Browse Programs

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.

22000

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.

~$19,000

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.

~$16,000