Browse Programs

A pre-military academy at Kibbutz Magen in the Eshkol Regional Council (western Negev, near the Gaza border), founded in 2023 by the Israeli Scouts movement (Tzofim) as its newest addition to the mechina landscape. The program is built around Scouting-movement values -- leadership, love of the land, democracy and equality, and social activism -- and presents itself as a deliberately new pre-military track for participants open to 'starting a new journey.'

A pre-military academy in Jerusalem's Old City, near the Western Wall -- one of the first mechinot established in Jerusalem and among the older ones in Israel nationally (marking roughly three decades in operation as of the mid-2020s). The program centers on character education, Torah study, and connection to the Jewish people and the land of Israel, based in the heart of the rebuilt Jewish Quarter.

A hesder yeshiva overlooking the Mediterranean and the western Galilee, founded in 1995 by Rabbi Yeshayahu Meitlis (Nahariya's city rabbi) and Rabbi Chaim Rateig. Around 90 students study there today under Rabbi Meitlis and Rabbi Moshe Adler, in a program built around three pillars: personal development, close-knit community, and practical volunteering and service.

A hesder yeshiva in the heart of Tel Aviv (9 Herman Cohen Street), combining intensive Torah study with preparation for IDF service. Named Shir Le'Neriya in memory of Neriya Cohen, killed in a 2008 terror attack in Jerusalem, the yeshiva deliberately positions itself within the urban Tel Aviv environment -- rather than apart from it -- to build participants' connection to the land and people of Israel.

A hesder yeshiva in Kochav Yaakov, in the Binyamin region near Jerusalem, tracing its roots to a yeshiva founded in Montreux, Switzerland in 1927 before relocating to Israel and adopting the hesder framework in 1985. Currently led by Rabbi Shaul David Butchko, it offers three tracks -- hesder, a combined shiluvim track, and a higher-level kollel track -- combining Torah study with IDF service.

A full-time Torah study program for young Spanish-speaking women from Latin America, running for 18 years, combining Judaism, Hebrew, Halacha, Jewish thought, Tanach, and Mishna study with educational tours, alongside Israeli and Diaspora peers at Midreshet Lindenbaum.

A division of Midreshet Lindenbaum in Lod (opened 2017, renamed Midreshet Dorit in 2025 following a major gift), combining intensive Torah study with weekly volunteer service and a focus on preparing women for meaningful IDF service.

A one-year midrasha for young women preparing for IDF or national service, combining religious development, personal growth, and self-discovery within a Religious Zionist/Modern Orthodox framework.

A year-long Chabad-Chassidic Torah study seminary for young women who are graduates of Chabad high schools worldwide, covering Chassidus, Jewish law, philosophy, and personal growth, with both English- and Hebrew-speaking tracks.

A full-day intensive Torah study program (Tanach, Talmud, Halacha, Jewish thought) for Israeli women who have completed national or military service, drawing participants from a range of backgrounds from kibbutzim to cities.

A Bais Yaakov-style seminary for post-high-school women.

An alternative, flexible-structure seminary for religious young women, combining Torah classes with a range of academic, vocational, and creative courses (art, music, cosmetology, languages) and options to complete a high school diploma, work, or volunteer.

A Bais Yaakov seminary combining rigorous textual study (Chovos Halevovos, Tanach, Halacha, Tefilla) with extracurricular enrichment, offering both a first-year (Shana Alef) and second-year (Shana Bais) track.

A Bais Yaakov-style seminary for serious post-high-school students, operating on the Neve Yerushalayim campus under its own separate leadership and admissions.

A Bais Yaakov-style seminary for post-high-school women pursuing a year of Torah study and religious growth in Jerusalem.

A Bais Yaakov seminary for post-high-school women seeking serious textual Torah study in a traditional framework, drawing students from a range of Bais Yaakov-affiliated backgrounds.

A Bais Yaakov-style seminary, now in its 35th year, geared toward highly motivated Bais Yaakov high school graduates seeking a serious year of Torah study in Israel.

A Chabad-Lubavitch seminary for young women using the teachings of Chassidus to develop leadership and a deep connection to Torah, including Torah classes, tours in Israel, and chesed/internship opportunities.

A post-high-school seminary for young women within the Aish HaTorah network, combining foundational Jewish studies with an emphasis on personal and spiritual growth for students newer to intensive Torah study.

A medical-track gap year combining a week-long orientation with two three-month internship rotations (clinical, then lab research) at Israeli hospitals and research institutions such as Hadassah Ein Kerem, Shaare Zedek, and the Ministry of Health, alongside Jewish medical ethics study.

A year-long sports academy program for post-high-school athletes, with tracks in basketball, soccer, and sports management. The basketball track competes in Israel's IBBA semi-professional B League while participants also volunteer, intern in tech, and tour the country.

A pre-military preparatory boarding program run by the Betar movement specifically for French young people, combining Hebrew, Judaism, and Zionism study with physical and military preparation; many participants go on to enlist in the IDF.

A leadership-training gap year (shnat hachshara) for Habonim Dror members from Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, combining practical experience, Zionist-socialist education, and movement leadership preparation.

An 8-month religious-Zionist gap year hachshara program for Bnei Akiva members from Spanish-speaking countries (primarily Mexico and Panama), building leadership skills and connection to Israel, Judaism, and Zionism.

A 10-month religious-Zionist gap year hachshara program for Bnei Akiva members from Latin America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil), combining Torah study, Zionist education, and leadership development with seminars and excursions across Israel.

A support program for young women ages 17-24 from abroad undertaking sherut leumi (national service) in Israel as an alternative to military enlistment, offering guidance, mentorship, and community programming named in memory of Ori Ansbacher.

A yeshiva-style pre-military mechina in Lod combining intensive Torah study with physical training, wilderness experience, and preparation for IDF service.

Israel's first agricultural pre-military mechina, combining hands-on farm work with Bible study, Zionism seminars, and preparation for IDF service, run by the HaShomer HaChadash movement.

A religious pre-military mechina for young men at Kibbutz Be'erot Yitzhak that combines Torah study with an open religious-Zionist outlook encouraging critical thinking, alongside preparation for IDF service.

A pre-military academy for science-oriented high school graduates that combines advanced coursework in fields such as astrophysics and neuroscience with community science outreach and preparation for IDF service.

A pre-military leadership academy operating across several Upper Galilee kibbutzim, with year-long, 18-month, and half-year tracks combining leadership training, community volunteering, and preparation for IDF service.

An advanced-track mechina of the Bnei David (Eli) network located in the Jordan Valley settlement of Ma'ale Efrayim, combining advanced Torah study with agricultural work and pre-military preparation for second-year students and military veterans.

A pre-military mechina under the Bnei David (Eli) network specifically for young men of Ethiopian-Israeli descent, combining Torah and Beta Israel heritage study with physical training and leadership preparation before IDF service.

Yeshiva Midrash Shmuel is an English-speaking yeshiva in the Sha'arei Hesed neighborhood of Jerusalem, founded in 1993 by Rabbi Binyomin Moskovits, serving post-high-school students from Israel and abroad. It also runs Aliyos Shmuel, an introductory track for college graduates and older beginners, and a kollel for married students; all classes are conducted in English.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Nitzan on Israel's southern coastal plain, part of the Shahar network. Named in memory of graduate Tomer Barak, who fell in military service on October 7, the half-year program builds resilience and self-efficacy alongside connection to the state, Israeli society, and Jewish identity.

