The idea of taking a gap year between high school and college has long been common in places such as Europe, but it has not been very popular in America until recently. 

Religious gap year programs, however, have been around for many years, and Jewish teenagers in America, particularly those who are Modern Orthodox, have long been taking gap years at Israeli yeshivot, or seminaries. 

“I tell all my students that they should take a gap year,” said Sam Zitin, the Jewish Student Union associate director in St. Louis. “I think almost every student benefits from waiting till a year out of high school to begin attending university.”

Zitin said he never had the option of taking a gap year. 

“I was not particularly involved with Judaism at the time,” he said. “It was something I regret and wish I had been able to do.”

Rabbi Daniel Freund, vice principal at Yeshivat Kadimah High School, agreed about the importance of the gap year. 

“Generally,  I encourage students to take the gap year in Israel,” Freund said. “In my experience, the vast majority of students who take the gap year love it.”

Gap years taken at Israeli yeshivot are often Talmud-centric, though they vary in degree of intensity and focus. Some students study Talmud for multiple hours at a time, three times every day; others prefer to focus on the Tanach. Some also make use of internship programs and community service opportunities intertwined with time spent studying.

An important aspect of the gap year is its ability to provide an adjustment for students not quite ready for a sudden introduction into college. 

“Coming from a small Orthodox community, both my circle of friends and experiences have been limited,” said Yoni Strashun, a Yeshivat Kadimah senior. “I think a gap year in another country will afford me incredible opportunities I would never receive otherwise.”

Zitin agreed. 

“Taking a gap year allows one to experience a new kind of academic rigor and expectations in an environment that is much more similar to their future studies than their past,” he said. “Too many people go into college and take their newfound freedom in unfortunate and unproductive directions. I think gap year experiences allow students to work on themselves in some of the most formative stages of their new adult lives.”

Another key component is centered in the idea of taking a gap year in Israel, as opposed to having experiences elsewhere, such as in the Peace Corps or Project Abroad. Going to Israel provides a connection with a land dear to these teens, which they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience. 

“After so many years in a Jewish day school, I feel it is important to take a gap year in Israel,” said Yonathan Hirschhorn, a Yeshivat Kadimah senior. “I want to be part of the land and culture that I have learned about all my life. If I don’t do it now, before I start college, it may never happen.”

A year in Israel is especially helpful in showing teens Jews who have grown up in a different culture while maintaining a strong Jewish identity. Many Israeli citizens have lived in the land for their whole lives and can provide the students with a new lens through which they can gaze at Judaism.

“Most return more committed to Judaism and Israel,” Freund, Yeshivat Kadimah’s vice principal, said. “I think they live their lives with a different perspective.”

While there are obviously many benefits to taking a gap year, others see it as more of the same. In their opinion, choosing to go to Israel won’t necessarily have as much of an impact as has been claimed.

“I’m not taking a gap year,” said Ari Cohen, a senior at Fasman Yeshiva in Skokie, Ill. “I want a more diverse environment by going to college, as opposed to experiencing the exact same demographic as the past four years.”

Ari and others see the idea of a gap year as a bit forced, though they appreciate it as an option. Still, he said, it is thought to be an inevitability, and many in the Modern Orthodox community perceive it as such. 

“I’ve talked to different people about their experiences and got various responses, which is what you’d expect,” he said. “But by talking to some teachers at my school, you’d think everyone was going and always thought it was a great experience.”

Although Yoni will be taking a gap year, he shared a similar perspective. 

“I did feel a bit of pressure to take a gap year because, in my community, taking a gap year is the norm,” he said. 

However, Yoni said, it is something he’s wanted to do since he was young. 

“I can’t wait to go,” he said.

Balancing preparation for a gap year with filling out college applications can be difficult, as many students admit.

 “I’m very thankful that the school is supportive with helping us with our decisions,” Yonatan said. “They’ve brought in representatives of both yeshivot and colleges to speak with us and make our decisions easier.” 

Students and teachers are excited for the payoff that eventually rewards the preparation. Being immersed in a foreign culture is always exciting, and when it is as purposeful as living in the epicenter of Judaism for a year, the time spent there promises to be extraordinary. 

“The idea is to learn things and have experiences that are meaningful, enriching and worthwhile,” Freund said. “These kinds of experiences are what life is all about, and they are something that people take with them for their whole lives.