By Lara Lew Strauss, Year Course 2023-2024 Participant

Wow, what a year.

Year Course has gone by in a flash. It was such a wonderful experience, beyond what words can describe. I have come away with a heavy and beautiful appreciation for Israel, its culture, the people who live there, and my role in the Jewish community. More so than ever before, I am filled with gratitude. The opportunity to explore and adjust to a new country, specifically Israel, is a privilege anyone would be lucky to have.

I had never heard of Young Judaea before embarking on Year Course. I delved into the program blindly with no friends or acquaintances, and came away with so many connections and so much love. People I didn’t know existed nine months prior became central to my life as we took on incredible experiences together through programming, such as snorkeling, volunteering in melon fields, picking strawberries, wine tasting, and filling our spare time with laughs and delicious meals out in the city. I never felt alone in a country halfway across the world, which speaks to how highly Young Judaea fostered a community amongst participants.

Since arriving at Ben Gurion airport on the first day of Year Course, I have felt so safe with the Young Judaea staff. The staff are always accessible, and have done excellently in communicating information and addressing our individual needs. This past year of 23-24, Year Course has performed exceptionally in adapting programming and making participants comfortable following the attack on October 7th. Our relocation to Kibbutz Ketura was done seamlessly, and maintained our quality of life the best it could.

Just one week after arriving home, I already find myself reminiscing about the places I enjoyed in Tel Aviv. I practically lived at Bograshov Beach, or at Shuk HaCarmel, or at the cafes along Habima Square. I would spend mornings walking as far as I could along the coast before my roommates would even wake up. I loved taking public transport to go to my internship without using navigation applications, to feel like I fit in with the locals. In Israel, I was confidently independent. The best moments of independence were those where I would walk the streets of Tel Aviv alone and randomly run into another Year Courser, which just made the city feel so personal and familiar. I felt so comfortable with my surroundings and so consumed by them, and I have never felt that way about any other place.

My biggest takeaway from the spontaneity with which I made decisions while on Year Course is that it is a blessing to be able to wake up and choose to do what fulfills you everyday, with no restraints. For those nine months, I lived life exactly as I chose. My goal for the future is to keep that attitude in my daily life, where life is what you make of it. Although all of us alumni will now undoubtedly have more responsibility as we embark on our next steps, we will maintain our freer spirits and stronger passions for adventure.

I could not be more grateful for my experience in Israel, the friends I made along the way, and the ways in which I underwent personal growth.

Closing Ceremony Speech of Arieh Robinson, Year Course 2023-2024 Participant

Good evening everyone. As Canaan and Maggie so kindly introduced me, my name is Arieh, and I have the great pleasure of being the Yama representative to share with you all a speech for this closing ceremony. I appreciate you all coming, as I understand it’s difficult to be awake and show up before 6 pm. 

As a proud Yama Year-Courser, it may come as a surprise to some of you, but I’m actually a camp kid, having attended a Young Judaea camp since age ten. Growing up in the Young Judaea eco-system, I had always heard from my counselors about the best year of their life on Year Course and how I 100% have to do it when I’m old enough.

I heard of the famous reputation of freedom in Israel with all your best friends, and truthfully for most of my life up until a few months before we came here, I was sure Year Course would not be the program for me. But towards the end of my senior year, I knew I didn’t want to go to college quite yet and I looked for a gap year in Israel. Eventually, I narrowed it down to a few, but between getting to live with my camp friends for a year, having classes in Jerusalem, and the opportunity to do MDA in Tel Aviv, it seemed like Year Course would be my best option.

Much to my surprise, Year Course completely defied my expectations. I was put on the other section than all my camp friends, classes in Jerusalem, happened, and I only got as far as the MDA ulpan test before the war messed everything up.

I generally consider myself a pretty positive person so I don’t want to be too negative, but everything that could go wrong in a Year Course experience had, and yet here I am in front of you being asked to speak about what I loved about the time we shared on Year Course, and it comes so easy. 

Not that long ago (at the beginning of Year Course), we were sitting on the Leni, and Hillel roofs, eating greasy pizza hut, and looking around asking ourselves, will these people really be my new best friends? We hit the ground running and took full advantage of this newfound freedom, learning how to navigate Tel Aviv, cook, do laundry, go to the doctor and grocery shop, all on our own. Oh and did I say grocery shop all on our own! Before we knew it everyone was working for their internships for tech companies or various non-profits, and volunteering with shelter puppies or special needs children or exploring Tel Aviv and going on siyurs to new places like Beit She’an.