A boys-only pre-military mechina in northern Samaria overlooking the Dotan Valley, part of the Shahar network since 2015. The half-year program focuses on mental resilience, responsibility, and leadership, and has guided hundreds of graduates into meaningful IDF service.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Hukuk overlooking the Sea of Galilee, part of the Shahar network. The half-year program combines study, group living, fieldwork, and personal development in preparation for meaningful IDF service and community life.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Haon along the Sea of Galilee, part of the Shahar network. The half-year program deliberately brings together participants from across the spectrum of Israeli society, building resilience, identity, and preparation for meaningful IDF service.

The Shahar network's girls-only pre-military mechina, based at the Mikveh Israel agricultural school near Holon. Renamed in memory of Rotem Neiman, a program graduate killed at the Nova festival on October 7, 2023, the half-year program develops young women's personal capability, group responsibility, and preparation for meaningful IDF service.

A coed pre-military mechina for religious and secular participants on Kibbutz Beit Zera, part of the Shahar network. Named in memory of Tal Ratzon, the half-year program centers on meaningful living, inner resilience, and social responsibility through group life, community service, and field study.

A boys-only pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Tel Katzir overlooking the Sea of Galilee, part of the Shahar network. Named in memory of David Ohana, a first-cycle staff member, the half-year program emphasizes simplicity, honesty, and inner growth alongside group living, challenge, and preparation for meaningful IDF service.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Malkia along Israel's northern border, part of the Shahar network. The half-year program integrates participants into border-community life while building resilience, responsibility, and Zionist commitment in preparation for meaningful IDF service.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Degania by the Sea of Galilee, continuing the founding path of the Shahar network's original mechina. The half-year program builds responsibility, resilience, and teamwork through group living, community engagement, and preparation for meaningful IDF service.

A coed pre-military mechina on Kibbutz Elrom in the northern Golan Heights, part of the Shahar network. The half-year program combines personal development, group living, and Zionist and social engagement, emphasizing inner resilience, connection to Israeli society, and preparation for meaningful IDF service.

An English-speaking Breslov yeshiva in the Old City of Tzfat, offering Torah study centered on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.

A Sephardic-oriented men's yeshiva in Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem, offering a one-year program of Torah study accredited for transcript purposes by several North American colleges.

A gap-year program at Nishmat in Jerusalem combining English-speaking staff and classes with an Israeli, Hebrew-language beit midrash.

A men's yeshiva in Jerusalem founded by Rabbi Shaye Portnoy for post-high-school Torah study.

A men's yeshiva in Jerusalem founded by Rabbi Chaim Zvi Senter for post-high-school Torah study.

A men's yeshiva in Har Nof, Jerusalem, for post-high-school Torah study.

A Religious Zionist women's seminary in Ramat Beit Shemesh offering a one-year 'Shana Alef' program, primarily for North American students.

A women's college of Jewish studies in Har Nof, Jerusalem, combining Torah study with a Hebrew ulpan component.

A one-year seminary program in Har Nof, Jerusalem, for young women pursuing Torah study through a textual, contextual, and hashkafic approach.

An unaffiliated Birthright Israel trip organizer running free 10-day trips for Jewish young adults, bundling accommodations, meals, guided tours, activities, and security support into an all-inclusive itinerary.

A Chabad-affiliated Birthright Israel trip organizer offering free 7-10 day trips across several age cohorts (18-22, 22-26, 27-32), with themed tracks including campus-focused groups, gender-specific trips, active-adventure trips, and a liberal-arts-curriculum option, plus post-trip extension and alumni volunteer opportunities.

A Birthright Israel trip organizer running free 10-day trips since 2002 for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, distinctive for its pluralistic, adventure-oriented itinerary -- hiking, biking, rafting, and jeep touring through the Galilee, desert canyons, and coastline -- alongside the standard historical and cultural sites.

The Jewish Agency's umbrella network connecting young Jewish adults with 2-12 month study, internship, volunteer, and teaching programs across Israel. Rather than running a single program itself, Masa operates as a matching and grant-support portal spanning gap-year, academic-semester, teaching-fellowship, and professional-internship tracks -- some of which are separately listed in this directory under their own program names.

A hesder yeshiva open to high school graduates from throughout Israel, combining Torah study with meaningful military service, led by the rabbi of Kibbutz Sa'ad, Rabbi Ari Set, and Rabbi Michael Adre'i (rabbi of Kfar Maimon-Toushiya).

A Torah study center in Ariel following the teachings of Rabbi Kook and his son, offering deep learning for gap-year students (week-long intensive tracks) and flexible courses for university students. Originally established in Netzarim, Gush Katif, before relocating to Ariel.

A year-long, integrated pre-military academy at Kibbutz Yad HaShmonah preparing young leaders for meaningful IDF service, with particular emphasis on integrating Christian mandatory draftees. Combines character/values development, exposure to Israeli society and geography, and coursework on citizenship, democracy, Zionism, international relations, economics, Middle Eastern studies, and history.

A new pre-military academy established in 2025 under the Bemaalat HaDerech organization, connecting participants to the Nir Oz community -- which was severely affected on October 7 and remains in recovery -- through community responsibility, valued community action, and understanding of contemporary Zionism and settlement.

A secular leadership pre-military academy named for Lova Eliav, with branches in south Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, developing participants who take active responsibility in Israeli society and during IDF service through a year combining learning, action, Jewish-Israeli identity development, and leadership training within group living.

A pre-military academy in the Ein Kerem neighborhood of Jerusalem, established roughly a decade ago, open to religious and secular participants, boys and girls, preparing youth ahead of military service.

A mixed pre-military academy at Kibbutz Karmim founded in 2000 by the Zionist Council in Israel (originally at Moshav Argaman in the Jordan Valley, relocated to Kibbutz Karmim in 2008), open to secular, traditional, and religious boys and girls, for a year of identity development, connection to the land, character development, social action, and pioneering spirit.

A secular pre-military academy founded in 2005 by Maj. Gen. (res.) Muki Betzer and Prof. Yossi Leshem, near Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael, promoting responsibility, initiative, and Zionism toward social and military leadership. For secular 12th-grade graduates deferring military service for personal development, learning, community contribution, trips, leadership workshops, and group living.

A pre-military academy mixed for religious, traditional, and secular students, boys and girls, across four kibbutz branches (Beit Guvrin, Dorot, Nachal Oz, Gvim). Combines a year of study, reflection, and diverse group living with self-awareness, community involvement in surrounding settlements, and military-service preparation.

A first-of-its-kind integrated midrasha at Kibbutz Natur, opened September 2012 by Rabbi Aviya Rozen and Itamar Lapid, opening beit-midrash-style study to secular and religious students, male and female, across a range of spiritual and general-education subjects, integrated with full IDF service and academic advancement.

A social-leadership pre-military academy with a boys' branch at Beit Berl and a girls' branch at Neve Hadassah youth village (Tel Yitzhak), aiming to narrow gaps in Israeli society by strengthening participants' sense of belonging to the State of Israel.

