Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) and Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE-JNF) have announced the launch of Frontier Israel, a gap semester program for recent high school graduates. The program, which will run from September 2 – December 25, 2020, is designed for incoming college freshmen and sophomores and will allow them to spend a semester volunteering and studying in Israel.
Amid uncertainties of whether in-person classes will resume on university campuses this fall, JNF-USA and AMIIE-JNF have adapted their curriculum for a slightly older student population, providing them with the opportunity to solidify their connection to Israel and reinforce their Jewish identity.
“The beauty of Jewish National Fund-USA is that we have all the pieces already in place,” said JNF-USA Israel Advocacy and Education Executive Director Joshua Levin. “If you want to give a student a true Israel experience, you turn to JNF-USA and the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education. Between the cities in Israel’s north and south, JNF-USA’s affiliates, and our infrastructure in place at AMIIE-JNF in Hod Hasharon, we have pulled all of our resources together to create the ultimate Israeli pioneering experience with our new Frontier Israel gap semester program.”
Frontier Israel’s curriculum is comprised of two components: “Frontiers” and “Seminars.”
For the “Frontiers” component, students engage in meaningful work in three of Israel’s regions—the Negev, Galilee, and the Center—with JNF-USA affiliates. Volunteer opportunities include farming, building and developing accessible hiking paths, working with refugees, and more. During the “Seminar” portion, students have the opportunity to broaden their educational horizons and build out their portfolio and create a well-rounded educational resume for college and academic careers. Seminars include learning retreats where Israel and the land are used as the classroom, enabling students to explore more than 3,000+ years of Jewish and Israeli history.To learn more about the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education Frontier Israel gap semester or to apply, visit amhsi.org/frontier, or contact Marni Heller at mheller@jnf.org, or call 212.879.9305 x485