About Time: You Discovered Masa Israel’s ProgrammesBy Angelica Malin
Thinking about going on an adventure abroad? Well, let us introduce you to Masa Israel – the UK’s leading organizer of educational trips to Israel. They’ve got some fantastic schemes in Israel, and we’re so excited to share them with you:
For those that don’t know, Masa Israel Journey is an organisation formed by the Israeli Government and the Jewish Agency for Israel. If you want to take an educational, learning trip to Israel, this is the place to come. Masa Israel provide funding for programmes in Israel, which range from 5 to 10 months. There’s everything from internships with the world’s best companies, such as Google, HP, and Timeout Magazine to gap year, study abroad and volunteering opportunities in Israel. The beauty of these trip is that you can work and travel throughout the best bits of Israel – seeing the country, and learning invaluable life lessons along the way. What’s more, you get an automatic grant on the programmes, and can receive up to $10,000 off your programme depending on your eligibility. Discover a variety of their programmes in depth below.
If the idea of spending your Gap Year on a beach in Thailand drinking out of a bucket doesn’t appeal to you, then why not try one of Masa Israel’s gap year programmes? If you’re interested in the idea of spending a year or month after school learning about a different culture, volunteering, studying and developing your Jewish identity, then this one is for you. There’s everything from learning to speak Hebrew in a kibbutz to Maccabi World Union, where you’ll volunteer with a fantastic global organisation, EcoIsrael, where you’ll learn about sustainable living in Israel, and Dance Journeys, where you’ll get to train with one of Israel’s best dance companies. Discover all the gap year programmes here.
We love Israel Highway: Do It Your Way – as the name suggest, this 5-month adventure in Israel allows you to choose your own path of discovery. You’ll start in Jerusalem where you will learn hebrew in an Ulpan, next you’ll travel to Tel Aviv and volunteer with some amazing organisations, and there’s also inspiring trips to Berlin and Poland, and the rest is up to you! The gap year programmes allows you experience Israel whilst having a taste of independent living – they also look great on your CV, as you’ll pick up a wide range of skills and allows you to explore interests before university. It’s not a year off, it’s a year on.
There’s nowhere in the world quite like Israel, and it’s an amazing place to study – a home away from home, where you can make multi-cultural connections and a whole new group of friends. With 2,000 years of history, Israel is a rich, exciting place – and a fantastic home for study, where you can explore your passions and discover a new culture. The Study Abroad programmes range from gap year study and internships, to BA Honours and full MA Honours. You can study at Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and many more.
We love the look of the Arava Institute, where students take between 4-5 courses in natural and social environmental sciences in the areas of water management, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, environmental ethics, and more. On these programmes, there’s top-notch academics, and at each university campus in Israel, you’ll unearth a new culture, and a welcome community of academics to help you. Before Israel is a small country, during the week, you can study and immerse yourself in books, and on the weekends, you can take desert trail hikes, explore the streets of Jerusalem and lounge on the beaches of Tel Aviv. Glorious.
Whether you’re interested in launching your own business, saving the environment, or developing your artistic talent, Masa will help you find the perfect experience. Their featured internships show you the best on offer in Israel – discover them here. The internships cover an impressively wide range of industries; from the tech sector, to non-profit, to the arts and beyond, a Masa Israel internship gives you the best head start in the career world. They’ve got a great array of internship on offer in the media and journalism sector, such as Online Content Editor at The Jerusalem Post, writer at Haaretz and an editorial internship at Time Out Israel. There’s also fantastic jobs in marketing and PR, law, science, environment, education and much, much more. Discover more here.
If you’re interested in community and help others, then the Masa Israel volunteer programmes are for you. The programmes focus on helping at-risk young people, encouraging coexistence and collaboration between the Arab and Jewish populations. You’ll also gain invaluable leadership skills, drawing on the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam – repairing the world. The volunteer programmes range from tikkum olam in Tel Aviv, where you will volunteer for 5 or 10 months with Israeli participants; the work will include working with refugees, learning Hebrew and travelling about the country. There’s also the Israel Teaching Fellows initiative, where you’ll experience a 10-month internship, teaching English to low-income communities and help unprivileged youths. There’s also the Yahel Social Change Program, where volunteer work is combined with immersion in the city of Lod and the Ramat Eliyahu neighborhood in Rishon LeZion, helping with education, community development and much more. Read more about the volunteer programmes here.
Fancy teaching? Well, Masa Israel Teaching Fellows is a 10-month fellowship for university graduates between the ages of 21 and 30. Teach English to Israeli children while immersing yourself in Israeli society and become an integral member of the city in which you live, teach and volunteer. The program costs just $1,000 and it covers your flight, housing, and amenities – plus, a monthly cash stipend is also provided to all teaching fellows. Teaching is one of the best ways to become part of Israeli society, and, who knows, you might never want to leave!
Sponsored post in association with Masa Israel as part of #MasaIsraelMonth – follow them on Twitter here and like them on Facebook here.
