Tzofim Shnat Sherut – Gap Year Program 2010

The Tzofim Movement in Israel sends about 400 high school alumni to participate in one year of community service every year.
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) takes a key role in this program.
 
Shnat Sherut Goals:
 - The participants will strengthen their Jewish-Israeli identity by living in Israel and doing meaningful volunteering.
 - The participants will strengthen and build their own perspective of world values.
 - The participants will build their social skills by living in an Israeli communal lifestyle that is a part of the Israeli Tzofim movement, the largest youth movement in Israel.
 
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 original 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.
 
The volunteering work consists of:
*Working in a local community center
*Working in the local Tzofim chapter
*After school activities
*Building a close connection with the local youth
*Integrating with the local staff and volunteering as a social counselor (in boarding school only)
 
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 and assist participants with whatever they will need.
 
A participant form 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 opportunity to screen out participants that will not be suitable for the program.
 
 
 
Program Steps
 
1. Screening and Marketing
The Israeli Scouts emissary, along with the Israeli Houses and the community emissaries will hand out information to youth who are interested in coming to Israel for a meaningful gap year before college. In 2009 the program opened for all high school seniors, even students who are not part of the Tzabar chapters of the Tzofim in the United States.
 
The participants should have experience with public speaking and activity organizing oriented for working with children. All participants must be fluent in Hebrew. From past experiences participants who have trouble speaking and understanding Hebrew tend to have a very hard time with their day-to-day life in Israel.
During the preliminary screening process the participants undergo a seminar that deals with the subjects of Shnat Sherut, Tzofim Movement in Israel, Israeli society, and group building. In the end of the seminar the organizers will determine if the participant is fit for the program to ensure a meaningful experience in Israel.
 
2. Program Admission Requirements
Ages 17-19 (high school graduate)
Fluent Hebrew comprehension
Experience  working with children and youth
Prior visits to Israel or lived in Israel for accumulated time
Commitment to participate in the program as defined in the admission packet
 
3. Preparation Seminars
Each participant must undergo at least 2 seminars in order to prepare for the program.
The seminar goals include:
Participants getting to know each other in a fun and meaningful way.
Imparting important information regarding the program including the program goals, curriculum and the life in a communal living environment.
Strengthening the connection to Israel and creating a wide spread knowledge regarding the Israeli society of today from all perspectives (cultural, political, and social)
Introducing information regarding the Tzofim movement in Israel.
Providing the organizers with the opportunity to determine the compatibility of each member to the program.
Location of the seminar will be determined base on the numbers and the locations of the participants.
 
4.Matching the members to a group in Israel
In the end of the preparation process each member will get his final placement in Israel. The matching process is done together with the participants’ wishes and based upon the staff evaluation from the seminars. It is crucial for us that every member will get the best placement that will accommodate his/her skills so they will have the best experience in Israel.
 
5.The Program in Israel
After the preparation seminars, every member will start a direct communication with his/her new colleagues from the group in Israel. The establishment of the connection will be conducted by the organizers of Shnat Sherut in Israel.
After the arrival to Israel the members will meet their personal counselor who is in charge of accommodation and helping all the participants from North America. As part of the program in Israel, the members will undergo various seminars, training sessions and trips in order to acclimate to Israel. It is important to emphasize that the Shnat Sherut members coming from abroad will still have a close connection to each other despite the fact that they may be places separately. They will meet for various combined seminars in order to share experiences.
 
Program costs will be published after the beginning of the preparation seminars.

This program is organized by the Tzofim (Israel Scouts) Movement and supported by:
The Ministry of Absorption
USD Hagshama Department
The Jewish Agency, Aliyah Department