A joint Druze-Jewish pre-military academy at the Yad LeBanim complex in Daliyat al-Karmel, established in 2008 as a unique model of shared living between Jews and Druze in Israel. Combines physical and mental preparation for military service with study of the land and Israeli society, IDF battle heritage, and Jewish and Druze heritage.

A pre-military academy at Kibbutz Ravid aiming to be a place of leadership and social change, combining weekly workshops, a weekly guidance course, and group living with participant-led responsibility. Opened an additional branch at Kibbutz Lohamei HaGetaot.

A leadership and excellence pre-military academy in Hatzor HaGlilit, established in 2000, offering an intensive ten-month track for personal empowerment and physical/mental preparation for military service and civilian life.

A secular pre-military academy established in 2001 by the Magal Center for Leadership, based at Midreshet Ben-Gurion within Midreshet Sde Boker, run with the Ramat Negev Regional Council and the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute. Branches operate at Kibbutz Holit and Kibbutz Tze'elim.

A pluralistic and liberal pre-military academy in Jerusalem, founded in 2010, aiming to develop Jewish-Zionist identity, personal and social skills, and physical/mental readiness for military service, alongside values of civic involvement, pluralism, leadership, and Zionism.

A network of half-year pre-military preparatory programs in the Negev founded by Yonatan Kishinovsky and attorney Avi Cohen, aimed at bridging social gaps by giving youth from Israel's periphery and underrepresented communities access to a pre-military-style experience. Includes personal development, group living, field trips and workshops, identity/social-development study, IDF preparation, and community work.

A leadership-training pre-military academy with campuses in Akko, Haifa, and Kiryat Bialik, named in memory of Michael Gal. Prepares participants to be leaders in Israeli society through military-service and civilian-life readiness, life skills, and academic/career guidance.

The girls' branch of Mechinat Melach HaAretz, based at Kibbutz Ein Gedi on the Dead Sea, part of a wider framework that also includes a boys' mechina at Mitzpe Shalem, a second-year program in Kalya, and a preferred-work program in Neot HaKikar. Helps participants develop personal, gender, and social identity ahead of military service and civic life.

A pre-military academy in the Arava near Eilat focused on desert studies and leadership, active since 2015-2016, with a curriculum spanning education, philosophy, politics, current affairs, communications, economics, Bible, Israeli culture, and desert geography.

A pre-military academy for social leadership, established in 2011 and named for Lt. Pini Cohen z"l, in which male and female participants undergo a process of personal, values-based, and social identity formation ahead of meaningful IDF service and civic life.

A religious-educational pre-military academy in Or Yehuda, in the heart of Gush Dan, combining Torah study with physical and mental preparation for meaningful IDF service.

A pre-military academy for religious young women in Givat Washington, focused on deepening students' connection to themselves, Torah, and the Jewish people ahead of meaningful IDF service, through a process of personal and spiritual growth.

A pre-military academy established in 2004 in Katzrin, based on values of Judaism, Zionism, and leadership, aiming to strengthen students' sense of identification and belonging to the nation, land, and state.

A pre-military academy founded in 1991 in the Keshet settlement in the Golan Heights, with a program lasting between one and one-and-a-half years; most graduates enlist in the military, with some continuing Torah study at yeshivot.

A pre-military academy for religious young women, established in 2006 by the Jacob Herzog Center under the Religious Kibbutz Movement, closely accompanying high-school graduates preparing for meaningful IDF service. Roughly 100 women graduate each year; curriculum centers on Torah study, Israeli history, and quarterly field trips exploring Israeli societal issues.

A yeshiva-style, socially-oriented pre-military academy established in September 2015 in Rehovot, founded in memory of the three teenagers kidnapped and murdered in summer 2014, preparing graduates for meaningful IDF service through in-depth study and personal mentorship.

A pre-military academy named for Rabbi Shlomo Goren z"l, established roughly 19 years ago in the Merkaz Shapira settlement, for graduates of religious high schools, emphasizing personal attention and a family atmosphere.

A pre-military academy in the northern Jordan Valley combining learning and action, challenges and community involvement, with military preparation through lectures, combat heritage study, navigation exercises, and visits to military units.

A pre-military academy established in 2007 in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Lod, preparing students for military service and life through Torah study and acts of kindness, with a mission of strengthening Jewish presence in the neighborhood.

A leading pre-military academy in Gush Etzion overlooking the Judean Desert, preparing religious young men for IDF service physically, mentally, and spiritually.

A pre-military academy for religious young women, founded in 2015, aiming to build faith, spirituality, and leadership ahead of military service. Curriculum covers Torah, Jewish law, Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and Chassidut alongside understanding of Israeli society.

The women's branch of Mechinat Otzem, a study center in the pioneering settlement of Shlomit founded by Otzem alumni.

A newly established branch of Mechinat Otzem in the city of Ofakim, combining Torah study and mission-oriented work. Founded by Rabbi Yotam Sorek, named for his brother Eyal Sorek z"l.

A religious pre-military academy for both young men and women, named for Yoni Netanyahu z"l, established by the Religious Kibbutz Movement at Kibbutz Alumim. Combines Torah, faith, and Jewish philosophy study with kibbutz labor (packing facility, field crops, orchards, kitchen, ranch work), community volunteering, and military preparation. Opened an additional branch at Kibbutz Sa'ad in 2024.

A post-high-school, pre-army program in Beit Shemesh for graduates of religious high schools from Israel and abroad, preparing young men emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and physically for military service and citizenship. Established 2011; recognized and funded by Israel's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Defense.

A religious pre-military academy in the Chemdat settlement, founded in 1997 by Rabbi Yinon Meder, training students for meaningful life and military service.

A pre-military academy in the Peduel settlement emphasizing student self-governance and social leadership, combining Jewish studies in the spirit of Rabbi Kook and Chassidut with practical military preparation -- physical training, navigation, survival training, firearms instruction, and spoken Arabic lessons coordinated with IDF intelligence units. Over 1,500 graduates have gone on to serve as IDF officers and other roles in Israeli society.

A pre-military academy established in 1991 combining deep Torah study, military preparation, agriculture, and settlement in the natural setting of the Yatir forest. Roughly 100 students total across first and second year. Selection emphasizes genuine motivation over academic or religious credentials.

A Torah-based and Zionist pre-military academy based in the Shiloh settlement, which also operates a program in Beit She'an and a newer track, Chavat Zion, in Jaffa.

A veteran yeshiva-style pre-military academy adjacent to Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin area, aiming to develop religious soldiers with a firm Torah grounding. Also runs a post-military beit midrash track for army graduates continuing traditional study while addressing life skills and spiritual development.

A pre-military academy established in 2010 as an initiative of the Beit Morasha association, combining Torah study with practical work, manual labor, and direct connection to the land. Operates at two locations with roughly 150 first- and second-year students combined.

A Torah-based pre-military academy in the settlement of Talmon, established in 2008, affiliated with Yeshivat Hakotel. Focuses on connecting students to Torah study (Talmud, faith, Jewish law) at an individualized pace; admission is based on interview and personal acquaintance rather than academic credentials alone.

A religious pre-military academy in Akko offering 12 to 18 months of study before graduates enlist for military service. Established in 2014 and named after Avner Shimon Gatz, a soldier killed in the battle to liberate the Western Wall in the Six-Day War; founded by his nephew, Rabbi Ahikam Gatz.

