Should I Take a Gap Year in Israel?
With the current uncertainty surrounding starting college or university this fall, there’s been a tremendous increase in gap year interest and opportunities.
Previously seen as a complicated decision that might jeopardize academic or career prospects, more and more high school seniors are seeing the deeper, short-and long-term value of taking a year abroad before starting college – specifically in Israel.
It comes as no surprise that Israel is one of the top three gap year destinations for North American students. As the original gap year in Israel, Young Judaea Year Course has always seen the immeasurable value of spending a year learning, volunteering, and experiencing Israel. (There’s a reason 10,000 alumni have called Year Course home since 1956!)
Benefits Of Taking a Gap Year
There are numerous overall benefits to choosing a different track between high school and college:
- Gaining exposure to the larger world around you
- Figuring out what you really want to do in your life
- Building a community of truly like-minded friends
- Gaining invaluable experience for your resume
Why Israel?
Choosing to take your gap year in Israel unlocks an additional range of opportunities to learn and grow, including:
- Building your Jewish identity
- Living in Israel, one of the most interesting and complex countries in the world
- Learning from communities of all sizes and types
- Connecting with the history and future of the Jewish people
By the Numbers
The results from a recent study by the Gap Year Association give us a clear picture of the many benefits of choosing the gap year track as reported by participants themselves:
- 94% said their time spent abroad helped them learn to communicate with people from different backgrounds
- 90% said they have a better understanding and respect for different cultures
- 90% of students who take time off after high school will enroll in a four-year educational institution within one year of completing their experience.
- 84% of respondents to their study said their time abroad helped them learn skills that helped them become successful in their work
- 77% said their gap year helped them find their purpose in life The bottom line? You may learn a lot in class or in extra-curricular activities in college, but there’s no replacement for experiencing countries, cultures, and communities firsthand – especially when that country is Israel.
So, what are you waiting for? There’s no better time than now to take a gap year in Israel – and there’s no better choice than Young Judaea Year Course!