YACHAD GAP YEAR
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN ISRAEL
Volunteer and study while living in a community of Israelis your own age in one of Israel’s prestigious Mechina programs
It features a uniquely flexible layout and a variety of well-designed particles to make your content shine.
Lead
Learn valuable leadership skills to prepare you for your future
Study
Study Judaism and Jewish identity, Israel history & culture
Volunteer
Make positive impact for Israel and its people
Explore
Get to know the land & people of Israel with amazing trips & encounters
Yachad Gap Year gives you the opportunity to have the ultimate immersion experience in Israel, by living, studying and volunteering in Israeli mechina programs with Israelis your age. The word Yachad means “together,” and as a participant, your Israel experience will be more up-close and personal than any other – because you’ll be doing it together with your Israeli peers.
Yachad offers you a broad range of Israeli mechina programs to give you the ultimate Israel immersion experience. Browse through the different options, and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Once you know which mechina is right for you, fill out our registration form to get started on your way to Israel!
ARAVA
ADERET
BEIT YISRAEL
BINA
GALIL ELYON
HAEMEK
LACHISH
LAPIDOT-EMUNAH
MEITZAR
NACHSHON
RABIN
TELEM-JAFFA
THE MECHINOT
ARAVA
Mechinat "Arava" is open to all the different Jewish denominations, creating a uniquely diverse group.
As a Mechina our vision is to help develop strong, valiant leaders who will promote prosperity in Israel, a Jewish-democratic country or wherever they may be.
THE MECHINOT
ADERET
Located at Moshav Aderet, Mixed Religious-Secular group, Co-ed.
At a Glance: Aderet aims to cultivate new Israeli leadership that is full of hope.
We wish to create an “Israeli Beit Midrash for society and the environment”, a
place to deal with the question of how to build a better society that educates
people to learn in order to do.
THE MECHINOT
BEIT YISRAEL
Located in Jerusalem, Mixed Religious-Secular group, Co-ed.
At a Glance: A highly diverse group that seeks to build bridges between sectors
of the Jewish people; study and volunteer program combining traditional
Jewish study, understanding of Israeli society and engagement with the local
community.
THE MECHINOT
BINA
LIVE, STUDY, & VOLUNTEER in Tel Aviv with your Israeli peers.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the community where you live.
GROW as a Jewish leader, educator, and activist.
BINA's Gap Year participants are exceptional, English-speaking, high school graduates from around the world.
THE MECHINOT
GALIL ELYON
Located In the Upper Galilee, Secular-Pluralistic, Co-ed group.
At a Glance: A special educational framework that offers youngsters who have
finished twelve years of schooling an opportunity for personal development
through a combination of studying, hiking, acquiring leadership skills,
experiential learning, and volunteering in the nearby area in a variety of fields.
THE MECHINOT
HAEMEK
Located at the Beit Shean Valley, Mixed Religious-Secular group, Co-ed.
At a Glance: Pastoral location, near the Sea of Galilee; leadership and Jewish
identity studies focused on building bridges in Israeli society; exploring Israel by
building “HaEmek” nature trail; seminars on personal encounters with different
sectors in Israeli society.
THE MECHINOT
LACHISH
Located at the Judean foothills, Mixed Religious-Secular group, Co-ed.
At A Glance: The mechina combines uniquely intensive studies of Jewish
identity, Zionism, Israeli society and philosophy with coursework in the arts and environmentalism, as well as independent study.
THE MECHINOT
LAPIDOT-EMUNAH
Located in the Binyamin region, Religious/Orthodox group, Girls only.
At a Glance: Designed for religious girls looking for serious and meaningful
Torah-based preparation for their service in the IDF. (Yachad participants are
not required to serve in the military after completing the program).
THE MECHINOT
MEITZAR
Located at the southern Golan Heights, Secular-Pluralistic, Co-ed group.
At a Glance: Aiming to educate students towards showing initiative, taking responsibility and enhancing leadership, in order to build a model Jewish and democratic society in Israel.
THE MECHINOT
NACHSHON
Located at the northern Negev desert, Secular-Pluralistic, Co-ed group.
At A Glance: A program geared towards personal enrichment through
experiential learning and community building; the first non-Orthodox mechina,
and the first to absorb international participants.
THE MECHINOT
RABIN
Located at Kiryat Tivon, Secular-Pluralistic, Co-ed group.
At a Glance: In this year of service, students are encouraged to take
responsibility for what is going on in their communities, in the broader society
and among the Jewish people, while also embarking on a personal journey to
deepen their knowledge and clarify their values and goals.
THE MECHINOT
TELEM-JAFFA
Located in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Secular/Reform, Co-ed group.
At A Glance: A modern perspective of traditional texts, with emphasis on social
justice; volunteering within the community where you live and study; studies
on Arab culture and language, Jaffa history and coexistence in an ethnically
diverse community.
Sharing the experience
Our aluni share their stories
Mechinat TELEM-JAFFA
Geffen Huberman, New York, NY
For the last ten months, I have chosen a new path every morning. One morning I could go for a run in Jaffa’s old city, letting my mind wander as my legs stepped on empires and conquests. Another morning I could
Mechinat TELEM-JAFFA
Matan Braner-Kadish, Washington, D.C
I'm not sure I've made a better decision than the day I decided I would be coming to the Mechina in Jaffa. Looking back on it, I am so happy that I pushed past my hesitations of language, distance, and culture and
Mechinat BEIT YISRAEL
Ella Tav, New York, NY
Something I didn't understand until I got to Beit Yisrael was the power of people truly living their values in an Israeli context. I came to Beit Yisrael to experience the religious, socioeconomic, and political diversity of Israeli life.
Mechinat NACHSHON
Gil Adini, Boston, MA
As Walt Disney wisely put it, "If you can dream it, you can do it." I used to think that these words were nothing but a fantasy, but in the last 10 months, my time at the mechina has taught to see the truth in these nine words.
Mechinat NACHSHON
Oshri Olsberg, Boston, MA
One of my favorite things about my year at Mechinat Nachshon is when we are "closed" (stay at the Kibbutz) for Shabbat. Shabbat here has an American flavor meaning that I have been able to incorporate some of my own
Mechinat NACHSHON
Lexi Unell, Kansas City, MO
My name is Lexi Unell, and My most meaningful experience in mechinat nachshon so far has been survival week. Survival week was a week were we were sent off in small groups with just a map, a compass, and little to no food.
Mechinat KESHET YEHUDA
Adam Bernitz, South Africa
I'm currently in Mechinat Keshet Yehudah , all the way up in the Golan Heights. This amazing year is about to come to an end and my military service is about to begin. I am so incredibly indebted to this institution.
Mechinat KESHET YEHUDA
Louis Ungar, Miami, FL
A few nice words This year in Keshet was amazing. I absolutely loved it and hopefully coming back for a little bit of a second year. All the hikes and adventures probably made this the best year of my life. I have learned
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