Shnat Netzer is a 10 month gap year program in Israel for graduates of Netzer. It is an ideal program for anyone wishing to experience Israel from a Progressive perspective. Shnatties get the opportunity to experience everything Israel has to offer. Below is some more detailed information about the structure of the program. For further enquieries about Shnat Netzer please contact shnat@netzer.org.au

Shnat Netzer is structured in three sections. The first four months of the year are spent either in Etgar or Machon; the second section is an Options period, and the third is spent on one of the two Progressive Kibbutzim in Israel: Lotan or Yahel.

Machon

The name Machon comes from “Machon L’Madrichei Chutz L’Aretz” (the “Institute of Youth Leaders from Abroad”). Machon has been operating for over fifty five years as the Zionist youth leadership development program. Run by the Sochnut, (Jewish Agency), candidates from several Zionist Youth Movements participate in this program, from Australia, South Africa, Britain, various other European countries and New Zealand. There is also a Spanish speaking group from all over South America that runs at the same time.

Classes are five days a week (Sunday to Thursday) from 8am. These are not however, all classroom based. The lecturers are of the highest quality and knowledge. The topics covered change from week to week, giving participants a rounded Jewish education. The Machonikim sleep in dormitories on the campus and all meals are provided in the communal dining room.

Once a week the Netzer group will have an afternoon and evening of Movement time which is consists of two parts. The first part is usually study based, and the second part is a more fun focused activity for both the Machon & Etgar groups together.

Etgar

Etgar literally means ‘challenge’. Etgar is specifically for Netzer Shnatties (participants on the Shnat program). The program is put together and run by Netzer Olami staff, both in Israel and in the respective countries.

The aims of the program are to educate participants about Israeli society, Jewish Community, and to gain a better understanding of Progressive Judaism. These are all achieved through living as a Reform Zionist community, a community which plays, prays, eats and lives together. The group live in their own flat, and have to take care of all that it entails eg. setting up, cleaning, shopping, cooking rosters, budgeting and discussing things as a community.

Etgar is a holistic program in that it expects the participants to take what they study, examine it, and then decide whether they will apply it to their lives and communities. Days are spent in classes, working on projects and volunteering in their community. Hebrew classes are also given, and an opportunity exists to quickly develop functional Hebrew skills.

The educational component of the program is similar to Machon, with many of the lecturers being shared by the two programs, but the content is presented from a Reform/ Progressive perspective. The program is divided into four courses that are compatible with these themes: Community, Spirituality, Peoplehood and Leadership. In addition to these there are two courses, an Israeli Society course and a Hadracha (leadership) course, that run throughout the whole program.

Options

This period follows the first four months of the Shnat Netzer program, and lasts for about 2 months. During this period the participants get to choose a volunteer placement (often more than one) in which to work. This placement depends on the participants skills and interests, and certain criteria for each option. Some of the past placements have included work with young, elderly, disabled or underprivileged groups of people in Israel; others involve working with organisations such as the JNF, Magen David Adom or Netzer Israel. There is also a basic army training program in which participants have taken part.

Kibbutz

The last two and a half months of the Shnat Netzer program are spent on either Kibbutz Lotan or Yahel, both situated 45 minutes from Eilat in the middle of the Arava desert. Whilst on kibbutz, participants will be welcomed into the kibbutz community. They will be given food, accommodation and a small allowance in return for working on the kibbutz. The work that they do can vary from working in the Cheder Ochel (communal dinning room), packing melons or dates, building with ecological materials or milking cows in the dairy. The work that each group or individual does will depend on the needs of the kibbutz and the needs of the individual.