A women's seminary in Ramat Beit Shemesh offering advanced Torah classes in Gemara, Halacha, Tanach, Machshava, and Chassidut, combined with Religious Zionist education, personalized mentorship through rakezet (advisor) relationships, and chesed/community-engagement programming.

A classical Talmud-focused yeshiva for post-high-school students from North America, emphasizing intensive Talmudic analysis (iyun and bekiyus), Halacha, Jewish philosophy (machshava), and character development (mussar), with multi-year Shana Aleph/Bet/Gimel tracks.

A post-high-school yeshiva in the Jerusalem suburb of Bayit Vegan, offering five distinct shiur platforms to accommodate students from beginner to advanced Talmudic study levels, with residential accommodations, weekly Shabbat programming with faculty mentors, and joint academic-credit programs with Yeshiva University, Touro College, and Hebrew Theological College.

A midrasha for female high school graduates combining rigorous Torah study with competitive Israeli internships and volunteer work, plus a Machon Leadership Program offering Israel-advocacy training and meetings with political and military leaders.

A hesder-recognized yeshiva for male high school graduates from around the world, combining rigorous Torah study with competitive internships and volunteer work with Israeli organizations. Runs a high-level Kollel program on campus; graduates have enlisted in elite IDF combat units including paratroop units.

Bnei David is a Religious Zionist organization that operates across multiple campuses, including Yeshivot, mechinot, and Midrashot. It is most famously known for its mechina located in Eli and its midrasha, Danieli, located in Kfar Tapuach, which completely revolutionized how the national-religious community approaches army preparation and national service. The core ideology behind Bnei David is based on HaRav Kook’s teachings, which emphasize that the building of the State of Israel is a fundamental part of the redemption process, meaning that learning Torah and actively contributing to the country are deeply connected. While Bnei David doesn't have a separate, designated program for overseas students, every year multiple students from outside of Israel come to learn here, automatically integrating into the standard Israeli programs alongside their peers. At Bnei David, learning Torah isn't separated from real-world action; instead, it serves as the spiritual foundation that prepares students for the challenges ahead. The institution strongly pushes its students to go as far as possible in the army—whether that means joining elite combat units or becoming officers and commanders. But the impact doesn't stop in the IDF; the ultimate goal is to give students the values, resilience, and tools they need for life. By fusing an uncompromising commitment to Torah with high motivation, Bnei David builds leaders who carry that same drive for excellence into their families, careers, and communities long after their service ends.

Once in a life time gap year experience. Global travel includes countries from the States, to Norway to India and endless other destinations. Designed to inspire a Torah connection through incredible shiurim and Torah experiences throughout the land of Israel. Based in the heart of Jerusalem, students needs are met from incredible apartments, food and daily personal lasting connections with staff. If you are a South African or Australian looking to see the globe, live Israel and connect with yourself, then ohrsom is for you.

Habonim Dror Australia's year-long Shnat Hachshara Ve'Hadracha Le'Aliyah, run through the Australian Zionist Youth Council: touring Israel, a stay on Kibbutz Ravid near the Sea of Galilee for agricultural work and Hebrew/Jewish studies, an intensive study tour in Jerusalem working with civil-society organizations, and a concluding independent-living volunteering period. Masa-recognized, matching the same structure as the already-listed Habonim Dror UK and Southern Africa Shnat programs.

A large, academically rigorous Bet Midrash for women in Jerusalem offering intensive Tanach and Torah She'be'al Peh study alongside internships and social action, with dedicated tracks (Hadas, Shana Bet, Midrashit) for overseas post-high-school students.

A Sephardic post-high-school yeshiva in Jerusalem preparing young men for college, business, and life through Gemara, Tur, and Beit Yosef study taught via Sephardic tradition.

A short introduction to Judaism in Jerusalem for ages 19-31, including room, board, classes, and field trips; taught in English with no Hebrew required.

A year of chesed (Sherut Leumi / National Service) for girls from around the world through World Bnei Akiva, described as the only real National Service program for overseas girls; participants join the Bat-Ami national-service network with placements at Beit Meir Hospital or the ALUT center for children with autism, alongside Torah classes, seminars, and touring. A sixth distinct World Bnei Akiva program track alongside Kadima, Torani, MTA, Limmud, and Mechina Olamit.

A flexible-length Jewish learning program in the Old City for all ages, running anywhere from half a day to a few weeks.

A highly academic Bais Yaakov seminary with high-caliber, renowned teachers and an extensive schedule of trips and tours.

A one-year teacher-training program for recent Bais Yaakov high school graduates.

A one-year teacher-training program for recent English-speaking Bais Yaakov high school graduates with strong halachic observance and academics; students average above an 86% GPA and come mostly from North America and Europe, with 80% of classes taught in Hebrew to build language skills.

A Bais Yaakov-track seminary for post-high-school women.

A Jerusalem seminary and participating school in Touro's Israel Option.

A seminary founded 24 years ago by Rabbi Hillel Belsky, located near the Kosel, drawing on his decades of experience in girls' chinuch; a participating seminary in Touro's Israel Option.

A Har Nof seminary known for being warm and accepting of every student, with rigorous, intellectually in-depth learning; a participating seminary in Touro's and Hebrew Theological College's Israel Option programs.

A women's Torah institute affiliated with Diaspora Yeshiva, teaching women seeking conversion to Judaism, with a track conducted primarily in Spanish for Spanish-speaking conversion candidates alongside its general English-language track.

Israel's only Holistic Jewish Women's Seminary, combining intensive Tanach, Halacha, and Chassidut study with creative spiritual expression through dance, art, drama, writing, and music, at beginner through advanced levels; also runs a B'not Ruth conversion track for women becoming Jewish. Founded and directed by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum.

A Beit Midrash on a working northern-Israel kibbutz with classes spanning Tanakh, Talmud, Jewish law history, philosophy, Chassidut, and gender in Judaism; overseas students are fully immersed with 60-80 Israeli students living on the same schedule.

The only gap-year seminary geared exclusively to women who attended public school or grew up in non-observant homes, run by Rabbi Yaakov Lynn with 20-30 students a year and individualized attention; about a quarter of graduates go on to Touro or Stern College.

A Judaic Studies and Yeshiva track for women ages 20-29 with discussion-style classes, small class sizes, and no dress code or religious commitment required; the women's counterpart to Mayanot's men's post-high-school program.

A 6-week introductory track at Neve Yerushalayim for women ages 19-35, featuring prominent lecturers on philosophical and theological topics, private tutorials, campus tours, and dorm housing, with financial aid available; a shorter taste of Neve's curriculum distinct from the school's two longer programs.

A one-year program for highly motivated post-high-school women at the Drisha Institute's flagship Israel yeshiva (opened 2018, Shana Alef track added 2020), offering intensive Talmud Torah alongside advanced learners; overseas students, about a third of the cohort, are fully integrated with Israeli students in a Hebrew-speaking environment with English-speaking staff support.

A seminary opened in 2006 with a dual focus on building textual/learning skills and character, offering Bible, Prophets, Proverbs, Law, and Philosophy classes with dorm housing and mentoring.

A Har Nof seminary for women at all learning levels, with personal teacher involvement and challenging classes.

A Har Nof seminary founded in 1994 with about 50 students a year, offering morning one-on-one learning and afternoon lectures on Chumash, Navi, and tefilla, plus a short introductory "Taste of Torah" track for women new to their heritage.

