Gap Year Programs

Nativ

Nativ is a challenging academic year program dedicated to creating and inspiring the Conservative Jewish leaders of tomorrow. Nativ, which means “path” in Hebrew, provides a unique opportunity to explore new directions on the journey to becoming a Jewish adult. From September to May, Nativ participants are immersed in the rich and diverse society of Israel, exploring the land and enjoying a fulfilling Conservative Jewish lifestyle.

The program includes academic university classes, intensive Hebrew classes, Judaic and Yeshiva studies, and innovative leadership training. Nativ enables recent high school graduates to earn college credits for their studies while living in a classroom without walls.

A true year of exploration, Nativ provides the freedom for personal discovery as well as the security of a carefully structured program. This unforgettable experience is created through an intricate balance between academics and volunteer work, learning and teaching, personal challenge and community living. Participants on Nativ return from the year with a stronger attachment to the land of Israel as well as a deeper passion for Judaism, enthusiastic to share with their communities what they have learned.

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Kivunim

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Tivnu

Tivnu is a nine month Jewish gap year program in Portland, Oregon. Participants live together, create community, discover the Pacific Northwest, and explore connections between Jewish life and social justice with their heads, hands, and hearts.

At Tivnu: Building Justice, they are driven by a sense of commitment to the Jewish concept of tzedakah. Often mistranslated as charity, the term derives from the Hebrew word for justice and fairness. Their goal is not to “give” our time and energy to those who are “less fortunate,” but to work together with others for a better world for us all. Tivnu acts from the conviction that housing, food security, environmental justice, education, and the overall health of neighborhoods and communities are human rights.

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Hevruta

Hevruta, a collaboration of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Hebrew College, is a fully integrated gap-year program for North American and Israeli student leaders from a diverse range of Jewish backgrounds and life experiences.

Over the course of their 10-month experience, Hevruta participants will engage in rigorous inquiry and text study, while taking advantage of Jerusalem’s rich intellectual and spiritual resources.
 


After completing the program, Hevruta alumni will be well-positioned to use their influential voices to shape the Jewish people’s most important conversations and communal decisions.

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Aardvark

Aardvark offers a range of immersive, exciting post-high school gap years programs in Israel for Jewish students. The following programs are available for students to choose from:

• Gap Year Program – 9-month Israel gap year program based half the year in Jerusalem and half the year in Tel Aviv.
• Aardvark International – combines the Gap Year Program with the addition of EIGHT trips to different countries throughout the world.
• Semester Program – 5-month university program allowing students to choose to live in either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
• Selah Program – a dynamic, 9-month Jewish learning program for students who are seeking a deeper approach to the study of Judaism in Israel. The Selah track supplements the Gap Year Program with unique and intensive Jewish educational elements.
• Plus Programs – combines Aardvark’s long-term experience in Israel with a summer working at an American Jewish Summer Camp. Students may choose to participate in any of the Aardvark programs above in combination with the camp experience.

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