A: Tzofim Shnat Sherut is a volunteering gap program that consists of one year of working in a development town or boarding school in Israel. The participants join the existing program of the Tzofim Movement in Israel and together with Israeli Tzofim alumni they enjoy an amazing experience where they live in Israel, volunteer in the Israeli society, expand their leadership qualities, and strengthen their connection to Israel.

A: Tzofim Shnat Sherut participants must be high school graduates between the ages of 17-19. They must be fluent in Hebrew, have prior experience working with children and youth, and have visited or lived in Israel for an extended period of time.
A participant from North America that would like to join the program will need to attend pre-preparation seminars in the United States. The main goal of the seminars is to give the necessary information, to meet new friends who are also interested in the program while discussing and getting to know the Israeli society, and to give the organizers an opportunity to screen out participants that will not be suitable for the program.

A: 1. Submit the online preliminary Request More Information form
2. We will call you back to set a telephone interview
3. If we find that this is the right program for you, you will be required to fill in an application form and join our seminars.

A: The Tzofim Movement is the largest and the only non-partisan and pluralistic youth movement in Israel. On Tzofim Shnat Sherut, you will lead an authentic Israeli life, speak Hebrew, serve the community, and live with Israelis your age.

A: There are a variety of educational facilities in Israel that need your help! The volunteer projects consist of: working in a local community center, leading the local Tzofim chapter, creating and maintaining after school activities where you will building a close connection with local youth, integrating with the local staff, and volunteering as a social counselor (in boarding school only).

A: Every year, the Tzofim Movement in Israel sends about 400 high school alumni to participate in one year of community service. There are numerous groups and tracks that accommodate the participants and each group has its own goals and visions in order to accomplish this. All the groups deal with educational missions relevant for teens in the communities and in the scout chapters where they are located. The Israeli Scouts in the United States (the Tzabar chapters) take a key role in this program. Despite the fact that the Americans will go to Israel together, they will immediately be integrated into their individual group of Israeli Shnat Sherut members and spend the year with them.

A: The participants of Tzofim Shnat Sherut live as a group in communes with the rest of the Tzofim Shnat Sherut from Israel. Each group shares an apartment and together they run the budget for the month, clean, cook and maintain the house while sharing an educational mission together.

A: Every free weekend that you have in the program is a weekend where you can choose whether to visit your family or join your friends from the communal setting. All weekend accommodations are under the supervision of the division that runs the program in Israel.

A: The participants of Tzofim Shnat Sherut live as a group in communes with the rest of the Tzofim Shnat Sherut from Israel. Together, they have a strong connection with the division that runs the program in Israel who will be there to help, listen, lead and assist participants with whatever they will need. These staff members will be in constant communication with each participant and will visit and aid each apartment often.

A: Every group shares an educational mission. Some of the tasks are group tasks and some of them are personal. Each participant builds his own schedule together with the rest of the group and with the help of the division that runs the program in Israel. It is important to know that the amount of tasks depends upon the individual desire of each participant to create his own experience.

A: The home base locations for each group vary, and are spread all across the country. There are numerous tracks to accommodate participants.

A: The program is one year long, from July through August.

A: We will be very happy to answer your questions. You can contact Dana Elkis at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 323-297-0057.