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Gap year in Israel programs credit rebound to teens seeking Jewish connections

JL;DR SUMMARY Participation in gap year programs in Israel is rebounding after a dip last year, with over 3,000 Jewish teens enrolling, equaling pre-Oct. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish IdentityOrthodox JudaismAnti Israel SentimentJewish TeensGap YearMasa IsraelAardvark IsraelNon Orthodox ProgramsHevruta

Places mentioned

Israel
"After a slight dip last year, participation in gap year programs in Israel is on the rise, according to Masa Israel, an umbrella organization for the post-high school programs."
New York, United States
"But the New Yorker finds that her gap year, which began this past summer, has been more impactful and important in the wake of the world-wide eruption of anti-Israel sentiment that came with the war in Gaza and ongoing conflicts with Iran and Lebanon."
Jerusalem, Israel
"The Hevruta program includes study at the Shalom Hartman Institute campus in Jerusalem, with participants living in nearby neighborhoods."
London, England, United Kingdom
"Esther Davis, a Modern Orthodox Jewish teen from London, decided to go on a gap year through Aardvark Israel after encountering antisemitism in school."
Denver, Colorado, United States
"Eli Benel, an Orthodox senior at Denver Jewish Day School, said that gap years in Israel are a part of the culture I grew up in."

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Cairo Item ID 82237
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2026-05-14 18:00:44 UTC
Curated 2026-05-14 19:00:28 UTC