Things were good socially, but also still a challenge as I know for myself but also for a lot of others, we were still feeling things out. We all met so many new people and made new friends but there was a certain level of intimacy and depth I was still craving. But then things gradually changed and we grew. Actually, I can think of a specific place in my Year Course experience when everything just kind of clicked. In fact I would like to share a little excerpt from my journal from that day: “I really feel like I’m finally finding my groove. Socially I know everything’s gonna work out. Maybe best day yet, fulfilled in all regards.” I wrote that in Tzfat the night of October 6th. Obviously October 7th changed everything. It threw Israel into a new world of chaos and brought us along with it. With the onset of the war some chose to leave while others including myself went down to Kibbutz Keturah. This was a blessing in disguise, and while some call it trauma bonding, the situation drew Year Course closer than it had been at any time before.

After the attacks from Iran, my parents pulled me out and I had to go home. I had to go home and it sucked. I was sad lonely and on top of all that I somehow got Covid meaning I couldn’t even see my own family. After much heated discussion with my parents, ie. me bugging them until they finally let me back, I was able to return. But I was worried that since I was returning so late, everyone would have gotten super close with each other and I would have missed out on so much, that it would be like starting over again.

I vividly remember getting off the train at HaShalom seeing the Azrieli Towers and the sounds of Tel Aviv and felt like I was home. Then I walked to Hillel opened the side door, and remembered being greeted with the biggest hugs I could fathom. Everyone I saw I was so happy to see, and what reaffirmed my confidence and warmed my heart, was so many of you were just as happy to see me as well! It was like riding a bike, these friendships were not forgotten and broken as I’d feared, but instead strengthened by our commitment to return back to each other and our acute awareness of how much it sucked when we were apart.

See, we all made a choice to come on Year Course for our own various reasons and for some it was easy and for others not as much but we didn’t know exactly what we were getting into and who we would be with. Then we were presented with a second unique choice that a traditional year of Year Course would not encounter. The second choice to return knowing what to expect and who we would be with. Now going back to a war zone isn’t easy but the reason I and so many of you here made this challenging choice is because of the friendships and connection we built together and the desire to grasp on and further these relationships. It’s a crazy idea which I know for a lot of us, not all our family and friends back home understand, but the desire to be with those you care about is so strong as it was for us.

When we got back, I for one and from talking to a bunch of you know this is also the case for you, was ever aware of time because we were cognizant of the time we lost and of how much we had left. This time flew by on our Jerusalem semester and through our Poland trip and I know they say time flies when you’re having fun but our time felt like it was going supersonic. The war broke out 227 days ago which sounds so much farther than it feels. We swapped semesters 119 days ago. Zman beyachad started 19 days ago. Now, we less than an hour before we say our goodbyes and that is crazy. In this relatively short amount of time we’ve spent together we made friendships so strong that others have asked if they are childhood friendships. We’ve built a strong community of people who whenever anyone need a hug or someone to talk to many are ready to be there. We’ve all only known a life before and with each other, but we’ve never lived in the afterwards of knowing each other but not being with one another. We’re going to go home and wake up in our own bed again, but without a friend sleeping 5 feet away and we’ll go eat dinner in a clean kitchen, but one that doesn’t have a couple friends sitting inside cracking jokes and inviting you to hang out. We don’t yet know how to live without the ever present physical presence of each other and it’s definitely going to be hard to adjust, but we’ll all be adjusting together. And thanks to our technological world, despite whatever the physical distance may be, our emotional distance will be close as we will still have our relationships to continue to build, only a text or call away.

Now I would like to end with this, thank you for all the parents and staff who allowed for this wonderful program to happen. Thank you all for being my friend and for being friends with each other. And this is why we say l’hitraot not a goodbye, but a see you later, because I know for a fact when you care about someone this much, it won’t be a matter of if we see each other again, but a matter of when.

Closing Ceremony speech of Year Course ’23-’24 Participant, Isadora Wachter

July 8th, 2022. Location, Mount Hertzl:
I think I need to live in Israel for a bit longer. There’s something I really love about this place. I need more time here. Maybe I should take a gap year.

August 31st, 2023. Location, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport:

What the hell have I gotten myself into? Packing up my life in two duffle bags and a backpack at 18 and moving across the world sounds adventurous, but in practice is quite terrifying. Everyone knows each other already, and I feel like I don’t know anyone. Either these people are going to be my best friends or the weirdest people I have ever met. (Spoiler alert: they were both).

