Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) and Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE-JNF) are pleased to announce the launch of Frontier Israel, a gap semester program for recent high school graduates. The program, which will run from September 2 – December 25, 2020, is designed for incoming college freshmen and rising college sophomores and will allow them the unique opportunity to spend a semester volunteering and studying in Israel.

Amid uncertainties of whether in-person classes will resume on university campuses this fall, JNF-USA and AMIIE-JNF have taken the magic of their transformative and life-changing experience that caters to high school students and adapted it to a slightly older student population, allowing them the opportunity to solidify their lifelong connection to Israel, and reinforce their Jewish identity.

“The beauty of Jewish National Fund-USA is that we have all the pieces already in place. If you want to give a student a true Israel experience, you turn to JNF-USA  and the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education.  Between the cities in Israel’s north and south, JNF-USA’s affiliates, and our infrastructure in place at AMIIE-JNF in Hod Hasharon, we have pulled all of our resources together to create the ultimate Israeli pioneering experience with our new Frontier Israel gap semester program.” 

— JNF-USA Israel Advocacy and Education Executive Director Joshua Levin

Frontier Israel’s curriculum is comprised of two components: “Frontiers” and “Seminars.”

For the “Frontiers” component, students engage in meaningful work in three of Israel’s regions—the Negev, Galilee, and the Center—with JNF-USA affiliates. Volunteer opportunities include farming, building and developing accessible hiking paths, working with refugees, and more. During the “Seminar” portion, students have the opportunity to broaden their educational horizons and build out their portfolio and create a well-rounded educational resume for college and academic careers. Seminars include learning retreats where Israel and the land are used as the classroom, enabling students to explore more than 3,000+ years of Jewish and Israeli history.

Demand for the program has been explosive as Frontier Israel’s inaugural gap semester is set to provide an unforgettable educational experience for recent high school graduates, with real life, modern-day pioneering practices they will take home and put to use on campus and in their communities.

Jewish National Fund-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its Billion Dollar Roadmap initiative, Jewish National Fund is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure for ecology, special needs, and heritage preservation.

Since 1972 Alexander Muss High School in Israel has provided a unique study abroad program for high school students where the land of Israel becomes a living classroom. Studying abroad isn’t just for college students anymore. Time spent abroad during high school is the perfect way to enhance your resume and stand out when applying to colleges.

To learn more about the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education Frontier Israel gap semester or to apply, visit amhsi.org/frontier, or contact Marni Heller at mheller@jnf.org, or call 212.879.9305 x485