The Atlanta Israel Gap Year Fellowship brings together all of the Atlanta Fellows for a few meaningful gatherings woven throughout the year. Working closely with Masa Israel and our Partnership Region staff, we’ve built a series of touchpoints that add something extra special to your time in Israel. Each gathering has its own focus — peoplehood, community, leadership, and action — and is designed to help you feel grounded, connected, and supported as you move through your year.
In the first touchpoint, you will engage in activities designed to foster connections, set expectations, and build a sense of belonging within the group, laying the foundation for the year ahead. Through interactive sessions, dialogue-based learning, and meaningful encounters, you will reflect on the concept of Peoplehood — exploring what it means to you as an individual, as a member of your community, and as part of the broader Jewish people. The setting in a pluralistic village or Kibbutz will serve as a platform for understanding what it means to belong to a group, along with the challenges and opportunities it presents.
The second touchpoint centers on the concepts of community and resilience. You will immerse yourself in a local community in the North of Israel, learning about the challenges they have faced during the war. Over the course of a 3-day experience, you will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of community and explore the role you can play within it. The experience will include a Shabbat in Yokneam, where you will be welcomed by the local community, further strengthening your sense of connection and shared Jewish experience.
In the final stage, you will focus on expanding your capacity to practice leadership and articulate a personal purpose for an initiative related to Israel. Mentors will guide you through the process of identifying a need and translating it into an effective intervention. A storytelling session will help you develop valuable skills for sharing your vision and communicating ideas. This touchpoint will also provide space for summary and reflection as you move forward into the exciting next chapter of your journey.
“Israel is no longer a far-off place to me—it’s a space in my heart. I developed a level of fluency in Hebrew I never thought possible and began to understand Israel beyond what I learned in day school. It wasn’t just a cause to advocate for anymore—it became my home. I immersed myself in the current political landscape, spoke with Israelis across the aisle, and gained a deeper love for its people. I established roots and made promises to return.”
2023 Post-Program Participant
,
“Through exploring different areas of the country, I was able to see the diversity of the land and find out where I would feel most comfortable settling down. Seeing the difference between Jerusalem, the Gush, Tel Aviv, and Haifa displayed to me the number of different cultures within the country. Politically, it was incredible to go at a time where so much was going on with the protests.”
2023 Post-Program Participant
,
“My Gap Year has made me more appreciative of a Jewish society where keeping Judaism is easier. For me, it was so much easier keeping Shabbat and Kosher in Israel than it is in the US. Coming back here has been a difficult transition in terms of what I got used to in Israel. However, the fundamentals of what I learned and connected to in Israel are the same.”
2023 Post-Program Participant
,
Hear from Emily Gavrielov, a 2021 Atlanta Jewish Academy graduate, who is a past participant on Israel XP at Bar Ilan University.
The eligible participating gap year programs span a range of focus areas, cities, and religious affiliations. There’s an Israel gap year experience for everyone and we will help you identify the one that’s right for you.
For personalized assistance and more information about the Atlanta Israel Gap Year Fellowship, please reach out to: Rich Walter at rwalter@jewishatlanta.org
Follow the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta on Facebook for the latest news and fellowship opportunities.