Good evening, Year Course. I am honored and humbled to be the Kedma representative at closing ceremonies. When Rabbi Adam and Ariel approached me about giving this speech, I have to admit I was a little surprised. I would have expected them to choose someone who did YJ their whole life because it seems to be Kedma’s most predominant personality trait.

September 1st, I was the first of my roommates to arrive at Kiryat Moriah and begin unpacking. Most kids have their parents or a helping hand, but as I stood in my room alone, I said to myself, “Alright. I’m on my own now.” 

As the days went on, I (very gradually) started to learn people’s names, explore Jerusalem, and borderline wretch at what the Kiryat Moriah chadar called “aruchat erev.” By the first week of October, I started to feel like I everything was falling into place here. We embarked on our first Road Trip with the Rabbi to the mystical city of Tzfat, where our seemingly normal Year Course experience was completely turned upside down. From that moment on, I knew this Year Course was not going to be like any previous year. 

In the following days, I was torn between leaving and staying in Israel but ultimately remembered why I came in the first place. Also, Sophie, Annie, and Tavor basically guilt-tripped me into staying. 

I signed up for a year living in Israel, and these were the cards I was dealt. This was where I was meant to be.

During my time in Kibbutz Ketura, I learned the true definition of the word duality. By day, most of us who woke up before 12 would volunteer in various locations and roles. What I signed up for every week was working as a teacher’s aid in a first-grade classroom. It was so heartwarming and restoring to be with my first graders, and also helpful for my Hebrew speaking skills (mostly because we were on the same reading level). 

However, by night, we all enthusiastically invested all of our money in helping Israel’s economy by establishing its next great startup – Bargania

What some of us take for granted is that those of us who stayed hit the ground running in Israel’s most dire time of need by helping at donation centers, giving blood, and bringing smiles back to the faces of families who were tragically affected. 

Returning to Jerusalem in November brought us back to a familiar routine: classes with Neil Lazarus, financially supporting Muffin Boutique and Kedma and spending more weekends in Tel Aviv than in Jerusalem. Winter break came and went, and soon enough, second semester rolled around.

Living in Tel Aviv might be one of the best things to ever happen to me. Even though I spent a large portion of my time contacting aliens (I mean sending medicine to space) and spending 15 shek on a morning coffee as Lus, I was simultaneously undergoing a tremendous amount of personal growth in a very short amount of time. One of the main reasons that I decided to take a gap year was to learn how to live on my own, put myself into uncomfortable situations, and challenge myself to just “figure it out.” I can happily say that I accomplished my goal. Almost. How to navigate the pandemonium of an Israeli grocery store alone was something I never quite mastered.

My year came full circle last week when I returned to where it all started on Yom Hazikaron: Mount Hertzl, beside Michael Levin’s resting place. His love and passion for Israel were fostered the same way mine were, and it is him who is the reason I stand before you today. While visiting him, I had the honor to speak with his mother, Harriet, and I had the opportunity to tell her that I had the most life-changing year and have the closest connection to Israel I have ever had because of her son. 

That brings us to May 20th, 2024. Year Course ‘23-’24, while our time here in Israel all together has come to a close, we must remember that this is just the beginning. As young Jewish adults living in Israel during this past year, we gained the skills and experience that no other people our age possess. It is us who must take our pride, education, and passion all over the world, and slowly but surely make it a better, more peaceful place. You know more than you think you do, remember that. If nothing else, everyone sitting here today is your family and always will be. It’s not possible to put into words what this year, this beautiful country, and all of you mean to me. You will hold a very special place in my heart for eternity. So cry on your friends and hug them tight, but this isn’t goodbye, just a very painful but heartfelt “see you soon.” 

Closing Ceremony Remarks of Ana Susskind, Year Course 2023-2024

How was Year Course everyone?

My parents have always said that there is no true answer to that question. We have been here in Israel for 9 months. Some parts were amazing and some parts were hard. And that is okay. My year was messy and scary but also eye opening and fun as hell. I know i formed life long friendships. I also know that since October 7th there has been a constant sense of fear and anxiety in my brain. But i got through it because of these life long friendships. Never once on Year Course did I feel alone. And yes maybe that was a bad thing at moments when i just wanted some peace and quiet, but overall, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Now, I know I always yap about my YJ legacy but today i promise you will hear it for the last time. My grandparents met on Year Course. My mother, uncle, brother, and cousins all went on Year Course. I am the 9th out of 16 members of my family to come on Year Course. I am the last of a generation. Literally. That’s a lot of weight on a person. To carry on the traditions my family has had for generations and to make it memorable enough to last years until the next gen is old enough to go on Year Course? Crazy. And honestly I don’t know if I did that. But I’m okay with that. I made my own memories. My own traditions. And my own friends. I am not my parents or even my grandparents. I am my own person and have my own story. We all do. Who knows, maybe this is the start of your family’s YJ legacy?

