A Program for Young Professionals in Affiliation with COJECO and DAVAI, November 4–14, 2010

Established in October 2007, Germany Close Up – American Jews Meet Modern Germany provides young American Jews with an opportunity to experience modern Germany up close and personally. Participants will visit the actual sites of historical events, partake in various aspects of contemporary Jewish life in Germany and will meet with Germans of all backgrounds. The purpose of the program is to allow participants to gain their own perspective on Germany through individual experience.

Academic lectures and distinguished guest speakers will engage participants in discussion about the Shoah and Germany’s Nazi terror, in issues of memory and Germany’s continuing effort to come to terms with this terrible past, as well as Germany’s transformation in the last 60 years into a modern, reunified, and democratic country in the heart of the European Union which is home to the third-fastest growing Jewish community worldwide.

The November 4 (start in the US is November 3) - 14 Program will focus on the following topics:

• Berlin and united Germany
• The Holocaust and the Nazi Era including a visit in a former Concentration Camp
• Transatlantic / German-American relations (incl. a meeting / Q&A with officials of the German foreign office)
• Jewish Berlin, present and past
• The former East Germany
• Integration of new members of the Jewish community

During the 11-day program, participants will encounter Berlin’s multicultural life, visit East and West Germany, the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, as well as experience other key historical sites and cultural venues. They will meet with German opinion-makers, grass root movements, the Jewish community and Germans contemporaries. The role of Jewish voices in transatlantic relations will be explored as participants actively contribute to German-American dialogue, whereas the special role of Jews from the Former Soviet Union in the revival of the German Jewish community will be stressed throughout the trip. In addition, they will get the chance to participate in the German LIMMUD program (www.limmud.de/en).

*Each participant is responsible for a fee of $700 and for booking his/her round trip airline ticket to Berlin with economy class. In most cases this expense will cover the $700 fee. If your air fare is less than $700, you will be asked to pay Germany Close Up the difference. If your air fare is more than $700, Germany Close Up will reimburse you for the difference between $700 and your actual flight costs, but only up to $100 (meaning the total cost of a flight is reimbursed up to $800). Be sure to bring proof of the cost of your flight with you to Berlin! 

*Germany Close Up covers the following expenses in Germany: hotel accommodations in triple-rooms, most meals, transportation within Germany, admission fees and event tickets. The scholarship does not include tipping. Please keep in mind you will need to pay around 50€ (roughly $70) for tips.
For any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please send us your e-mail application to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   by August 29, 2010 including:

• An online application form (to be found on the Germany Close Up website) 
• A cover letter  
• A resume
• A 1-2 page essay about your interest in the program 
• Two letters of recommendation