Widening access and doubling the number of young people taking a Gap Year in Israel

INVESTING IN FUTURE JEWISH LEADERS

Gap Year in IsraelJanuary 2016

UJIAJanuary 2016

Taking a Gap Year in Israel is the strongest predictor of future Jewish leadership.

The increasing cost of Gap Year, combined with other financial pressures, has led to a dramatic drop in participation. This proposal aims to reverse that.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Wegier

Israel Gap Year programmes transform Jewish lives. Research stresses that long term immersive programmes are the most effective in terms of enhancing Israel education and engagement, strengthening

Jewish identity and encouraging communal commitment. The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) captured what is meant by an ‘immersive experience’:

“In essence, Jewish identity appears to be strengthened most when Jews are given an opportunity to immerse themselves completely in an intensely Jewish environment, with a group of people around them to learn from and with, over an extended period of several months at least. If our goal is to enhance and strengthen the Jewish identities of the next generation, these are important principles to explore in our educational planning and programme development.” (p. 21)

JPR measured the impact of various educational programmes and found that:

“Overall, the most important Jewish educational programmes were those involving an extended yeshiva/seminary experience or gap year in Israel.”

JPR ‘Strengthening Jewish identity: What works? An analysis of Jewish students in the UK. David Graham. JPR Report September 2014 (p.4)

Israel Gap Year programmes offer the opportunity for intensive learning, high quality leadership development, meaningful volunteering and intimate interaction with Israeli society. These programmes also generate outstanding future community leadership who know Israel and know how to present its case. Research confirms: “Being Jewish is “extremely important” to almost 90% of those who experienced an Israel Gap Year”. Jewish Youth Commission: ‘Informal Provision for Young People in the UK Jewish Community’. March 2014. (p.29)

GAP YEAR: WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

RESEARCH STRESSES THAT LONG TERM IMMERSIVE PROGRAMMES ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.

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UJIAJanuary 2016

Over the last four years, participation on these Gap Year Programmes suffered a serious fall due to the increase in university tuition fees and the ravages of recession (see chart). The programmes are also expensive at around £10,000-£15,000 and increasingly prohibitive. Furthermore, aspirations amongst the target population of eighteen year olds have also changed: today, they are far more focused on career prospects and the importance of entering employment without delay.

And this is happening in an era when the very nature of the Israel-Diaspora relationship is changing for a new generation of young Jews. They experience a prosperous Israel and simultaneously struggle with a perception of a powerful and domineering Israeli force, reinforced by negative media reporting.

There is now an imperative for change: unless we make a major strategic intervention we will continue to struggle to recruit participants, and this will increase the challenge of recruiting competent Israel Tour Madrichim (leaders) and turning out strong, Israel-educated Movement Workers. It will spawn future generations of young people whose peer leadership will be increasingly illiterate and ill-informed on Israel and distanced in their relationship with the Jewish homeland.

THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGE

UNLESS WE MAKE A MAJOR STRATEGIC INTERVENTION WE WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS.

2014/2015

*1062013/2014

79

2012/2013

94 2011/2012

54

2010/2011

1522009/2010

123

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UJIAJanuary 2016

British Jewry needs a radically new and visionary approach: the vision is to dramatically reduce the cost of Gap Year Programme to £5,000 and increase the numbers on leadership programmes to 150 - 200. If we have a minimum of 150 graduates returning every year to our community they will make a transformative impact on youth movements, on campus and across the wider community.

If the average programme cost is around £12,500 and we wish to see 200 participants paying £5,000 each, then we need to raise £1,500,000 per year. Through this visionary initiative, there will be Zionist programmes that will be meaningful, affordable and valued.

In addition to reducing programme price, UJIA also needs to promote and market the programme so that our young people and their parents will appreciate their value as a Jewish-Zionist experience and as a personal growth opportunity that will develop their life skills and enhance their CVs.

THE VISION

THE VISION IS TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE COST OF GAP YEAR PROGRAMME TO £5,000 AND INCREASE THE NUMBERS ON LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES TO 150 - 200.