Thank you all for this year.

By Adina Frydman, CEO Young Judaea Global

There are great reasons to consider taking a gap year to Israel right now. Consider these as you and your teen contemplate how to spend your time this coming Fall.

The “Zionism” argument
Being a Zionist right now in North America is hard. Whether you have been firmly committed in your Zionism or are looking to understand more about what it means to have a strong relationship with Israel, a gap year in Israel will take you out of your social media echo chambers and bring Israel IRL (into real life) from 2-D to 3-D, particularly through your encounters, mifgashim, with Israelis. Being a Zionist isn’t a spectator event and before one can become an activist of any political shade or color, spending a significant amount of time in Israel is not just advisable but crucial to being a part of the Zionist story. Nothing else even comes close to true solidarity than living as a local, and immersing oneself in Israeli culture, politics, and society. A gap year in Israel is an all-encompassing experience that engages all sense and mental faculties.

Historically, there were different types of Zionism, but today it seems that, at least in North America, Zionism has been painted with one broad brush stroke. But take a look at how Israelis are expressing their Zionism today, and you will see and how multivocal it is. On Young Judaea’s Year Course, you will experience two commitments to Zionism. One is big tent Zionism, which blends our commitment to pluralism and diversity with Zionism. We welcome different expressions of Zionism and create a community by learning through one another, and from our experiences in Israel. Each participant leaves the gap year having deepened their own personal connection to Israel.

The other approach is aspirational Zionism, the belief that together we can build tomorrow’s Israel.  Theodore Herzl once said, “If you will it, it is no dream” and I would say the inverse is true as well, “if you don’t will it, it will only be a dream”. While it is so much easier to disengage, Zionism calls us to roll up our sleeves and get involved in helping Israel become the place we want it to be. This aspirational Zionism is manifested by spending the year in Israel, studying, volunteering, connecting with Israelis, and making your voices heard.

The “deepen your Jewish pride” argument
Whether you are from a small rural town or a large urban city, these past few months, no one has been immune to the growing antisemitic sentiments. While this has led to a swell of Jewish pride for some, many more are hiding their visibly Jewish symbols concerned about the comments or actions that they may confront if they are discovered. If you are one of the only Jews in your town or your school, spending time in Israel will be a welcome change. You will discover the magic of being in a place where you are immersed in Jewish culture, religion, and Hebrew, and you aren’t constantly on the defensive.  If you are coming from a big city, meeting Jews on Year Course from across North America and Europe will certainly broaden your perspective about what life outside of the big city bubble can be like for Jews and what you take for granted on a daily basis. Further, being a part of Young Judaea’s Year Course, you will meet Jews with varied backgrounds and beliefs. You can comfortably carry on the traditions you grew up with or choose to try on new ones. Throughout the year you will gain ownership of your Jewish identity as an individual and as part of a collective community.   But most important, spending the year in this positive and joyful Jewish community, you will deepen your sense of Jewish pride carrying that into the rest of your life.

The “ready-set-defend – preparing for Israel on college campus” argument
When did it happen that 18-year-olds were expected to be expert ambassadors and defenders of Israel? A On a growing number of college campuses, the tone and tenor for Jewish students is increasingly becoming unwelcoming and hostile. You don’t even have to be vocalize your connection to Israel, just being Jewish puts students on the spot to engage on Israel related events. Even students who are deeply committed and have been active in social justice and progressive spaces, now find themselves uninvited and on the defense.  Spending a year immersed in a gap year program can give you the opportunity and exposure necessary to make your own, informed decisions before taking on the wider discourse. Young Judaea’s approach is not one of advocacy, hasbarah, rather we encourage the deep exploration of questions through critical inquiry and exposure to diverse perspectives. Being on a Young Judaea gap year, part of a community of diverse young adults, you will spend meaningful time learning how to engage with people who think differently than you do. You will also learn to ask deep questions and how to listen rather than simply spew factoids.  In addition, you will also spend time learning the history of how we got to this moment, and the ideologies that might inspire you to shape how we get to the next moment.

