A Year That Shapes a Lifetime

When Ari Gordon, a Weber School alumnus, arrived in Jerusalem this fall, he wasn’t beginning a new school year. He was stepping into a once-in-a-lifetime chapter of growth, learning, and connection. 

Through Jewish Atlanta’s Gap Year Fellowship, supported by Federation donors in partnership with Masa Israel Journey and The Zalik Foundation, Ari is spending his year living and studying in Jerusalem’s Old City through Orayta, a religious learning-based gap year program. Just months in, the experience has already reshaped how he sees Judaism, Israel, and himself. 

“You’re never going to be able to take a year like this again,” Ari shared. “A year dedicated to living in Israel, growing your Jewish identity, and really understanding the culture. College will be waiting for you. This opportunity only comes once.” 

Each day, Ari is immersed in his passion for Jewish learning, studying sacred texts, philosophy, and ethics, while building deep relationships with peers and educators who share a desire to grow. Outside the classroom, he is fully immersed in Jewish life: celebrating holidays, traveling across Israel, and experiencing daily life in a place where Jewish rhythm and identity shape everything. 

“It’s totally different than America,” Ari explained. “Here, everything is Jewish. You really feel part of something bigger.” 

That sense of belonging is exactly what Rozeeta Mavashev, Executive Director of Masa Israel North America, believes makes a gap year in Israel so powerful, especially at this stage of life. 

“At 18, young people are just beginning to ask big questions about who they are and what they stand for,” Rozeeta says. “A gap year in Israel gives them the independence to explore those questions, while being held by a strong Jewish community.” 

Through Masa, teens can choose from hundreds of gap year options, including religious and secular programs, volunteer-based experiences, leadership tracks, and immersive learning opportunities. To help families navigate those choices, Masa will soon be launching AI-powered support to guide future fellows toward programs that best match their interests, goals, and values. 

And Atlanta’s Gap Year Fellowship is especially unique. Now in its fourth year, more than 150 Atlanta teens have participated in Atlanta’s Gap Year Fellowship. The partnership between Federation, Masa, and The Zalik Foundation has created a unique fellowship model, one that goes beyond financial support to foster connection, leadership, and long-term impact. 

Three unique Federation-led touchpoint experiences ensure fellows are held by Jewish Atlanta and deeply connected to Israel, especially Atlanta’s partnership region of Yokneam-Meggiddo. From moments of reflection on Jewish peoplehood, to Shabbat spent with local families in the North, to guided leadership development, these touchpoints turn a year in Israel into a life-shaping experience rooted in belonging, responsibility, and shared Jewish future. 

Royi Bercovici, Director of Gap and Jewish Studies Programs at Masa, describes the initiative as a shift in how the Jewish community invests in its future. “This isn’t just about sending teens to Israel,” he said. “It’s about creating circles of impact, where the fellow, the community, and the Jewish future all grow together.” 

He adds that the strength of the program lies in its values-driven collaboration, something Atlanta’s Jewish community embodies. “When organizations step back from ego and focus first on the fellow,” Royi says, “something different happens. You don’t just create a program, you model the kind of partnership our Jewish world needs.” 

And the impact continues long after fellows return home. Masa continues to support alumni as they transition to college, helping them bring leadership skills, confidence, and Jewish pride to campuses across North America, strengthening Jewish life for themselves and others. 

For Federation donors, the Gap Year Fellowship represents a powerful “Return on Impact,” a phrase Royi coined to demonstrate not just a return on dollars, but an investment in Jewish education, Jewish engagement, Israel & Jews worldwide, and in caring for young people at a formative moment in their lives. 

As Ari put it simply: “This experience helps you understand Israel, understand Judaism, and understand yourself.” 

Applications for Jewish Atlanta’s Gap Year Fellowship are now open. Learn more and apply at jewishatlanta.org/atlanta-israel-gap-year-fellowship-application