Program
Shvilim is more than a gap‑year program; it is a transformative journey of growth, exploration, and connection. Over the course of ten months, participants immerse themselves in new environments, engage with diverse communities, and take on meaningful responsibilities together. The program unfolds as a continuous dialogue between study and lived experience, equipping participants with the tools to reflect, lead, and contribute to the global Jewish community.
At its core, Shvilim is about movement across countries, ideas, and identities. Participants challenge themselves, support one another, and build lasting bonds as they discover what it means to be part of something greater than themselves.
Israel: The Mechina Experience
The Shvilim year begins and ends in Israel, where participants are fully integrated into the Upper Galilee Leadership Academy, a leading mechina based in Kibbutz Amir in the north of Israel, which is the program’s homebase. Living alongside Israeli peers, participants become part of a shared community where values like responsibility, cooperation, and pluralism are practiced every day.
The periods spent in Israel are all about hands-on learning, personal growth, and discovering what leadership looks like in real life. Participants also travel throughout Israel, meeting a wide range of people from all political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, gaining a deeper connection to the land and the people who call it home.
- Leadership training and shared group responsibility
- Volunteer work in local communities and social initiatives
- Encounters with Israeli society in all its diversity and complexity
- Jewish identity exploration in a pluralistic, values-based environment
- Daily kibbutz life: shared meals, chores, and communal living
Norway: University of Oslo and Jewish Minority life
During the year, participants study at the University of Oslo (UiO) and take three university-level courses, each worth 10 ECTS credits*:
- TFO1011: Judaism and Jewish History
- TFO1012: Modern Jewish History and Culture: Case Studies
- TFO1013: Identity, Ethics and Intercultural Competence
The teaching takes place in Oslo, but the academic work continues throughout the year with assignments, readings, and a final exam at the end of the year. What you learn in the classroom will connect to what you experience in the rest of the program, whether in Israel, the U.S., or Europe. The university courses give participants the tools to reflect, question, and grow as they encounter real-life issues related to identity, pluralism, and society. While in Oslo, participants also volunteer and engage closely with the local Jewish community.
Read more about the university program here: https://www.tf.uio.no/english/studies/jsaic/
*Not all participants will be eligible to receive academic credit. Read more about it on FAQ
USA: Leadership and Global Jewish Engagement
Each year, as part of our ongoing partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Shvilim participates in the Never Is Now Summit — one of the world’s leading conferences on antisemitism and hate. As some of the youngest participants, our group has a unique opportunity to engage with global experts, activists, and policymakers.
Beyond the summit, the U.S. journey offers a close-up experience of American Jewish diversity, leadership, and activism. Over 2–3 intensive weeks, participants take part in a wide range of meetings, site visits, and community experiences — many of which they help plan themselves.
- Attending the ADL’s Never Is Now Summit on antisemitism and hate
- Visiting Jewish schools, synagogues, student centers, and NGOs
- Meeting with institutions like the U.S. Congress, United Nations, and Jewish advocacy groups
- Volunteering, celebrating Shabbat with local families, and exploring Jewish communal life up close
Europe: Jewish History and Contemporary Challenges
Participants travel across Europe to explore the diversity of Jewish life, both past and present. The journey is shaped by participant-led research and interest, allowing the group to explore the historical depth and current realities of Jewish life in different countries.
From vibrant urban communities to small-town remnants of once thriving Jewish centers, this part of the program highlights both the resilience and the vulnerability of Jewish life in Europe. Past destinations have included England, Poland, Gibraltar, Serbia, Italy and the home communities of participants themselves.
- Meetings with Jewish leaders, educators, youth and activists
- Visits to synagogues, schools, memorials, and cultural heritage sites
- Dialogue on antisemitism, Zionism, identity, and intergroup cooperation
- Community volunteering and shabbat with local families