The “I am not ready for college yet” argument

The last few years have been really hard on teens. Between Covid quarantines, virtual high school, and a rapidly changing world, many teens are simply not ready for college. And there is NO SHAME in that. You are not alone. Participants of gap year programs say that a year abroad led to deep personal growth and transformation. From learning basic life and executive function skills like time management, to the responsibilities of living in a communal setting (laundry, cooking, cleaning). These are but a few areas of practical maturation that will lead to greater independence. In addition, participants will practice social skills necessary for living in community and spend time with inspirational mentors and teachers who will gently guide participants into deep personal reflection and growth. Parents and teens say that this one year of growth sets them up for college and life beyond high school in measurable ways.

The “make friends for life” argument
The nature of an immersive gap year program is that you spend intensive time with a like-minded group of people building shared experiences and lifelong bonds. Alumni of our gap year programs tell us that their closest friends to date are those they met on Year Course. These friends become your trusted circle, the group of friends that gets you, that you can be vulnerable and real with. During this particularly challenging year, since October 7^th, we have heard numerous stories of Year Course alumni turning to their Year Course community for support and safe and honest conversation. And that is so important, particularly now. Years later, we hear of Year Course friends staying connected, roommates in college or in a first apartment, networking for jobs, sharing important life cycles, and in some cases, Year Course couples who found their life partners on their gap year. We can’t promise that for everyone but friends for life – we all but guarantee!

But back to our central question and naming the elephant in the room. You want me to commit to going on a gap year in the middle of a war? It is true that we are living through a historic moment in Israel’s history, with no clear path to what the future holds. Still, wouldn’t you rather be part of shaping history than observing from the sidelines? And what about safety and security? At Young Judaea we take this very seriously. We have been operating gap year and other Israel travel programs for over 70 years, through peaceful times and during wars. We are prepared to make the necessary adjustments to ensure the safety and security of our participants and the quality of the experience. Of course, this is a very personal and individual decision for each family, but hundreds of teens have made this decision before you. Just ask them, they are sure to add their own argument for why you should seriously consider a gap year to Israel this coming year.

So, what are you waiting for?

Edan Coben, Ilan Goldstein, Jared Schermer, and Jake Siegel were all brought together through various Young Judaea programs, culminating in having the time of the their life on Year Course! Now, the four of them live in New York City and recently hosted the 20’s/30’s Shabbat Dinner on October 20th (with over 50 attendees!)

We caught up with them to ask about their friendship, and favorite YJ memories.

How did you all meet? 

Edan: I met Jake and Ilan on our amazing Year Course. I met Jared shortly after (and many others) through my Year Course friends.

Ilan: Jared and I met for the first time at camp Tel Yehudah in 2011 but did not really become friends until 2018 during our first unofficial YJ winter trip. I met Jake in the summer of 2014 a few months before our Year Course started when he was visiting some of his camp friends who were my close friends from high school. It was then that I officially became his first friend on Year Course. I met Edan in the first week of Year Course at one of our Siyurim in Bat Yam and within six weeks we became roommates during the volunteer period shuffle.

Jared: Edan, Jake and Ilan went on Year Course with my best friends from Camp Judaea. So when they got back we became close over the years. I like to say I became friends with them without having to pay for it, but I definitely still have Year Course FOMO. 

Jake: I met Edan and Ilan through Year Course, and I met Jared through Coby Tuchman, Ari Lusky and Leon Faigenblat after YC in Miami. All of us have been brought together both directly and indirectly by Young Judaea.

 

What YJ programs did you do? 

Edan: I grew up going to CYJ Texas where I was a counselor for two summers when I got older and then had a blast on Year Course! 

Ilan: I spent two years at camp Tel Yehudah, where I first became convinced that I would go on Year Course. After coming back from Year Course I attended 3 annual JNF conferences as part of the YJ delegation. 

Jared: Camp Judaea (2006-2010, staff 2013 and 2015), TY and Machon. 

Jake: I actually hadn’t done any YJ programs in the past, me finding Year Course was a purely serendipitous happening. One that has had a profound effect on my life.

 

What are you all doing in NYC now? 

Edan: I’m working as a Software Engineer for an agriculture company and connecting with lots of amazing Jewish people. 

Ilan: I currently work in clinical research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and spend my free time exploring the city and introducing my YJ circle to other friends who live here. 

Jared: I work as a creative at an advertising agency. Edan also filled a wall in our apartment with like 120 restaurants, venues and experiences around NYC, so we’ve been trying to hit as many of those as we can. Ask him about it. 

Jake: Lots of time spent with the Young Judaeans in the city, playing soccer, and shredding up the guitar.