A yeshiva founded in 1980 by Rabbi Chaim Flom for growth-minded students, drawing from communities around the United States, with trips throughout Israel including the Golan Heights and Eilat.

An English-speaking kollel and yeshiva, running since 1987, teaching Rebbe Nachman's Breslov teachings on faith, prayer, and Torah, with a full in-person track and an International Remote Study option.

A yeshiva in Beitar led by Rav Yaakov Friedman.

An English-language Litvish Orthodox yeshiva founded in 1985 by Rabbi Doniel Lehrfield, with over 100 students from the US, England, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, and Australia.

A Jerusalem yeshiva for post-high-school men, operating as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

An academically-oriented yeshiva in Efrat named in memory of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.

A yeshiva and learning community dedicated to Torah study alongside a heightened sense of individual and communal responsibility.

A yeshiva founded in 2008 to provide motivated young men with the foundations of Torah and avodas Hashem.

A Shiluv yeshiva combining two years of Torah study with the full three years of IDF service (rather than the shorter Hesder track), emphasizing rigorous study alongside intellectual openness and social consciousness; its overseas program is fully integrated with the Israeli program, adding English-language classes on top of the Hebrew ones, and draws post-high-school and post-college students from the US, UK, and Australia.

A yeshiva teaching and inspiring students in Torah and mussar for over 55 years, carrying forward the mesorah of Slabodka.

A Beit Midrash program on Moshav Beit Meir in the Judean hills for English-speaking men from the US and other Anglo countries wanting a year or more of intensive study.

A yeshiva founded by the Kreiswirth family of Antwerp for overseas students who intend to complete their undergraduate degree, offering college-credit coordination including with Touro's Israel Option.

A Sephardic community yeshiva for post-high-school overseas students.

An English-speaking Litvish Orthodox yeshiva founded in 1982 by Rabbi Moshe Meiselman for serious advanced Talmud students from English-speaking countries, with over 1,000 graduates; students study 10.5 hours daily across Talmud, Mussar, and Halacha.

A nurturing, spiritually-oriented yeshiva in Tzfat led by Rabbi Avshi Weingot.

A 28-day introductory-to-Judaism program in the Old City for ages 18-29, covering topics like practical spirituality and Genesis alongside science; a shorter track distinct from Aish HaTorah's longer Aish Gesher and Foundations programs.

A program for 17-19 year olds combining thought-provoking classes, volunteering, touring, and Israeli culture, over a full nine-month academic year or a one-semester option.

A Har Nof yeshiva teaching Jewish philosophy, ethics, Bible, and Hebrew from introductory through advanced levels, accepting students with minimal prior Jewish background.

A Nachlaot yeshiva founded in 2001 by Rav Sholom Brodt, teaching Gemara, Halacha, and Chassidut in a style and spirit inspired by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, with full and part-time tracks.

A Beit Midrash and rabbinical-ordination (Smicha) track for men roughly mid-20s to early-30s, in the Breslov-influenced community of Bat Ayin, with housing and meals provided.

A gap-year yeshiva in Jerusalem for English-speaking post-high-school men.

A gap-year yeshiva in Beit Shemesh for English-speaking post-high-school men.

A highly selective yeshiva in Har Nof accepting only 18 students a year, ages 21-30, for one to two years of advanced, serious Torah study.

An accessible version of the classic 10-day Birthright Israel trip for Jewish young adults ages 18-32 with developmental, cognitive, or physical disabilities, run in partnership with organizations like Yachad and Yalla, featuring a specialized bus, higher staff-to-participant ratios, adjusted pacing, and one-to-one aides when needed, without sacrificing the richness of the standard itinerary.

The classic short-term kibbutz work-exchange program: volunteers aged 18-35 work about 8.5 hours a day, five days a week, in a kibbutz's agriculture, kitchen, garden, or factory branches, in exchange for shared accommodation, three daily meals, and laundry facilities, without the structured Hebrew-ulpan component of Kibbutz Ulpan.

A supplemental enrichment fellowship that runs alongside a student's main shana ba'aretz (gap year) program, bringing together students from more than 20 partner yeshivot, seminaries, and gap-year programs to study the texts, events, and personalities that forged modern Zionism, including Israeli military history, political debates, and literature.

A gap-year partnership between Yeshiva University and more than 40 yeshivot and seminaries across Israel, letting Orthodox gap-year students immerse in Torah learning at a partner institution of their choice while remaining fully enrolled YU undergraduates, with separate men's and women's school tracks.

A women's seminary founded in 1995 offering a gap year of intensive Judaic studies with an optional fully-accredited second year, including secular college coursework on campus and a trip to Poland exploring the history of Torah scholarship there; Darchei Binah is a recognized partner seminary for overseas college-credit programs through Touro University, Daemen University, and others.

A gap-year yeshiva for English-speaking young men who feel disengaged from Jewish life or have struggled in more conventional yeshiva settings, pairing Torah learning with trips, music, and relationship-driven mentorship from rebbeim; the affiliated Maalot program offers a fully accredited Bachelor of Arts pathway through Excelsior College.

A 6-10 month gap year (length varies by home-country cohort) for members of Netzer, the Reform/Progressive Zionist youth movement, opening with a seminar at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet, moving into 1-2 months of volunteering on Kibbutz Harduf through the Jewish Agency's Project TEN, and continuing with programming on Tikkun Olam, leadership, and Zionism alongside Netzerniks from Australia, the UK, South Africa and beyond.

A 10-month gap year for Habonim Dror Southern Africa members, combining leadership and educational training at Jerusalem's Machon LeMadrichim, work and communal living on Kibbutz Revivim, and a trip to Poland to confront the history of the Holocaust, all within the Progressive Labor Zionist youth movement's framework.

A contemporary-dance program (established 2012) for male dancers 18-28 and female dancers 18-25 with a dance background, from Israel and around the world, offered by Vertigo Dance Company at its Eco-Art Village on a Judean-foothills kibbutz; recognized by Israel's Ministry of Culture & Sports, with graduates going on to the independent dance scene internationally.

A 10-month leadership program founded in 2015 by the Jewish Community of Oslo, open to 18-22-year-old European, Israeli and American Jews of any observance level, combining an immersive Israel experience at the Upper Galilee Leadership Academy with University of Oslo coursework and travel to Jewish communities around the world, centered on Jewish history, religion, culture and identity.

A co-ed, religious-Zionist Israel year program for post-high-school graduates from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America, combining Torah/Jewish-studies learning with self-empowerment and personal-growth programming, distinct from World Bnei Akiva's other tracks (Kadima, Mechina Olamit, Torani, MTA).

An 8-month gap year for the Revisionist-Zionist Betar movement, running March-November: four months of Machon LeMadrichim leadership training at Kiryat Moriah alongside 100+ young people from other youth movements worldwide, a taste of IDF service through the Marva course, seminars across Israel and in Poland, and an extended period of community volunteering.

A 10-month gap year for members of the Labor-Zionist, secular Hashomer Hatzair youth movement (active in over a dozen countries including France, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay), living communally in Israel and becoming part of Israeli society before returning home to lead the movement's younger members.

