Page 18 - HaMizrachi #26 Tu Bishvat USA 2021

Living the

Zionist Dream

at Fifteen

ach year on August 31, a group of immediate families. The program gives asked, ‘How would you like to go to high
teenagers from across the US and teens the chance to attend a leading school in Israel for free?’ I was stunned
ECanada meets for the first time at high school on a full scholarship. For and skeptical. It sounded too good to be
New York’s JFK airport. While this time the religious sector, boys attend a true. My own attempts to make aliyah
of year sees many teens leaving for their yeshiva tichonit while the girls study at had been unsuccessful. That chance
gap year programs in Israel, this group an ulpana. meeting at a kiddush led to one of the
is unique. best decisions of my daughter’s life,”
“My daughter, Malka, and I were at a says Sandra Shechter, mother of Naale
These students are just 15 years old.
Unlike most gap year students, they’re crowded kiddush in shul one Shabbat. alumna Malka Vann.
headed to Israel for the next three years A young woman came up to us and Experienced Naale parents consider it
to join Naale Elite Academy, Israel’s “one of the best-kept secrets around,”
premier free high school boarding I remember crying with because it has given their child a first-
program. At Naale, students are joy as my daughter read rate yeshiva or ulpana high school
completely immersed in one of Israel’s me her study notes on education (without paying astronomical
best high schools. They’ll complete the modern history of tuition fees) and a mature perspective
their bagrut, Israel’s full matriculation like nothing else could. Participants rave
certificate. Many will stay on in the Jewish people in her about the lifelong friends they made at
Israel and make aliyah, serving their fluent, beautiful Israeli Naale, from Israel and from all over the
country and going on to study at top Hebrew after just three world.
Israeli universities. What’s even more months. Instead of Samuel Students’ reasons for coming to Israel
remarkable is that these teens will de Champlain and the with Naale may vary, but one thing is
accomplish all this in Hebrew. history of Quebec, she was clear across the board: Israel is where
learning our Jewish history.
Fifteen, with a Vision The support of the school these students want to be. “I wanted
Towards The Future and Naale were so solid. to go to university in Israel. I’m very
Zionistic, so it was even better to
Naale students don’t want to wait until I wished I could go too! come for high school and get a solid
after high school to begin their future foundation in Hebrew.” “I’ve always
in Israel. They have taken the bold Sandra Shechter known that Israel is the best place in the
step of coming to Israel without their world. It has always felt like my home.”

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