 

What’s the most unforgettable memory from Young Judaea? 

Edan: Celebrating my 19th birthday on Year Course in Jerusalem with so many amazing people. Love the friendships we built. 

Ilan: Walking around the Old City of Jerusalem during one of the first days of Spring with three friends who I had known for 18 years, 5 years, and 6 months (in order of oldest to newest) and feeling equal love for all of them and spiritual connection to the space around me. 

Jared: It’s got to be the Camp Judaea trip to NYC when we were in Kesher. A lot of stories have withstood the test of time from that. 

Jake: Sorry to be this way but truly the entire year of Year Course was unforgettable and something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life 

 

Can you share a funny or unexpected incident from a Young Judaea event or camp? 

Edan: The kitchen raids I led as a camp counselor, we had permission to sneak into the kitchen and “steal” ice cream but the kids had so much fun I’ll always remember how happy it made the campers.

Jared: One time a camper climbed a tree at CJ and people thought he was missing. For like hours. Turns out he just fell asleep in the tree, and he was really surprised when he woke up.  

Jake: I dropped Edan on his face while trying to spin him around on Year Course, luckily he forgave me soon after and we can laugh about it now.

 

How has Young Judaea influenced your Jewish identity? 

Edan: My time with Young Judaea has made me very proud to be Jewish. It has challenged me to think deeper about what is means to be Jewish and how it can enrich your life. 

Ilan: I have unofficially been a part of Young Judaea since I was in the womb. As a legacy Year Courser (Dan “Spor” Goldstein, ’79-’80) and former resident of Kibbutz Ketura, I’ve grown up with strong Zionist values and a drive to be part of Tikkun Olam.

Jared: YJ gave me my friends, spirit, life outlook and a sense of humor, all of which I’d say are pretty Jewish. It also gave me a strong connection to Israel that’s only grown since. 

Jake: YJ helped my communication skills while discussing Jewish life and Israel with others. It’s important because it’s a big piece of my identity and I’m grateful to my Year Course experience for growing that part of me.

 

By Ilan Tauber, Year Course 2022-2023

Reflecting on my year in Israel as it comes to a close, I genuinely think I have witnessed one of the most tumultuous times in Israeli history. The year began in the last leg of the election following the collapse of Naftali Bennett’s coalition. Political posters, banners, and stickers littered the landscape everywhere you look. As I was in Jerusalem during this period, the classes at Kiryat Moriah and the weekly trips led by Rabbi Adam Drucker provided ample space to learn about the election and the major issues driving the race. Bibi formed his coalition right as we moved to Tel Aviv. The evening I moved into Beit Hillel, I was greeted by the horns and shouts of the weekly Saturday protests coming from Kaplan street, literally five minutes away.

The protests in our backyard made it so easy to participate. The peak of the protests against the judicial reforms came the night the Minister of Defense was fired for voicing support for a pause in the legislation. As my friend and I came back from our baseball game in Petah Tikvah, an enormous crowd of people took over the Ayalon highway, the major transportation artery running through Tel Aviv. Holding our baseball bags and still in uniform, we jumped the fence and climbed through the crowd onto the bonfire ridden highway. The anger and passion from the protestors was palpable, a feeling I only recognized from the American protest following the death of George Floyd.

Additionally, my internship with Member of Knesset Gilad Kariv, of the Labor party, gave me a unique perspective on the political fight from the opposition. I was lucky enough to be in the Knesset on one of the days they voted for the judicial reforms. During the vote, the MKs against the reforms all donned Israeli flags in protest, which were subsequently confiscated. A tense first day in the Knesset to say the least.

One of my more unique political experiences came over Yom HaZikaron when I attended the Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony. The ceremony hosts Israelis and Palestinians mourning victims of the conflict, along with Israeli and Palestinian speakers advocating for peace and democracy for all. It was refreshing to hear democracy discussed not just within Israel, but also for millons of Palestinians living in the West Bank. Despite how uplifting the ceremony felt, the group of far right protesters spewing hateful and racist jeers was a reminder of how far away peace truly is. As staunchly pro-settler movements continue to expand their territory and political power within the government, I am afraid Israel is further from peace and democracy than ever before. Nevertheless, the anti-government’s continued strength provides some hope of moving in the right direction.

Overall, I am very lucky to be in Israel during this once in a lifetime political climate, and am grateful Year Course has provided the freedom to participate in the national discourse.

