Browse Programs

A mandatory first year in Israel for all HUC-JIR rabbinical, cantorial and Jewish-education graduate students, opening with a Hebrew ulpan before a full slate of Hebrew immersion, foundational textual skills, Israel studies, community-building and community-service projects, using Israel itself as a classroom to explore Israeli culture, Zionist history and contemporary social/political issues.

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 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.

The Jewish Agency's flagship Hebrew ulpan, founded in 1949, offering five months of intensive Hebrew instruction (5 hours/day, 5 days/week) to roughly 1,600 immigrants and young adults aged 22-35 per year from 30+ countries, with cultural activities and preparation for IDF service or Israeli employment.

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 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. IMPORTANT FLAG: USCJ suspended its previous standalone Nativ program in December 2023 citing budget and recruitment challenges, and relaunched it via this new Aardvark partnership starting September 2026 -- since this is a brand-new relaunch, confirm current logistics, dates, and costs directly before publishing as final, as details may still be settling.

~$29,000 (excludes flights and personal spending money; needs-based USCJ scholarships available)

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.

$7,200/semester tuition (includes activity fee and health insurance); dorms $2,250 (fall) or $2,900 (spring); optional Ulpan +$1,500.

A 9-month service-learning fellowship for ages 22-32 involving ~30 hours/week of grassroots volunteering across multiple placements, Hebrew ulpan, and immersive learning about Israeli society.

~$1,000 (heavily subsidized; includes housing and monthly stipend)

A 5-6 month professional internship program for Jewish young adults over 21, offering internship placements with Israeli companies, central Tel Aviv housing, Hebrew classes, and career-development seminars.

~$9,400 Masa funding available (net cost varies)

A 6-10 month fellowship placing Jewish young adults as English-teaching assistants in Israeli public schools, paired with Hebrew study, professional development, and a monthly stipend.

~$1,200 program fee (stipend 1,750-3,000 NIS/month provided)

A customizable gap-year and semester program combining internships or volunteering, Hebrew ulpan, academic courses for college credit, and field trips, with participants living in staffed apartments in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.

~$13,990-$25,490 (before Masa grants)