MUM JOINS THE PACK
YOU SPEND months poring over university prospectuses. But what about your gap year? Everyone says it is a formative 12 months — but where to begin with the planning? In one sense, it is more daunting than planning your formal education: the options are endless. You could, eventually, work your way through all the university prospectuses but, as a gap year can consist of absolutely anything, you can never explore all the options.
A gap year may involve working, volunteering, learning a new skill or language, or maybe study that will not be part of your formal education. For many in the Jewish community, it is seen as a time to deepen Jewish identity or knowledge, or pursue Jewish ideals.
People go for all sorts of DIY programmes — but going along the organised route still leaves lots of adventurous options open.
For example, you do not need to choose between exploring exciting places and working with a Jewish organisation, when there are bodies like Tevel out there. Tevel is a charity committed to combatting poverty — and has so far, in its nine years, assisted 27,000 people in four countries. Most of its work is in Nepal, where volunteers work in all sorts of areas, including agriculture. They give training to villagers who are not managing to grow enough food and are poised to leave for slums, enabling them to support themselves. This involves building demonstration farms where the farmers can learn new techniques.
Many organised Jewish gap years are based in Israel, ranging from yeshivah and seminary study schemes to sports and ecology.
Masa Israel is a joint project of the Government of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel and some other bodies. It supports programmes ranging from two to 12 months — see
masaisrael.org for more information. For some people — members of a youth movement who plan to go with friends to its gap year programme, or those planning on following in a sibling’s footsteps perhaps — the choice may be easy. But feeling daunted by the decision is normal. Sceptics may tell you that if you do not have a clear vision of what you will be doing, you are not serious about taking a gap year. Do not listen to them. There is nothing wrong with knowing you want to so something with that time but not having figured it out yet.
If travel is the aim, do you want to be constantly moving or in one location? Is the emphasis on coming away with particular skills or knowledge, or on new experiences? Is it introspective time for you, or is it important that you are also helping others?
How about the setting? Do you want a Jewish setting, a non-Jewish setting, or are you happy with either? If Jewish, is there a certain religious or ideological shade that you feel comfortable with? Choices in the Jewish context are easier than ever, with a growing range of options and some that combine surprisingly diverse interests, such as Torah Tech, a course that pairs Torah study with hi-tech internships in Tel Aviv.
As long as you ask these basic questions when planning your gap time — and answer yourself honestly instead of just following your friends — you are unlikely to go far wrong. The older generation will call this a “year off”. It is not — it is likely to be one of the most active, exciting years of your life.