A gap year for lacrosse players ages 18-30 to live, train and compete in Israel for a college semester or full year, playing in domestic league and exhibition games plus tournaments abroad in Europe, completing a formal coach-certification program and mentoring local youth teams as ambassadors for the sport.

A hybrid program letting English-speaking students combine a post-high-school yeshiva experience with a real academic degree: Torah/yeshiva studies in English in the morning, and English-taught coursework toward a Computer Science or Business Administration degree in the afternoon, with optional Hebrew ulpan.

A new (launching 2026-27) pre-college gap year combining a minimum of four for-credit Tel Aviv University courses with cybersecurity, AI and entrepreneurship workshops, hands-on research in TAU labs, mentorship from Israeli entrepreneurs, Jewish-peoplehood programming, and immersive tours across Israel.

A 6-month leadership program (with an optional 3+ month 'Perek Bet' internship extension) bringing young Israelis together with Jewish peers from around the world to study Jewish Peoplehood, public diplomacy and Jewish texts alongside personal-growth work and volunteering that benefits Israeli society.

A 5-10 month post-high-school program combining Machon Le'Madrichim leadership seminars, an optional taste of IDF Marva training, Magen David Adom EMS training, kibbutz living and work, touring across Israel, and a Poland trip focused on Shoah education; fully supervised by Maccabi World Union madrichim.

A Masorti/Conservative-movement gap year for young adults from Noam's global network (UK, Europe, Latin America and beyond), combining Zionism, Masorti Judaism, tikkun olam, hadracha (leadership) and democracy education, run through Kibbutz Hannaton's Education Center in the Galilee.

An 8-month gap year for UK school leavers built around Socialist-Zionist and collective-living values: 3 months on kibbutz (Shorashim) for group bonding, Hebrew ulpan and Jewish/Zionist education; a month of leadership training; and 4 months (Anafim) living communally in an Israeli city, volunteering, running youth groups, teaching English, and a March of the Living trip to Poland.

Britain's flagship Zionist-youth-movement gap year: a 9-month program (or 4-month option) split between a Jerusalem semester and a Tel Aviv-area semester based in Bat Yam, combining academic study, community volunteering, direct engagement with Israeli society and a Special Interest Month (options include kibbutz, yeshiva, hiking, business internship, or surfing).

An 8-10 month program for young adults (18-21) combining Sherut Leumi-style social-service volunteering (health, education or welfare, participant's choice) with an educational program on Israeli-Arab conflict, politics and current affairs, leadership/entrepreneurship seminars, and cultural/outdoor activities, while living independently in rented Tel Aviv apartments.

An immersive Jerusalem gap year for 70 recent high school graduates -- half from North America, half from Israel -- blending Jewish text study, philosophy and modern thought with leadership training and communal life, drawing on the Hartman Institute's pluralistic scholarship and methodology.

An egalitarian yeshiva offering one-year, pre-college, advanced-studies, summer and winter Torah-study tracks for adults of all backgrounds and denominations, blending traditional beit midrash learning with a Conservative/Masorti approach; the program includes Thursday day trips and a Shabbaton, and long-term study is Masa-eligible.

The Linda Pinsky School for Overseas Students (Machal) at Michlalah Jerusalem College, founded in 1964 to train Israeli teachers and expanded in 1969 to serve students from abroad; around 140 international students per year study Tanach, Halacha, Mussar and Machshava in a Torah-growth curriculum focused on personal commitment to Torah life.

A women's midrasha built on Religious-Zionist ideals, combining Torah learning with hands-on community service — students volunteer with the children of Beit Hayeled, becoming part of the children's extended foster family alongside their studies.

A yeshiva founded in 1989 just above the Cardo in the Old City's Jewish Quarter, offering full-time beginning, intermediate and advanced learning programs as well as intensive short-term programs for visitors from abroad, drawing students of all ages and Jewish backgrounds.

A post-high-school yeshiva for boys from North America, the UK, South America and Australia, offering Gemara shiurim across all learning levels alongside Mussar, Hashkafa, Chassidus, Tanach and Halacha study, with roughly 70% of students returning for an official Shana Bet second year.

A gap-year program for male high school graduates on Mount Zion combining two to three daily sedarim of Torah/Talmud study tailored to each student's level with the option to earn an accredited Bachelor of Arts degree within a year, located minutes from the Western Wall.

One of the Lubavitch movement's most sought-after seminaries, historically for Israeli-Hebrew-speaking high school graduates training as future Chassidishe educators; its 'Chul program' extension accepts overseas students into a curriculum of personal and teaching skills alongside Limudei Kodesh, leading to a government-recognized 'Morot Lagolah' teaching certificate.

A yeshiva founded in 1982 for Jewish, English-speaking college graduates and young professionals in their 20s and 30s pausing careers to spend a year or two on Torah learning, personal development and communal life, blending early-morning prayer, chevrusa study and lectures.

A flexible-length program for college students on a gap year or semester break exploring Judaism with no background assumed, offering three hours of morning and three hours of afternoon classes covering Jewish philosophy, personal growth, history and text study, with optional evening programming.

A year-long post-high-school program in Jerusalem's Old City for young men graduating from public high schools who want a traditional yeshiva experience, studying Jewish texts at a serious level alongside leadership development, located in Aish's Old City campus with classrooms, a dining hall and gym.

A program at the Jerusalem baal-teshuva yeshiva founded in 1970, designed for motivated post-high-school students who may lack a strong formal Jewish education but have the intellectual drive to independently study classical Jewish texts including Talmud and responsa, taught by faculty trained to teach from absolute zero.

One of Neve Yerushalayim's eleven affiliated schools on its Har Nof campus, offering a dedicated seminary track for post-high-school and graduate-age women alongside the flagship Shalhevet program, part of the broader Neve network founded in 1970.

A one-year program at the world's oldest and largest college for Jewish women (35,000+ alumni since 1970), designed for women who want to deepen their Jewish knowledge, learning skills and spiritual growth in an environment built specifically for baalot teshuva.

A personalized, one-on-one Hebrew program built around the 'Rapid Language Acquisition' method, with the flagship Sabra Immersion track combining three hours of daily one-on-one study with 1.5 hours of interactive outdoor activities; also offered as 10-day, one-week and two-week intensives.

A 5-month program combining multi-level Hebrew language classes with kibbutz dormitory living and work assignments, giving participants an immersive experience of rural Israeli community life alongside their Hebrew studies.

A World Bnei Akiva year program geared specifically toward participants from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, immersing them in Beit Midrash learning and Torat Eretz Yisrael at one of four campuses.

An immersive, co-ed, modern-Orthodox Zionist gap-year program giving participants a broad taste of Israeli life through internships, kibbutz living, volunteering, Magen David Adom training, a taste of Marva IDF preparation, seminars, Torah learning and travel.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy named for Haviva Reich, one of the WWII Jewish parachutists, combining standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study with community volunteering and physical preparation for IDF service.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy spanning several northern Israel communities, suitable for students of any religious background, combining standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study with community volunteering.

