Accommodation

Students live in furnished studio apartments, usually two per apartment. Each apartment has a separate bathroom, a walk-in closet and a kitchen equipped with a fridge and a small gas range (two burners). An unmarried couple cannot share an apartment. Each student is provided with basic cooking utensils, cleaning implements, sheets, blankets etc.

Towels and hangers are not provided.
All equipment is the property of the Institute and must be returned prior to departure. We arrange for students who want to observe Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) and/or Shabbat to room together.

Occupants of the each apartment have the option to subscribe for an internet connection in the room through an Israeli cable company. The service will require an installation and monthly subscription fees.

Meal Arrangements

The Institute provides students with one (meat or vegetarian) meal a day, served at midday during the week and in the evening on Fridays. The dining room is Kosher.

Library

The WUJS library collection comprises around 8000 books. There is plenty material on all areas studied during the Jewish and Israel studies courses, as well as general Jewish studies works and a fiction collection.

Computer Room

A computer room is available for student use, equipped with five computers with word-processing, printing, email and Internet access.

Synagogue

The Institute has its own Beit Knesset, which is run along traditional lines. Services are held during programmed Shabbatot with an emphasis on singing, atmosphere and active participation of the students. We have our own Torah scroll, which was brought to the institute in 1996 by a group of South African students, as a donation by Mr. Maldwyn Zimmerman from Durban. Our Beit Knesset provides a unique opportunity for those who wish to familiarize themselves with an institution, which has been at the heart of the Jewish people for thousands of years.

Student Lounge

The lounge is at the students' disposal for relaxing and socializing. It is equipped with a piano, VCR, a substantial video library, wireless internet connection and coffee bar.

Laundry Facilities

Token-operated washing machines and dryers are available for students' use.

Telephones

There are a number of public telephones located in the building. Messages can be received through the office telephone number.
At the start of the session, we introduce you to a representative of a local company to offer you a recommended deal for the rental of a mobile phone.

Medical Services

Medical services are provided by the Macabbi Kupat Cholim clinic, membership provided to students who sign up for the Harel-Yedidim Medical Insurance Plan. Dentists and other specialists may be seen privately. The Institute staff will assist students in making appointments and other medical arrangements.

Facilities in the Town of Arad

Arad is a thriving youthful town in the northern Negev, 45 km from Beersheva, 140 km from Jerusalem, and 130 km from Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1962 by a group of young Israelis, most of them ex-kibbutzniks and ex-moshavniks, who were seeking an environment free of the urban ills of overcrowding, traffic, noise, and pollution. The town's growth has closely followed a well-designed master plan. Arad's present population is approximately 28,000 and reflects the broad spectrum of Israeli society. There are Ashkenazim and Sefaradim, secular and religious, Bedouins and Black Hebrews, native-born Israelis and new immigrants.

Sources of employment for the town's residents are with industries in the northern Negev, at the Dead Sea, at the Ben Gurion University and in local schools and services. Arad's high altitude (2,000 feet above sea level), its proximity to the Dead Sea and Massada and its exceptional climate all contribute to the town's attractiveness.

Arad is a small and peaceful town yet large enough to provide most services and shopping facilities you may need. Facilities in the town include a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, gymnasium, several pubs and restaurants, an Artist's Quarter, music conservatory, a museum, an active Community Center, a library with an English section, cinemas, a commercial center with four banks, a post office, grocery stores, and three supermarkets. There is also an outdoor market on Mondays, and a shopping mall.