Although the gap year is an amazing experience and opportunity for growth, like anything else in life, there are challenges. Sometimes, growth isn’t comfortable, and being in a new country with new faces can be difficult. It is important that people hear from recent guys/girls who were in Israel, so they know what to expect and can think of ways to navigate mental health challenges while visiting Israel. 

 

 Here are some examples of potential challenges:

 

1. Israel is hyped up to be a perfect year, and I see all my friends are having fun- but I’m just not having as much fun as I thought I would… definitely not as much fun as everyone else is… Is there something wrong with me? I mean, there must be…

2. I’m becoming more religious, but my friend group is not. They make fun of me saying things like I’m faking to be shtark (seriously religious) or jokingly call me Chareidi for picking up new religious observances. What am I supposed to do?

3. General peer pressure in social groups, being pressured to drink/smoke when you’re not comfortable with it.

4. Feeling home-sick

5. Feeling like there’s no one to communicate mental health-related issues with.

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Any individual facing mental health issues in Israel needs to have the courage to deal with their issues. Whatever mental health issue you are dealing with in Israel may be exacerbated in college, and new challenges will surely arise. Hence, given that Israel is an opportunity for personal growth, developing the necessary tools to combat any kind of insecurities you have is vital. Furthermore, it is obvious that a person who suppresses their mental health challenges will have barriers to getting the most out of their year.

 

Personally, I didn’t struggle with most of these issues, but there are plenty of people who do. Any mental health stigma revolving around the gap year should be confronted and shared. No one should feel alone, and I hope that what is written here ensures that you feel you are not.