choose someone that can speak to your candidacy to this program and ability to contribute to a positive group dynamic.

When your application is prepared, click here to apply before the deadline of March 17, 2022!

What is the difference between the cover letter and the 500-word statement?

By “cover letter,” Germany Close Up means you should include a cover page that includes your information and a sentence saying that your application information is enclosed — not a cover letter in the American sense! The 500-word statement is the significant writing portion of the application and should explain why you are interested in attending the program.

Who selects participants?

Applicants will be selected by Germany Close Up in consultation with Emanu-El.

When is the deadline to apply?

March 24, 2022.

When is the trip taking place?

May 16-24, 2022.

How many days is the trip?

The trip will be nine days.

If I am selected, what will happen?

If you are selected, you will be required to attend a mandatory in-person orientation:

May 1, 1:00-4:00 pm at Emanu-El (2 Lake Street)
Zoom will not be an option, all registrants must attend in person!

Those who are selected to participate will be sent any additional information or requirements directly.

What is the cost of this program?

A generous government scholarship (a part of the ERP Special Assets of the German Ministry for Economics and Technology) covers the bulk of participation costs. Please attend one of our Q&A sessions to learn more about your potential costs (or lack thereof).

Program Information

The History of Germany Close Up

Established in October 2007, Germany Close Up – American Jews Meet Modern Germany is an initiative created to enrich transatlantic dialogue and provide Jewish-North American students and young professionals in their 20s and thirties with an opportunity to experience modern Germany up close and personally. A generous government scholarship (a part of the ERP Special Assets of the German Ministry for Economics and Technology) covers the bulk of participation costs. Please attend one of our Q&A sessions to learn more about your potential costs (or lack thereof). At the same time, Germany Close Up is an independent body regarding the organization and content of its programs. The purpose of the program is to allow participants to gain their own perspective on Germany through individual experience.
The trips are designed to expose participants to a range of aspects that make up modern Germany, with both the past and present in focus. Every Germany Close Up trip includes a number of activities, tours, and meetings. All trips cover issues related to Germany’s reflection on its past and its efforts to deal with the memory of the Holocaust and the Nazi horror up to this very day. They also consider Germany’s transformation over the last decades into a modern, reunified, and democratic country in the heart of the European Union, home to a growing Jewish community. It will be possible to eat kosher-style or vegetarian on this trip and the program will include a Shabbat observance with a Berlin congregation.
The nine-day program will expose participants to Berlin’s multicultural life, allow them to visit sites such as a former concentration camp, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, and to experience other key historical sites and cultural venues. They will meet with German opinion-makers from the academic and political spheres, representatives of grassroots movements and the Jewish community, as well as German contemporaries. The role of Jewish voices in transatlantic relations will be explored as participants actively contribute to German-American dialogue.