Mechinot: post High-School service learning | The Jewish AgencyMechinot

Mechinot (Pre-Army Leadership Academies)

Post-High School Service Learning

The Jewish Agency’s Mechinot provide Israeli high school graduates with opportunities for leadership training before they enter the IDF. Participants live, work, and study together in small groups. Each pre-army program provides Jewish study, coursework, workshops, formal and informal dialogue, trips around Israel, meetings with prominent social activists and IDF representatives, enrichment activities, guidance through army induction, physical fitness training, and a volunteering component.

In Israel, where serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is mandatory for all citizens over the age of 18, a person’s army position can set their trajectory for life—some equate it to the difference between choosing a local college and an Ivy League university in America. Mechinot help recent high-school graduates prepare for their service with opportunities for Jewish study, volunteering, skill-building, and personal development in the interim between ending school and beginning service in the IDF.

Mechinot support youth from Israel’s most disadvantaged communities, including Muslims, Christians, new immigrants, Ethiopians, ultra-Orthodox, Bedouin, and at-risk young women. These young people are Israel’s best hope for reversing trends of alienation and underachievement in underserved communities. Each of our unique Mechinah programs hosts cohorts of around 35 participants. Below is a selection of some of our Mechinah programs:

SOME OF OUR MECHINOT EXPERIENCES INCLUDE:

Kol Ami: A.K.A. the Jewish Peoplehood Leadership Academy, Kol Ami is a post-high school immersive service-learning program in Israel that brings together Jewish young adults from around the world with their Israeli peers to form friendships and learn about each other’s Jewish communities and cultures.

Derech Eretz: A values-driven curriculum that inspires young Israelis with a love for the land and paves the way for more meaningful service in the IDF.

Aharai! B’ir: Educational programs that develop young leadership and promote social engagement between youth from varying sectors of society to help prepare them for the IDF.

Alma: An all-female Mechinah in Jerusalem for women at-risk, which emphasizes self-confidence and leadership skills and includes a gender studies course and meetings with influential Israeli women.

Or Yehuda: A Mechinah that uses cinematography and production as a means of education, personal expression, and connection.

Nitzana: Gives participants the opportunity to initiate social activist projects on sustainability, solar energy, and agriculture.

Kineret: A specialized Mechinah in which Jews and Christian Arabs live, train, and grow together, promoting coexistence, collaboration, and personal development.

Harduf: A Mechinah where Jews and Arabs study and volunteer together, focusing on individual development and mutual understanding and cooperation.

Karmiel: A Mechinah where new immigrants study alongside their native-born Israeli peers. The curriculum focuses on Jewish cultural diversity, national identity, and civic engagement.

“Through Kol Ami, I’ve developed a stronger connection to Israel and my Jewish identity. Getting to explore the amazing diversity and cultures in our Jewish State means I can knowledgeably talk to others back home about the realities of Israel.” -Nadine, 19, an alumna of the Kol Ami Mechinah from Oslo, Norway.