UJIAJanuary 2016

We will approach each youth movement and offer them a number of scholarships. In return, they will be required to frame their Gap Year Programmes around the following:

We will need £1,500,000 per year and will expect the UK community’s fundraising and the participant contributions to be matched by the Government of Israel’s Initiative to support Diaspora Israel education along the following lines:

£750,000: UK Philanthropy

£750,000: Israeli Government Initiative (if this initiative does not materialise the full sum will need to be raised by local philanthropy)

£1,000,000: Participation fees

It will take three to five years to bring the components into alignment as Gap Year Programme frameworks are booked years in advance and UJIA will also have to negotiate with world youth movement organisations that also need to manage the interests of participants from other countries.

THE PARTNERSHIP MODEL

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2.

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4.

WE WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARTICIPANTS, THE YOUTH MOVEMENTS AND THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.”

A Gap Year graduate commitment to serve their youth movements and/or the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) for at least two years (including taking on roles as Israel Tour Madrichim); followed by a longer term commitment to Jewish community life under which they may serve as lay leaders with communal central agencies, such as UJIA, Jewish Care or Norwood; on synagogue boards, as school governors and similar community roles.

An outstanding Leadership Programme (three months)

The UJIA Galil Volunteer Programme (two - three months)

A movement component (three months)

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UJIAJanuary 2016

Success will be measured by:

1. An increase in the number of participants to a target figure of 150-200 within five years

2. The creation of a cohort of highly engaged young leaders with a deep, sophisticated and more nuanced appreciation of contemporary Israel, raising the quality of our Israel conversation and engagement

3. Training youth leaders for our highly successful post-GCSE (16 years old)) Israel Tours, residential camps and a range of other educational settings

4. Providing outstanding Jewish-Zionist leadership and direction to our community’s Zionist Youth Movements

5. Developing student campus activists who shape the Israel debate on Campus

6. The appointment of experienced and high quality Movement Workers

7. The numbers of graduates taking on future roles in Jewish community leadership

HOW WILL WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

WHAT ARE THE KEY INDICATORS WHERE WE WANT TO SEE A TRANSFORMATION?

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UJIAJanuary 2016

The UJIA has adopted this ambitious and visionary project for the dramatic transformation of the community’s engagement with Israel.

We are seeking your support of this new and innovative initiative in the sum of *£250,000, which may be paid over a period of three years, and which will provide the critical initial pump-priming funding.

*NB Includes 15% UJIA Programme Management

We shall be delighted to recognise your generosity if you so wish by prominently acknowledging your support on all relevant UJIA literature.

HOW YOUR SUPPORT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS INVITED IN THIS AMBITIOUS AND VISIONARY PROJECT…

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UJIAJanuary 2016

“The learning aspect of my year was the main focus. I gained so much and, more importantly, realised how much there was to learn. I can see from this year that education doesn’t end with exams and university can’t be the last time I think about learning something new.

Judaism and Israel is a part of my history and it is the basis of my religion. It cannot remain stagnant and by learning and coming back to my community and sharing the knowledge I have gained I am allowing people younger than I am to be inspired by Judaism and think about spending a year in Israel.”

“For my Gap Year I decided to take part in a Bnei Akiva (BA) Programme called Lehava. The year for me was a very enjoyable, unforgettable and memorable experience. I will never forget what I learned and will continue to share all my adventures and experiences with all who will listen. I only hope for as many people as possible to have the chance to gain and experience what I did.

Having had such a great year I was obviously keen to remain involved with BA as I have been for many years now and have just spent three weeks taking the summer camp for the kids aged 14. It was another great time I experienced with BA and I am very keen to continue to be involved with this movement.”

GAP YEAR BURSARY RECIPIENTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS...

UJIAJanuary 2016

United Jewish Appeal is a registered charity in England and Wales No.1060078 and in Scotland No. Sc 039181. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 3295115. Registered office: 1 Torriano Mews, London NW5 2RZ. For a definition of terms regarding Israel and Judaism, please visit www.ujia.org/definitions

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