The articulate and upbeat Abargel sisters of Montreal, Canada are refreshingly quite different from one another, yet share one very important thing in common - unrequited love and praise for Naale Elite’s educational program at the Amana Ulpana in Kfar Saba, Israel. What makes their story truly fascinating is the fact that Oriya, 18, and Shira, 17, took circuitous routes to Amana, where dozens of girls from all over the world live and learn with their Israeli counterparts on the oasis-like campus, which is nestled in one of Kfar Saba’s residential neighborhoods.
Naale is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jewish teens to achieve academic excellence, as well as to gain personal and interpersonal skills that will support them throughout their life. The program is fully subsidized including a full scholarship for tuition, free airfare to and from Israel, room and board, health insurance, trips, and more. Since its inception more than 16,000 high school students have come to study on the Naale program, with 85% graduating with full matriculation and an internationally recognized high school diploma.
The Abargel sisters are actually native Sabras from Beersheva. However, six years ago their parents moved the family to Montreal, Canada. Oriya and Shira admittedly had a difficult time fitting into their radically new environment, including the local educational curriculum, which included learning in a local Chabad girls school. “We learned about the Naale Elite program at Amana after reading about it online,” recalled Oriya, who is in the 12th grade. “I personally never liked living in Montreal and my mother encouraged and supported my move to Amana. There is tremendous warmth and love at Amana. The girls in school and the dorm are supportive and not judgmental and the teachers are extremely helpful. Adjusting to the language and culture obviously wasn't a problem for me and I’ve learned a lot about myself during my nearly three years here. My sister came based on my recommendation.”
Shira, who is in 11th grade wholeheartedly concurred. “I just never felt being a Canadian. I’m proud to be an Israeli and hold the Israeli flag,” she said matter-of-factly. “The Naale experience for me at Amana has been great and I’ve made friends with girls in the program from all over the world. At Amana, there is a different way of thinking and teaching. Whereas in Montreal, the classroom environment was strict, at Amana there’s more freedom. My biggest advantage has been my knowledge of Hebrew.”
The Abargel sisters also praise Amana’s laid-back environment, which allows them to have an active social life as well. “While we have lots of family here, we also have made lots of friends who we hang out with. You can leave the campus and explore the country but there are rules and the teachers do need to know where you are going at all times. They truly care,” added Oriya.
Both Oriya and Shira intend to stay in Israel upon their graduation. “It’s up to each girl as a person to decide if they want to be here and discover who they are during their time at Amana,” said Oriya. ”What is most important is that the staff at Amana cares about each girl and gives them the tools to learn about themselves inside and outside the classroom.”