*Young Judaea is a diverse community representing a broad spectrum of perspectives. Chanichim are encouraged to engage in makhloket l’shem shamayim (argument for the sake of heaven). Young Judaea neither condones nor condemns the personal views expressed.

By Adina Frydman, CEO of Young Judaea Global

Dear son,

10 months ago, you left for your gap year in Israel as a boy, but today when you walked through the gates of El Al Terminal 4 at JFK, you emerged as a man. And not in that bar mitzvah kind of boy to man way, but as a man who has started to spread his wings, and to exercise independence and freedom by making his own choices and living with those consequences.

I am sure it is strange for you to be home, (well, not quite home since we moved to a new house while you were away,) but home is where your family is, the friends you grew up with, your community.

I am sure you feel torn as you have started to lay down new roots, with connections of your choosing, and yet these roots of your origin keep pulling you back. I hope that in time you will see these as grounding roots that keep you firmly planted in who you are and let you blossom into who you are becoming, rather than as roots that hold you back.

This year you tried on different skins, all in the name of figuring out who you are. What an exciting time! I hope you realize this is a lifelong pursuit and that you should never feel that you are all set. Keep that curiosity and hunger for learning, experiences, and growth for the rest of your life. Hold on to friends that push you to grow and challenge your assumptions.

And as for Israel, I hope she didn’t disappoint you too much. I know the expectations were high (at least from me) and the reality in some ways exceeds way beyond anything we can imagine, and in other ways lets us down.

I hope you left inspired by the deep commitment of the people. A commitment to never give up on their dream and to never compromise their ideals for the sake of the dream. A complicated juxtaposition. But as Robert Walter says, we are the “connected critics.”

I hope you find yourself somewhere in that narrative as you get ready to step onto the college campus, which nowadays feels like a war zone for labeled Zionists (and whether you accept it or not, having spent a year in Israel, you may need to respond to the assumptions that come with this label.)

Year Course was not an advocacy training program, by design. However, I do hope that having spent a year in Israel exposed to multiple narratives and encountering a real place with real people that you now have a personal perspective to share, and that you have an entire community of Young Judaeans to lean on if and when it gets tough. You are not in this alone.

And while it may be tempting to disengage and ignore the noise because it’s just too complicated, hold your head up and know that you don’t need to be armed with facts and figures to be proud. You also don’t need to defend and be zealous to show your loyalty. You are no less proud or loyal by being a connected critic but find a way to band with others to work towards making it better. To be a Zionist means to dream of the Israel you want to see. Don’t settle for the status quo and don’t give up on her. Embrace an aspirational Zionism and pursue it. In Pirke Avot we learn, “While it is not our job to complete it, neither can we desist from it.”

While your Year Course may be over, you have the rest of your life to pursue it.

Love, Mami

Graduating high school and beginning college is a period of enormous transition and change for any 18-year-old. Graduating high school and moving to a foreign country for a year with perfect strangers? That’s a catapult into adulthood, a thrust into independence and responsibility that requires careful planning to be a success.

After 65 years of running Young Judaea Year Course, we’ve realized that to provide an exceptional year of growth in Israel for a young adult, the mental health and wellbeing of our participants must be put at the forefront of program planning. Our learning has come to bear even more acutely with the generation coming of age during a global pandemic.

Building a sensitive, professional, and sustainable mental health support system on Year Course begins with looking into the needs of our participants. Every year there has been an increase in the number of participants who need mental health support while on the program. Some are already diagnosed and treated by professionals while others need support due to the challenges of learning how to live in a foreign country with individuals they have just met. It is our suspicion that isolation and lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to this increase. Perhaps there has been a loss in the ability to enter unfamiliar situations with new people and connect with one another in an open and vulnerable way. This connection is essential for a successful gap year. In addition, we’ve seen a lack of resiliency so that any minor crisis, without a healthy coping mechanism, can quickly spiral out.

One major challenge our participants face is that the mental health support system they are familiar with including family, friends, and professionals is thousands of miles away. Our aim is to assist participants in building a new support system while spending a year in Israel that enables them to be happy and thrive in an environment that demands independence and responsibility.

We have taken three important steps to ensure the wellbeing of all Year Course participants:

Encouraging Openness
Training and Preparation
Partnering with Participants and Families

Encouraging Openness

Imagine 200+ 18-year-olds from all over the world from diverse backgrounds, coming together to live, learn, and explore Israel together. This is the complex reality of a gap year in Israel. While the experience is beautiful and eye-opening for participants, this melding of worlds can be messy if not addressed properly.

