By Shahaf Shav-Artza

My name is Shahaf Shav-Artza, I'm 19 years old and live in Shlomi.

I would like to tell you about a unique programme I participated in - the Jewish Agency's Shnat Sherut.

Shnat Sherut is a year before army service, during which young people volunteer in the community. It is recognized by the army but is not considered part of military service. So why would an Israeli boy, facing three years of long and arduous service, choose to add an additional year that seems to lead him nowhere? In order to answer this question, I have to tell you a little bit about myself and my background.

When I was 16 years old, I went to the UK as part of the "Magic Moments" delegation and this was when I made my first connection with British Jewry, a connection that continues until today and definitely will continue in the future. As I didn't want to forgo the wonderful experience I had with my Jewish peers, the following summer I joined the Aj6 Israel Tour and strengthened my connections with them. A year later I went with the same movement on Europe Tour and so it came about that I went on various delegations for three years in a row.

It was only natural for me to accept the proposal to join the shnat sherut with the same youth movement. After going through evaluation, personal interviews and submitting recommendations, I was accepted into this programme.

The shnat sherut is divided into three main parts. The first and best part is study at the Machon Lemadrichei Chul. You reach the Machon as part of your youth movement, where you meet 50 more British youth from various movements. The Machon is a mini-university aimed at training leaders for British youth movements. The schedule is very dynamic and interesting. In the morning you attend classes of your choice. Most lessons are not frontal, but in the form of discussion, havruta, songs or otherwise. The subjects are generally connected to the State of Israel, Judaism, leadership, etc. In the afternoons there are additional lessons in small groups, dealing with specific subjects for choice. For example, I chose the subject "The roots of the Israeli-Arab conflict", which is not learned in school. In addition to lessons, there are trips in the Jerusalem area and three big trips for integration and getting to know the country, also social activities and experiencing Jerusalem. The four months I was there opened a window for me to the holy city, and I believe this is a major part of this time.

After four months in the Machon comes the volunteering part. I volunteered in my hometown of Shlomi. We started our volunteering in the mornings at the different local schools and in the afternoons in the Community Centre. I volunteered in two elementary schools where I taught English, helped pupils prepare their homework and was a social counselor. In addition, I chose to teach 6th graders vocabulary from the Psychometric Exam. In the afternoons I volunteered at the Community Centre, where I worked with various groups and also joined the counseling of "Magic Moments" delegation.

The arrival of the British youth to Shlomi marked the third part of the programme. We continued our volunteering as usual, but now the apartments contained Israelis and Brits as well. During the volunteering period we could also tour the country and once a week we had an enrichment day. We received constant support from the Jewish Agency staff and Shlomi itself.

In June I had the opportunity to go as a counselor to the Netzer summer camp. I was the sole Israeli representative and was a member of the counseling staff. It was an unforgettable experience and was a good end to a good year.

In conclusion, I would like to add that this year provided an excellent opportunity for me to grow and develop, to do different things and see the world before joining the army. I would like to express my appreciation to all those who contributed and helped this wonderful year in my life to take place.

Yours, Shahaf