Program Reviews

I had a great year with my friends, but the program was average. The staff meant well but they had no idea what the kids were really up to and so there were a lot of people doing things they shouldn't have been doing, like partying, and skipping classes. The food in Jerusalem was terrible and the staff tried to justify it all the time as being ok. The counselors were cool but it didn't really seem like they had the authority ever to solve problems that came up. It was good to be in Israel and I'm glad I did it but I expected more from the program.

I am so thankful for my Year Course experience. There are many parts of the program that are amazing the way I assume other programs would be: being in Israel, living on your own, exciting opportunities, and making friends. What makes Year Course stand out, however, are the little things that create an overall feel.
Year Course does a great job of balancing independence with structure. From what I have heard about other programs from friends many do not provide enough structure or are too controlling and planned. Year Course runs interesting activities and provides exciting volunteering and internships, while also allowing plenty of time for participants to explore the cities they are living in and find what interests them. You live autonomously with friends and face the various associated survival and social challenges, but you have amazing, caring counselors and staff to lean on.
One thing I will say time and time again about Young Judeans and their programs is that they have the unique ability to build a loving and accepting family out of people who begin as strangers. I can't seem to pinpoint exactly what it is, but there is something about the staff and participants attracted to Young Judea that creates a true feeling of family. Even through a pandemic, Year Course staff (and participants) maintained a safe and comforting community. I am enjoying my first year of college greatly and have made a lot of friends, but something I, along with many friends and sister (who also went on YC), say is that we can't seem to find people we connect with and love as deeply as those from our Year Course.
Choosing Year Course was seriously one of the best decisions of my life.

I want to start off by saying that gap years are not for everyone!! But anyone looking for a way to grow, experience a new culture, travel, learn through experiences rather than a textbook, or even just have a year to explore and make memories, this is the program for you!! You very much get out what you put into it. To anyone nervous about being behind in college, my school initially said they wouldn’t take the credits but I ended up with 35 (23 from YC) . I’m also graduating a semester early.

Going on year course was an extraordinary experience! It helped me become more independent, taught me so much about my country, and gave me all the tools I needed to make a living while I was away. Though being overseas from the people you love can be stressful, I felt a sense of home and security from the staff that gave a similar vibe. Overall this program was really good for me and I definitely recommend going if you have the chance! Also- the food is TO DIE FOR. promise your kids will not go hungry while they’re away :)

Year Course absolutely changed my life. After high school I thought I knew who I was and what my interests were, but my time in Israel completely changed that. I loved being able to live in my favorite country with all my favorite people. Being immersed in the country through different activities, learning Hebrew, and living with Israelis was an unmatched experience. I deepened my connection to Judaism and Israel as well as discovering so much about myself in general: I was able to decide what I wanted to major in and gain more direction going into college. Go on YC!

I never imagined going on a gap year after high school, but I am beyond grateful that I chose to participate in Year Course. I learned about myself as a Jew, a Zionist, a friend, and overall person. I grew so much on Year Course. I created lifelong friends and had learning experiences that will stay with me forever. The staff was so supportive and there for us as we embarked on this journey. I learned about life on a kibbutz, the land of Israel, Israelis and more. It was the best year of my life!

Young Judaea Year Course truly was an unforgettable experience. I met amazing people from all over the world and got to travel and experience things I never would have done without Year Course. The friends I made on Year Course will be my lifetime friends because of the strong bonding experiences living in Israel facilitates. Year course allowed me to have both an educational and fun experience at the same time. The staff were always there for any of us when we needed it and supported us in any way possible.

Year Course has definitely been the best decision I've made. Coming on a gap year program is a difficult decision, and then finding the right program is even harder. I knew that I wanted a program that would allow me to earn college credits while still getting to experience living in Israel and doing all the things that come along with being in a new place with new people. Year Course has provided me with everything I could have hoped for and even more. One of the biggest benefits of coming on a gap year is the personal growth aspect. With Year Course, I believe that the personal growth aspect is enhanced even further than other programs because of the way it is set up. We live in apartments with 4-5 other kids and have to uphold a healthy living environment. This means we have to clean the place and make sure that everyone's needs are taken care of. We have to buy groceries together, and then cook together because we don't have food provided. Other programs might give the personal growth experience, but none like Year Course. In the fall I will be attending Muhlenberg College and already feel as though I have more life experience than the average student who is starting school. Speaking of which, did I mention that I will be transferring over 40 college credits? Year Course has given me the opportunity to learn from some of the best professors I've had, ever! The education aspect that Year Course provides will potentially allow me to graduate in three years of undergraduate studies on American soil. I'm leaving Israel in less than two weeks and have been reflecting a lot on the past nine months of my life. I've travelled all across Israel, I've been to Poland, made life-time friends, gained life experiences that college would never be able to teach me (like how to cook for myself, taking care of an apartment and so much more), I've learned a new language and am leaving Israel a better, more mature and more complete version of myself than when I first got here. I can't thank Year Course enough for all it has done for me. These last nine months will be such an important part of my life for as long as I live. I would recommend this program to anyone who is even slightly considering taking a gap year.

