What's In It For Me?

 

If you come from an Orthodox background, the reason is obvious: All your friends are going, you've already heard how awesome it is, how great the tiyulim and learning is- it's actually hard to find reasons not  to go.

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In several instances, I've heard the following reasoning many times: "I don't see the point... I might as well just go straight to college- I kinda just wanna get started  already. I'm not going to know any of the songs, not so interested in learning, I don't know Hebrew, I probably won't know anyone on my program, and besides, I'll go on Birthright with friends from college, so what difference does it make at the end of the day?"

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​Here's why you go to Israel before college, whether you grew up religious or not: No responsibilities, no nagging from parents, no homework quizzes and tests, travel in a foreign country with soon-to-be friends for life, eat amazing food year-round, go on hikes and other trips around Israel, get a head start on your college peers with internship experience, connect with the Jewish nation through experiences like Shabbos and Yom Ha'atzmaut, have the chance to work on a kibbutz or live across from the Kotel, make life-changing self-discoveries- how could that not spark any interest? 

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The "now or never" argument is overused, which is why it has become a cliche. But here, it legitimately holds true. The odds of you doing a gap year after Israel are incredibly unlikely. Yes, you will have fun on a birthright-equivalent program, but that's actually the point. All of those students who come back from birthright-like programs say they had the best week or two of their lives, and that they have life-long memories from that trip. So, imagine if that birthright experience was a year long? Everyone I have ever met or heard about, whether they lived on a kibbutz, went to yeshiva, or did a pre-army track- all said it was the best year of their lives. This isn't by chance.

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​College will still be there after Israel. You'll defer like most people, or apply in Israel (not recommended though). The classes won't change, and if you have friends already going to the university you committed to, they'll still be there. It actually works to your advantage if your friends are already there. If you have friends who already completed their freshman year, they can give you college-advice, introduce you to people, tell you what classes are easiest, help show you the ropes, etc. Also, there are universities that will take your gap year for credits.

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It's also not always easy to connect with people in college. But, now, having gone to Israel, perhaps someone from your program is going to your school, someone you meet at Hillel or Chabad was on a different gap-year program which makes it easier to connect with them, and your Jewish-Geography game will improve significantly.

 

​If you have financial constraints, that's another issue (but there are plenty of scholarships and financial aid available to you). Otherwise, think about it: I can go straight to college like the average person, or I can go to Israel, have the best year of my life, and afterward go to the same college. Furthermore, you will actually be ahead by having greater clarity on your life's direction. You might even discover your life's passion, thank G-d you went to Israel and made that realization, and now switch your career path entirely. Think about it.

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