By Maor Baker ’24
Maor Baker ’24 organized and moderated the alumni gap year panel and contributed this reflection.
This past Tuesday, I hosted a panel of four incredible alumni to speak with Gann’s rising seniors about gap years. Ami Listokin (‘22), Hadas Shapiro (‘23), Ari Menzin (‘24), and Nadav Borensztajn (‘24) represented an array of different programs and experiences from their years in Israel.
Each alum reflected on their gap year experience, offering advice for students already considering a gap year and encouraging others to think about spending time in Israel before college.
Ami Listokin (‘22), entering his final year at Yale University, spoke about his experience at Hevruta, the Hartman gap year program. He shared how the content of Hevruta and conversations with peers challenged him to expand his own thinking and opened his mind. He emphasized that his year in Israel prepared him intellectually and socially for college.
Hadas Shapiro (‘23), currently at the University of Maryland, spent her year doing an intensive text-based study in a Seminary – a traditional religious environment. She articulated beautifully her tremendous emotional and religious growth on her program.
Ari Menzin (‘24), an engineering student at the University of Michigan, went on Young Judea Year-Course, a gap year program in which students spend half the year learning about Israeli society and taking Hebrew courses and the other half interning at start-up companies in Tel Aviv. Ari described the challenge and fun of living independently. In particular, he loved developing the skills to cook for himself.
Nadav Borensztajn (‘24) shared about his unique experience at an Israeli Mechina (pre-army program). He described being pushed well out of his comfort zone – leading presentations in Hebrew, pre-army physical challenges, and a week in small groups working together to survive in a random Israeli city with no phones, no money, and no food. While it was challenging, he explained that it was an incredibly formative experience for him.
I (‘24) spoke about my two years in Israel studying at Yeshivat Maale Gilboa, an Israeli traditional religious learning program. I shared that while I was challenged, my experience was incredibly rewarding as I grew intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
At Gann Academy, each student is on their own journey learning about and exploring Jewish identity and Israel. Gann strongly encourages students to continue their Jewish journeys by taking a gap year in Israel to learn, grow, and mature before entering the broader world in college and beyond.