My daughter did her Tikkun Olam project (Community Service) at Yemin Orde. Yemin Orde is a youth village south of Haifa, Israel. They are an educational setting and my daughter taught high school kids English. These children have had real challenges in their lives and Yemin Orde seems to be a life raft for them. Most of the kids are from immigrant homes from Brazil, France, Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine and Israel. The relationships our daughter Sara formed with these kids were transformative for our daughter and the kids she taught. When a group from Yemin Orde came to sing in a youth chorus in our town in White Plains, I introduced myself as the father of her English teacher. She was so excited to meet me and told me how much she was affected by the relationship Sara formed with her. I was moved to tears by the chorus and by this girl's story. Our daughter felt that she had an opportunity to give of herself in ways that got her in touch with how much she has to give to others. And she felt that she had given back to Israel.

Her whole experience has been amazing and I could not recommend this Year Course program more highly! It changed us all!!! And the staff is incredible!

We sent our wonderful, brilliant and sweet 18 year old boy on Young Judaea Year Course 2014/15. We took our 6'2" "baby" to the airport and bid him a long, tearful goodbye. He'd been to Camp Young Judaea Texas, Camp Tel Yehudah in Barryville, NY and even on the 6 week YJ program in Israel the summer after his junior year. He had earned a 2nd degree black belt in the Keon do and the prestige of being a National Merit Scholar finalist but he was very much an irresponsible and mostly clueless teenage boy. Yes, I was a helicopter mom and my husband wasn't much better. Josh had been wanting to go on Year Course, "YC" with his Young Judaea friends since middle school and we dreaded letting go. Did I mention that he's our baby?
Josh had been accepted to a prestigious engineering school in NY ( far enough from home in Texas) and they gladly deferred his admission as, "Our university supports and encourages gap year programs due to the quality of student after the gap year experience." Side note- a letter arrived the spring that Josh was on year course with a 4 year HUGE leadership scholarship. I attribute a lot of this scholarship award to their considering his gap year experience. This financial award defrayed the $24,000. cost for YC several times over!! ( stay in touch with university during gap year!)
WHILE IN ISRAEL we'd ( he'd) promised to Skype every Sunday with our "baby." We met his friends & roommates via Skype and had photos and weekly, monthly and during turbulence; daily email, facebook, etc.. from Year Course adult leaders and staff. THANK YOU KATE, & TZIPPI for answering all my probably obnoxious " worried mom" queries!! We never felt uninformed or out of the loop. The kids had LOTS of freedom but were safe and accounted for especially during any political incidents. This group of YC kids quickly metamorphasized into responsible young adults. It was amazing to watch the transformation. Yes, a few of them had bad judgement- which would have occurred at home or college but the great majority of them grew intellectually, religiously, spiritually. They were taught their financial, academic, social and personal responsibilities in classes the first 3 or 4 weeks after their arrival and were given the knowledge and a full arsenal of YC resources including being taken to get bus passes and throughly coached on using the transportation systems. Several months in, they'd travel in groups on the bus going to Eilat or Tel Aviv for Shabbat. They had wonderful host families for Shabbat and holidays! The classes were amazing & helped our math/science kid become better well-rounded as most were history, theology, literature based. GREAT professors!! Imagine learning Jewish history by walking to the sites where the history occurred!! Wow!
We visited Josh for New Years 2015 and met our son as a man for the first time. Words cannot express the profound and positive growth we witnessed in our son. Nachas beyond belief!
By this time 2nd semester moved him from Beit Ar El, the YC secure living BEAUTIFUL compound in Jerusalem to Bat Yam, a 4th floor residential apartment reminiscent of my college quadplex which my mom referred to as "the tenement." 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen & living area which was surprisingly clean considering 7 guys lived there! At this point in the program, the kids choose jobs or army training. Josh chose working on the ambulance service ( he had to study hard to qualify) and our son who rarely got to high school on time was taking the bus to work at 6:00 am , 4 days a week and loving it. Ambulance service near Tel Aviv- yes, he saw and learned a lot. He gained the confidence and knowledge that comes from experience. He also gained an appreciation and understanding of the fragility and resilience of life. This will stay with him forever.
I have to add that making life long friends and irreplaceable experiences during "the best year of their lives" had a down side. Coming home was difficult for a lot of the YC kids. Year Course tries to prepare them for the transition but it's hard. They stayed in touch and worked through it together. But missed Israel & each other very much!
Several of the YC kids stayed and joined the IDF. As a mom, I can't imagine but applaud their dedication.
Our son, now a successful college student completing his freshman year, plans to return to Israel with his education to offer help secure our Jewish homeland. As much as I don't want to say goodbye again, I understand why.
Thank you Young Judaea Year Course for taking our amazing boy and returning our amazing young man! GREAT JOB!