Kivunim Gap Year is a “Year-On” program aimed at high school graduates looking to dramatically expand their "world consciousness" before beginning college. We welcome applications from students in the US and internationally.

P R O G R A M O V E R V I E W

KIVU at a Glance

  • Open to graduating high school seniors

  • Based in the heart of Jerusalem

  • Travel to up to 12 countries

  • Fully accredited academic program (up to 30 college credits)

  • Students explore international history, culture, philosophy, art, music, and religious ritual—all of which help to deepen their own Jewish Identity.

  • Our staff includes distinguished historians, writers, poets, artists, musicians, philosophers, journalists, religious, political, and business leaders from around the world.

We Seek Students Who Value

  • Openness: We encourage students willing to look beyond our inherent biases and welcome new perspectives.

  • Curiosity: Our integrated approach enables students to embrace big questions and explore the unknown.

  • Knowledge: Critical thinking is at the core of our academic program and enables our dialogue with the “other.”

  • Experience: We believe that by doing, the foreign becomes the familiar.

  • Connection: We dare to be changed by those we encounter.

APPLICATION STEPS:

  1. Create an account

  2. Complete online application

  3. Submit the required application fee

  4. Submit required supplementary materials

Apply Now

TRANSCRIPTS + LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Advisor Name

• Advisor Email

Please provide an email for your college advisor. Inform them that they will receive an email directly requesting that they upload their transcript and recommendation letters. We request at least two letters of recommendation. Non-USA students should contact our office to submit materials.

TEST SCORES

Please upload a copy of the scores you received from the SAT/ACT exams. Please upload all scores in one file.

ESSAYS

Essays should be 500 words or more

  1. Why Kivunim?

  2. Autobiographical Essay. This will complete our sense of who you are, where you are coming from, and where you are headed.

Tuition

Tuition for the full 8-month program includes: roundtrip airfare from NYC to Tel Aviv; all airfares to our experiential itinerary of approximately 10 weeks of international travel; all internal Israel travel & programming; all meals and housing; a comprehensive academic program of five courses totaling 30 credits*; museum and other special event admissions; medical insurance; as well as many additional extras around the world.

Kivunim's all-inclusive tuition includes housing at the beautiful guest house of Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem, all meals (other than on free weekends and vacations), all housing and meals on up to 4 international trips totaling 8-10 weeks; the full academic program of both Arabic and Hebrew Languages, Middle East Studies, Core Curriculum of integrated study of Jewish Civilization together with the history and culture of the countries we visit; Visual Learning: The Art of Seeing- our extraordinary art course with artist-in-residence Tobi Kahn; “Focus on Kivunim” a weekly film series; weekly “Agents of Social Change” guest lecturer, and much more. 

Kivunim students may receive an official transcript from Hebrew College of Boston, MA, allowing them to transfer up to a full year of 30 credits to most North American Colleges and Universities. The cost of the official Hebrew College Transcript is $1700 and is optional.*

There are generous early enrollment discounts for those enrolled by December 31, 2026. Needs-based scholarships are also available.


* Transcript fee is set by and paid to Hebrew College and is subject to their annual review and change.

*Excluding winter and Passover vacations and free weekends spent away from our Jerusalem base. 

**The transcript fee is subject to change at the discretion of Hebrew College.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid funds are distributed throughout the application year, based on demonstrated need. Admissions are processed on a rolling basis throughout the year. The date and time of your application is automatically entered when you click "Submit." (An incomplete application is not considered an application.)

Applying for financial aid requires submission of a COPY of the FAFSA form required of college financial aid applicants and a specific written request from your family to Kivunim.  Scholarship Funds are distributed throughout the year of application on a needs assessment basis.  Financial aid requests are considered AFTER a student has completed the full application process and has been admitted to the program. 

In addition, your local synagogue, JCC, Bureau of Jewish Education and/or Federation may have scholarship funds available.  Call your local Jewish Federation directly to check on available funds and application procedures.  We suggest calling rather than relying upon email.