A secular/pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy in the western Negev near the Gaza border, combining standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study with community volunteering in the region.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy emphasizing progressive and Zionist leadership development, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity study and community volunteering.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy across several small Arava Valley communities, deliberately open to all Jewish denominations to maximize the diversity of its cohort, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military leadership academy in Harish drawing on Israeli Air Force heritage and values as a framework for its leadership training, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity study.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy in the Yizrael Valley centered on exploring Jewish-Israeli identity through study, leadership training and volunteer community work.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy in Beer Sheva open to students of all religious backgrounds, combining standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study with community volunteering in the Negev.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy across three campuses focused on cultivating a new generation of Israeli leadership with an emphasis on social and environmental responsibility, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity study.

A pluralistic, gender-separated pre-military academy in the Dead Sea region combining the standard mechina curriculum of Jewish identity, Zionism and leadership with the unique desert and Dead Sea environment across its two single-gender campuses.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy established in 2018 that uses a distinctive physical-and-mental training system to build modern-age resilience and life skills, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy on the Golan Heights focused on cultivating initiative, responsibility and leadership toward building a democratic Jewish society, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity study and volunteering.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy on a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee emphasizing nature exploration and building bridges across different sectors of Israeli society, alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military academy set in a dense urban environment, emphasizing social justice and coexistence work within Tel Aviv-Jaffa's diverse Jewish and Arab communities alongside standard mechina Jewish-identity and leadership study.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-military gap-year academy combining intensive study of Jewish identity, Zionism and Israeli society with coursework in the arts and environmentalism, plus independent study, community volunteering and physical preparation for IDF service.

Israel's national food-rescue organization runs gleaning trips to pick surplus produce in the fields, night-time food rescue runs, and sandwich-packing sessions for schoolchildren, redistributing rescued food to a network of 200+ partner nonprofits serving over 175,000 people weekly; sessions require no prior training or professional credentials.

Volunteers support children from developing countries receiving pediatric cardiac care, organizing games and activities and providing companionship and emotional support to patients and families before and after their procedures; tracks range from an 'Immersive' 3-week minimum to longer 'Superstar' and 'Buddy' commitments of 2+ months.

An elite gap-year program for young men combining a Rosh Yeshiva-led Beit Midrash focused on Torah study and business ethics with real internships at Tel Aviv startups, aiming to prepare talmidim for both a Torah-centered life and a career in the Startup Nation's tech industry.

Israel's only hi-tech-focused gap year, combining a 4-month coding bootcamp (earning a Front-End Developer certificate in mobile and web app development) with a hands-on internship at Be'er Sheva tech companies and start-ups such as Wix and PayPal, plus Hebrew study and organized trips around Israel.

An English-language study track for overseas students combining first-semester courses from Ariel's three-year undergraduate programs with an intensive 500-hour Hebrew ulpan, run in partnership with Masa Israel Journey; students live and study alongside Israeli peers on the Ariel campus.

The only Chabad-Lubavitch women's school in Israel, offering full-time Jewish studies (Jewish law, Torah and Prophets, Jewish meditation and prayer, Chassidic philosophy, Hebrew ulpan) for women of any age or background, on a year, semester, or short-term basis. Dormitory housing on premises, 2 students per room with a private bathroom.

A Chabad-Chassidic yeshiva program for male high-school graduates ages 18-19, offering Torah study with a Chassidic approach in a dedicated Post High School track on Mayanot's Men's Campus. No prior Hebrew, Jewish studies background, or religious commitment required for acceptance. Runs a full academic year (with a 3-week Pesach break) but students may also come for just a semester or as little as 3 weeks.

The Conservative/Masorti movement's gap-year program, run in partnership with Aardvark Israel: a full academic year split between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with intensive Hebrew ulpan, university-accredited coursework, internships/volunteering, and leadership training grounded in Conservative/Masorti values.

A 5-month permaculture and sustainable-living program for English-speaking young adults ages 18-24, centered on a Permaculture Design Course (internationally certified) and hands-on farm work. A Masa-affiliated long-term program.

A month-long, hands-on program in permaculture, natural building (straw-bale and earth-plaster construction), and organic agriculture, living on Lotan's eco-campus of student-built earthen domes. Graduates receive an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate.

The largest gap-year program in Israel (9 months, up to 30 college credits) offers a Medical Track: a 10-day intensive course followed by five weeks of hands-on volunteering aboard Magen David Adom ambulances alongside Israeli paramedics, plus tours and workshops with Israeli medical staff. Eligible for 3 college credits. No prior medical experience required, but a conversational Hebrew oral test must be passed before volunteering with MDA.

A nine-month artistic gap-year program for 18-19 year-olds studying visual arts, music, theater, or dance. Students choose one of four tracks and get weekly one-on-one studio time with professional artists, plus a personal artistic project. Participants live alongside Israeli students from the 'Ruach Nachon' pre-army artistic academy, building Hebrew fluency and Israeli friendships. Includes trips, volunteering, and Jewish learning.

A one-year, English-language program for international students at Israel's leading contemporary music school, covering music theory, ear training, arranging, music technology, songwriting, composition, improvisation, private instruction, and ensembles. Begins with a month-long Hebrew ulpan and orientation. Students fluent in Hebrew may continue into Rimon's full majors (jazz, performance, production, composition, education). Commuter campus -- no on-site housing, but staff help arrange shared apartments.

A volunteer medical based program for young Jewish adults (ages 18-40) that provides certified first-responder training followed by experiences in real ambulance shifts alongside Israeli medics; offered independently and through Masa Israel partnerships.

An official Israeli government program placing overseas volunteers from 51+ countries into welfare settings (group homes, day centers, nursing homes) to support people with disabilities, at-risk youth, Holocaust survivors, and the elderly.

A national civilian service alternative to IDF service for young adults ages 17-24, placing volunteers in hospitals, schools, at-risk-youth programs, farms, and other social service settings. There are many different organizations that are in charge of sheirut leumi that individuals can reach out to to find the best placements,

A long-running lone-soldier program (since 1991) that brings young Jewish adults from abroad to make aliyah and serve in the IDF, providing a 'garin' (seed group) peer community, host absorption support, and ongoing assistance before, during, and after military service.

An umbrella program run by Israel's official council of mechinot that places Jewish high school graduates from the diaspora directly into Israeli pre-military academies for a fully-integrated 10-month experience alongside Israeli peers, with both English- and Hebrew-language track options depending on the host mechina.

A dedicated English-language overseas track of the religious Zionist Mechinat Otzem, allowing young Jewish men from abroad to live, study Torah, and volunteer alongside Israeli mechina students for a gap year, with many graduates going on to IDF special forces units. One of the few mechinot with a purpose-built English-speaking cohort for overseas participants.

Founded in 1997 as Israel's first secular/pluralistic mechina and the first to accept international participants, Nachshon alternates 'in' weeks of campus study with 'out' weeks of hiking and volunteering, emphasizing leadership, Zionism, and Israeli identity. Runs in Hebrew and is primarily for Israelis, but has a history of hosting overseas participants through the Yachad program.

A mixed religious-secular pre-army academy founded in 1997 by the Beit Yisrael urban kibbutz community, bringing about 70 young Israelis together annually for Torah study, community volunteering (10+ hours/week), and leadership training before IDF service. Israeli-only, Hebrew-language program with no overseas track.

A pluralistic, co-ed pre-army gap year program founded in 1998 in memory of PM Yitzhak Rabin, combining Hebrew-language study, communal living, and volunteering. Has a dedicated international track welcoming non-Israeli participants ages 18-19 to study alongside Israeli peers, though military-specific preparation is for Israelis only.

