7:30-8:00 Breakfast
8:00-10:00 Jewish history, Zionism and Hebrew lessons
10:30-12:30 Martial arts training
12:30-1:30 Lunch
14:30- 15:45 Physiology, anatomy, ,psychology, coaching and
leadership.
18:00 Dinner
20:00 Israeli activity –Mifgash.
Masa participant will meet with Israeli students
from other Israeli martial arts clubs.
The first month will be facilitated by staff where
contemporary issues will be discussed and combined
social ctivities. Ater the first month the mifgashim
will be personal. The idea is to allow an opportunity
to familiarize with the local culture.
- Certification course subjects include Physiology, Anatomy,
Psychology, Health and Fitness
- Elective Martial Arts training – choice of Judo, Karate,
Aikido and Krav Maga
- Teaching a class, coaching and Hadracha (Leadership)
- How to teach children the mental art of handling a bully.
Sensei Yonah Melnik was born in 1949. Yonah Melnik has been
practicing Judo since the age of 15. During the years 1971
to 1973 he practiced in Philadelphia and during 1976 in Tokyo,
under the guidance of Takahiko Ishikawa and Isao Okano,
respectively. First Dan at 1969 and Seventh Dan since 2002.
Yonah Melnik has a rich teaching and coaching history as a
National Master Coach. He also coached the Israeli judo team
for the Los Angeles Olympics. Many of Yonah students were and
are National Champions, and some had impressive success in
international competitions.
Yonah Melnik is also active as master rank examiner for the
Israeli Judo Association and as member of its Refereeing
Commission as IJF Referee - B since 1994.
Apart from managing, teaching and coaching his own club in
Hod-Hasharon and his refereeing activities, Yonah Melnik was the
Head Coach of the judo section of the Center for the Development
of Sport Giftedness at the Wingate Institute since it was launched
in 1994. The program is organized as a boarding school for high
schoolers, situated within the facilities of the Wingate Institute
for Physical Education. Gifted judokas are chosen from the whole
country, where they follow a special training program to compete
nationally and internationally.
Yonah Melnik won 14 National Championships and participated in
10 European and 2 World Championships. He took part in the
Olympic Games in Montreal and was a member of the Olympic
team to Moscow Olympics, in which Israel did not compete
following the boycott.
He was champion of the Maccabiah Games in 1973 and 1977.
Danny Hakim was born in Adelaide, Australia in 1959 and grew up in
Sydney where he was a member of the Betar Movement since
8 years old. He attended the Machon LeMadrichai Chuts LaAretz
year program in 1977 and became Mefaked of Betar Sydney in 1980.
Danny graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the
University of New South Wales in 1982 and immediately went to
live in Japan to pursue his hobby and passion, Shotokan Karate.
In Japan, Danny studied under Master Hirokazu Kanazawa, one of
the legends of modern Karate for many years. Danny received his
6th degree black belt in 2003 and competed in numerous
international Karate championships for Australia and then for
Japan achieving two times silver medal in the World Championships.
Danny also represented Australia in 5 Maccabiah games.
In 1986, Danny started his own Australian travel business where he
worked as the managing director and was an owner until 2001.
In 1991, Danny founded the World Education Program Company,
which specialized in providing training and multilingual personal
for international events. Major clients included CBS sports for
the Nagano Winter Olympics and the Sydney Olympic Committee.
In 2000, Danny decided to fulfill his dream and move to Israel.
There, he received his master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and
Innovation from the Israel School of Enterprise management.
In 2003, Danny became the National Israeli karate coach for
SKI Israel and led the Israeli team at the 8th Shotokan Karate
International championships in Durbin South Africa.
In 2004, Danny founded the Budo for Peace Association, a not
for profit organization where young Israelis, Arabs and
Palestinian children practice Traditional Japanese Martial Arts
( Budo) together and learn about respect, self control and harmony.
In addition, Danny authored Budo’s Potential for Peace Breaking
Down Barriers in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, Budo
Persepctives, Chapter 21; Kendo World Publicationh Ltd:
Aukland 2005.
During the early months of Danny’s aliya while doing the Wingate
Institute sports leadership certification he was surprised to see
so many young Israeli Arab women studying and training in the
martial arts. This realization caused him to produce the film
Shadya, which was awarded the Best Documentary of the year in
Israel, 2006.
Apart from teaching and managing karate clubs in Raanana and
Tel Aviv, Danny directs the ten Budo for Peace centers that are
sponsored by the Japanese government.
