Thirty-seven North American young adults are due to arrived in Israel August 16 to live and work for 10 months through the OTZMA program.

More than 1,200 young adults from Jewish communities have participated since OTZMA's inception in 1986. That level of involvement reflects the participants' desire to show their solidarity with the Jewish homeland by being with Israelis during times of crisis including the ongoing matzav.

OTZMA, the Hebrew word for "strength," is a UJC and Jewish Federations of North America initiative, in cooperation with The Jewish Agency's Department for Jewish Zionist Education. Jewish federations sponsor participants, ages 20 to 26, to help defray costs.

The opportunity for young Jews to play an integral role in Israeli society shapes OTZMA programming and activities. OTZMAnikim spend their first three months living, volunteering and studying Hebrew in an absorption center, then take part in community service projects. 

Participants also do volunteer work and live and work in youth villages or kibbutzim. Over the past few years, OTZMAnikim have interned at nonprofit organizations.

OTZMA members represent 26 Jewish federated communities including Albuquerque; Atlanta; Boston; Central New Jersey; Chicago; Cleveland; Washington, D.C.; Greenwich, Conn.; Hartford, Conn.; MetroWest; Nashville; New York; Northern New Jersey; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton/Mercer/Bucks; Rhode Island; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Southern New Jersey; St. Paul, Minn.; Toronto; Tucson; and Vancouver.

For more information about OTZMA, please .