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HERE NEXT YEAR:

By Young Olim, For Young Olim

Founded by sisters Peninah and Bracha Lamm (now Kaplansky and Berger) in
2015, Here Next Year empowers hundreds of yeshivah and seminary students
to fulfill their dreams of staying in Israel for IDF service, Sherut Leumi and
university studies. Now a division of Nefesh B’Nefesh, Here Next Year provides

a warm and encouraging community for Anglo students who stay in Israel,
offering practical guidance and emotional support to young olim.

Rabbi Elie Mischel spoke with Bracha and Peninah, as well as past and current
directors Yael Engelhart and Jodi Joffe, to learn more.

Bracha and Peninah – the growth of Here Next Year over
the last seven years is remarkable. What drove you to
establish Here Next Year in 2015 when you were in your
early twenties?
Here Next Year began when a group of us came together to
solve a problem we had all just recently, and separately, faced.
We had all served in Sherut Leumi and the IDF the previous year,
and had then made our way to Givat Shmuel to study at Bar-Ilan
or IDC. For all of us, the process of joining Sherut Leumi and the
IDF had been confusing and overwhelming, and our service,
while incredibly meaningful, had been rather lonely. Most of
us only knew a handful of friends who had chosen to stay in
Israel. Imagine our shock when we arrived in Givat Shmuel to
find dozens of people our age who had also experienced the
same loneliness and confusion the year before! It seemed so Bracha and Peninah, founders of Here Next Year.
chaval (such a shame), as they say, that we hadn’t all known their own service to the State of Israel, but encouraged others
each other before.
to stay as well. It was everything we wished we would have had.
We decided to host a small shabbaton in Givat Shmuel for our
younger seminary and yeshivah friends who were considering One of our favorite moments (aside from several couples meeting
staying in Israel so they could build a support system of friends through Here Next Year!) was when we spoke at a seminary in
their age and people who had recently finished the army and Jerusalem and a few of the students remarked that they came
Sherut Leumi. We had hoped for about 35 students, but soon to hear our presentation because staying to serve in Israel was
discovered 150 students had registered! Luckily, Nefesh B’Nefesh “the cool thing to do these days.” To us, that one comment was
helped save the day by providing additional funding for our all we needed to feel like our hard work was worthwhile!
shabbaton. Why do you think so many young people are making the
Here Next Year grew naturally from the success of that first decision to stay in Israel after their gap year?
shabbaton. We began pairing up our friends with seminary and
yeshivah students, speaking at yeshivot and midrashot, creating The popularity of staying in Israel reflects a massive, and
informational events and resources, building a website and underrated, success of the Jewish education system in the
hosting lots of social events. It was a total blast, and so exciting Diaspora. We see hundreds of students each year who eagerly
to see these students build strong and lasting connections with choose to become part of something larger than themselves.
one another – connections that not only enhanced and improved Whether their Zionism comes from their homes, schools,

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