A pluralistic pre-military leadership academy founded in 2001, combining Jewish text study, Israeli society engagement, and leadership training for Israeli high school graduates before IDF service. Primarily Israeli-only and Hebrew-language, though it participates in the Joint Council of Mechinot's Yachad initiative that places diaspora young adults into partner mechinot.

Founded in 1988 by Rabbis Eli Sadan and Yigal Levinstein, this was the first pre-military mechina in Israel, preparing religious Zionist young men for combat and officer roles in the IDF through Torah study, leadership training, and physical preparation. Israeli-only, Hebrew-language program with no overseas track.

BGU's overseas student program offers a semester or year of English-taught coursework spanning anthropology, environmental studies, political science, global health, and Israel studies, plus a six-week Hebrew ulpan and dorm life with Israeli suitemates.

Bar-Ilan University's English-taught overseas student program for a semester or full gap year, combining Jewish studies, general academic coursework, and Hebrew ulpan with dormitory life and organized trips around Israel.

Israel's first Sephardic women's seminary, located two minutes from the Kotel, combining Tanakh, Halacha, and Jewish thought with a distinct focus on Sephardic customs, history, and heritage.

A Jerusalem gap-year seminary known for a low staff-to-student ratio, combining Torah study in Halacha, Tanach, and Sephardic heritage with hands-on experiential learning throughout Israel.

Founded in 1990 in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City Jewish Quarter, this Religious Zionist seminary's one-year overseas program offers a high-level academic and experiential curriculum with strong emphasis on Aliyah and connection to Israel.

A Jerusalem women's seminary focused on developing independent Torah learning and thinking skills through rigorous shiurim, in a warm environment rounded out by tiyulim and Shabbatonim.

A Religious Zionist Jerusalem seminary for post-high-school women emphasizing intensive Beit Midrash preparation and analytical textual study of Torah, alongside trips and leadership development.

An academically focused seminary for recent high school graduates in Har Nof, Jerusalem, offering small class sizes and deep text-based study of Hashkafa, Tanach, and Halacha across two learning tracks.

An English-speaking gap-year seminary for post-high-school Modern Orthodox women emphasizing rigorous Gemara, Halacha, and Tanach study through chavruta learning, paired with a strong Religious Zionist focus on connection to Eretz Yisrael.

A one-year Religious Zionist program for young women combining Torah courses, interactive seminars ( trips), and Israeli internships, geared especially toward students seeking a growth-oriented religious environment. Located in a large shared israeli campus with access to gym, pool, and a running track.

A Jerusalem women's beit midrash whose Alisa Flatow programs (Shana Ba'Aretz and a post-college track) offer English-speaking women intensive Torah study in Tanach, Talmud, and Halacha; the flagship English track is geared primarily to post-college-age women rather than strictly post-high-school students.

A Modern Orthodox women's beit midrash founded by Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg in 1997, fully integrating roughly 130 overseas and Israeli shana aleph students each year in rigorous study of Gemara, Halacha, Tanach, and Machshava.

A gap-year seminary based on the campus of Emunah's Bet Elazraki children's home, combining morning and evening Torah study with intensive afternoon chessed work caring for at-risk children.

A women's seminary with a strict yet flexible, non-tracked curriculum letting students choose their own course of study in Tanakh, Halakhah, Jewish Thought, and Gemara, combined with chesed volunteering and tiyulim across Israel.

A historic Litvish yeshiva founded in 1939, the first mainstream Haredi yeshiva to teach in Hebrew rather than Yiddish, long associated with Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach; Israeli/Haredi students only, no overseas program.

A religious-Zionist Hesder yeshiva founded in 1977 by students of Mercaz HaRav, long led by Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed (250+ students); maintains a modest overseas program, less prominent than at peer Hesder yeshivot.

A Hesder yeshiva founded in 1972 by Rabbi Eliezer Waldman as a pioneer institution of the renewed Hebron community; primarily serves Israeli students with no confirmed dedicated overseas program.

A premier Hesder yeshiva founded in 1977 by Rav Haim Sabato and Rav Yitzchak Sheilat (~300 students); runs a dedicated program for overseas students with its own rabbi, director, and madrichim.

A Hesder yeshiva (~350 students) known for a Chassidic-inflected, artistic approach to religious-Zionist learning; runs a dedicated English Speakers Program with immersion, mentorship, and dedicated classes.

Founded in 1995 by Rabbi Dovid Fendel, now the largest Hesder yeshiva in Israel with 800+ Israeli students; no dedicated formal overseas learning track, though a US nonprofit supports it.

A religious-Zionist Hesder yeshiva in the Muslim Quarter led by Rav Shlomo Aviner, ~250 students tied to the Ateret Cohanim organization; Israeli-student focused with no widely-advertised overseas program.

A major Litvish yeshiva with ~1,400 students, one of the most prestigious Haredi yeshivot in the world; predominantly Israeli-student focused with no formal overseas program.

One of the largest yeshivot in the world with thousands of students; its core beit midrash is predominantly Israeli/Haredi, but it also hosts a very large, long-established American/overseas division for English speakers.

Flagship religious-Zionist yeshiva gevoha founded in 1924 by Rav Kook, with 600+ students; Israeli-students-only in practice with no dedicated overseas program.

A Religious Zionist yeshiva founded by Rav Shabtai Sabato, shaped by the teachings of Rav Kook; it runs a dedicated overseas program for American high-school graduates in a small desert community 20 minutes from Jerusalem.

A leading Israeli-style hesder yeshiva with a Religious Zionist outlook, drawing overseas students into a rigorous, mostly Hebrew-language beit midrash focused on independent in-depth study of Gemara and Rishonim.

A Religious Zionist yeshiva inspired by Rav Kook, whose English Department combines morning Jewish studies with afternoon Hebrew ulpan, serving beginners through advanced students, including those considering aliyah.

A Modern Orthodox, Religious Zionist gap-year yeshiva ('Serious Torah for a Complex World') emphasizing skills for independent Talmud study, contemporary halacha, and machshava, sharing a campus with Machon Lev.

A gap-year yeshiva combining Torah study in small classes (averaging six students), individualized chessed internships, and weekly tiyulim, with strong personal mentoring in a family-like environment.

Yeshivat Lev HaTorah is a full-time Torah learning program dedicated to developing independent, lifelong bnei Torah. Through serious Torah study, exceptional rebbe-student relationships, and a culture of personal growth, each student is guided to discover his own authentic path within Torah, one that speaks to him deeply and inspires a lasting connection to Hashem. Our students acquire the skills, confidence, and character to continue growing in Torah long after they leave the beit midrash, while developing a deep commitment to Eretz Yisrael, Medinat Yisrael, and the responsibility every Jew shares for the future of Klal Yisrael. As a Hesder yeshiva, Lev HaTorah offers students the opportunity to continue their growth through advanced years of Torah learning or to combine their learning with meaningful service in the IDF. Through our Lev LaChayal program, students who enlist receive ongoing guidance, advocacy, and personal support, with the yeshiva serving as a home and family for lone soldiers throughout their service.

A gap-year yeshiva for North American young men founded in 1981, emphasizing rigorous independent Talmud study, intensive chavruta learning, and close rebbe-talmid relationships within a Modern Orthodox framework.