The cornerstone of the Year Course mental health system is the understanding that the most dominant influence on the participants’ wellbeing is their ability to create meaningful open interactions with one another that will enhance their sense of belonging to the Year Course community. In other words – their ability to create meaningful and deep friendships while understanding healthy social boundaries. Meaningful relationships allow participants to feel comfortable expressing themselves to peers and staff when things aren’t going well, and to work through the complex feelings that arise when living far away from home. Forging these relationships is key to a happy and successful year and having this skill will have a positive effect on the rest of their lives.

The range of issues that arise range from your typical, “my friends go out without me,” to differences of opinions on the complexities of Israel, frustrations with the language and culture shock, or on occasion, dealing with true crises situations. Many people struggle to communicate how they feel and instead they prefer silent frustration. How can you forge deep bonds when you don’t know how to communicate your feelings?

Maintaining a safe space for everyone is a challenge our staff and participants deal with on a daily basis. Besides keeping people secure, a safe space also allows participants to speak openly and sincerely about the things that are bothering them. In that sense, the creation of a safe space is a key element when it comes to the mental well-being of Year Course participants. Open communication that enables staff to help and support the participants can only exist in a safe space.

Training and Preparation

Months prior to arrival on Year Course, we communicate with parents and mental health providers to understand the specific needs of our participants. Once the participants that need additional support are identified, we connect with them and their family support network upon arrival as well as recurringly throughout the program to help them nurture meaningful relationships in order to deal with complicated social situations.

Having the right professionals on board provides us with the right level of skills, support, and professionalism to ensure not only the wellbeing of our participants, but also of the staff.  We recently created a new position on the leadership team for someone with formal social work training and experience working with youth in distress. This position is embedded in the earliest stages of recruiting to help vet participants for their readiness to succeed in our program.

We can’t expect our counselors and unit heads to function as professional therapists, but we have found a way to provide them with tools, a mental health “first aid kit” so that they know how to react in the most challenging circumstances. These staff members are usually the first ones the participants will speak to during or directly after a mental health crisis and should be able to react appropriately to support the participant, triage the situation, and understand when to refer to an expert for further guidance.

Training covers areas such as signs and symptoms of common and less common diagnoses, initial intervention, dealing with drugs and alcohol related situations, mandatory reporting, preventing the recurrence of similar situations, and understanding when to refer to a professional. Mental first aid in crisis situations is aimed not only at the individual participant in need, but also at their peers, who may also be in distress. When supported, peers can then function as an important support mechanism for each other.

A crucial piece of our staff preparation is to form relationships with participants that are based on trust and a sense of security. Without a safe space for participants to express themselves and share their feelings, they are less likely to consult with staff on important issues. Staff accomplish this by being as accessible as possible and conducting non-judgmental and eye-level conversations with participants whenever possible. Additionally, the Year Course has professionals facilitate group conversations and trainings regarding various topics concerning both safety and acceptance including gender equality, sexual assault, and security. These conversations keep the dialogue open between staff and participants.

We train our staff to listen to the participants, try to understand their perspective, and empower them to have a positive and effective impact on their situation. For every situation, we expect and train our staff to be there for the participants as mediators, supporters, and moderators. We learned that in some acute crisis situations where there is a need to deal with Israeli authorities or medical emergency services where our staff become the mediators between mostly Hebrew speaking caretakers and the participants. This part of mental health support is crucial when it comes to dealing with the aftereffects of some crises.

Partnering with Participants and Families

The last important element of our mental health preparedness is to create a partnership with both participants and families. Sending your 18-year-old off to Israel for a year can feel like a leap of faith. Families must have the ability to trust the participants’ abilities to make good choices when it comes to their wellbeing.

We observe and understand how hard it is for some families to hand over independence to their children with even their everyday functions, let alone a year in Israel. We try to support families by maintaining a high level of communication between them and our staff as this helps them maintain some level of healthy control over their loved ones who are so far away. We also initiate regular emails to update families about the main features of the program and respond to messages within a reasonable amount of time. This level of communication is a key element in fostering a Year Course-family partnership that aims at supporting participants to flourish and grow while on the program.

By taking these three important steps to ensure the wellbeing of all Year Course participants: Encouraging Openness, Training and Preparation, and Partnering with Participants and Parents, we are creating the conditions for our participants to experience growth and development in a healthy and supportive environment. We are actively responding to the mental health and well-being needs of each Year Course participants, with the aim of imparting healthy coping mechanisms and resiliency for success on the program and that they can take into the rest of their lives.