About the program
Post-high-school gap year students, current college students and working young adults ages 17-21 from around the world, of all Jewish backgrounds and affiliations.
Aardvark Israel's original program: 16-20 hours a week of internship or volunteering (placements listed include media outlets, startups, an archaeological dig, hospitals, marketing, fashion, English teaching and non-profits), Hebrew ulpan, optional mini-courses and for-credit courses, a weekly trip day and overnight trips. Participants live in shared apartments with counselor support; semester students choose Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and year students spend a semester in each. Optional paid add-ons include special-interest tracks and international trips.
The facts
- Run by
- Aardvark Israel, which runs 6 programs listed here
- Type
- Gap year program
- Location
- 3 Ben Yehuda St, 3rd Floor, Jerusalem 9462402; 39 Levinsky St, 2nd Floor, Tel Aviv 6610910, Jerusalem or Tel Aviv (year students live in both)
- Executive Director and Co-Founder (Aardvark Israel)
- Debbie Goldsmith
- Founded
- 2010
- Program length
- Semester (4-5 months: August/September-December or January-May) or year (9 months, August-May). 2027-28: arrive August 24, 2027; fall semester ends December 22, 2027; spring students arrive January 11, 2028; the year ends May 23, 2028.
- Number of students
- Not published on the program's website. Ask the program.
- Tuition
- 2026-2027: one semester (August start) $13,990; year $25,990; one semester (January start) $14,990. 2027-2028: one semester $14,990; year $26,990. Includes program tuition, medical insurance, apartment in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, internship/volunteering placement, local transportation, weekly field trips, overnight trips and Shabbatonim, Hebrew ulpan, classes and extracurriculars. Meals and airfare are not included. See it on their site Compare tuition
- College credit
- College credit available through the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), which issues transcripts; listed at $1,000 per semester.
- Masa
- The program's website says it is a Masa Israel program.
- Housing and meals
- Furnished shared apartments used only by program participants, with kitchens and WiFi; Jerusalem apartments are downtown next to Machane Yehuda and Tel Aviv apartments are in Florentine. Meals are not included.
- Tracks and options
- Sea Sports add-on $1,999
- Magen David Adom (Mada) add-on $1,999
- Marva add-on $1,999
- StandWithUs add-on $1,999
- International trips: China, UAE, Ethiopia or Italy $2,650; Poland $2,950; Zambia $3,250
- USA Plus summer camp (3 weeks in Israel and 2 months in the USA) $2,650
See it for yourself
The program's own videos. Each one plays from YouTube or Vimeo only when you press Play. We don't copy photos from the program's website, so their own pages are linked instead.
Aardvark Israel - Classic Track 2027-8
Plays from YouTube, which will see your device's internet address and may set cookies.
An Unforgettable Semester - Our End of Semester Video 2025
Plays from YouTube, which will see your device's internet address and may set cookies.
Aardvark Israel - Classic Track 2025-6
Plays from YouTube, which will see your device's internet address and may set cookies.
Their pages elsewhere
Linked from the program's own website.
The neighborhood
Photos of the area around the program, not of the program itself.
Daily life in Jerusalem
From Jerusalem Local, a city guide by the same publisher.
- Jerusalem for seminary and yeshiva students
Visa, phone and Rav-Kav, Shabbat, urgent care, safety
- A seminary or yeshiva year in Jerusalem
The practical guide for students and parents
Where this information comes from
Everything on this page was taken from the program's own website and last checked on October 22, 2026. Details change, so confirm with the program before you rely on them. The photo shows Aardvark Israel, not the program or its campus.
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/aardvark-israel/
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/aardvark-israel/tuition/
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/aardvark-israel/academics-accreditation/
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/aardvark-israel/special-interest-tracks/
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/about/
- https://aardvarkisrael.com/contact/
Work at this program, or spot a mistake? Send a correction and it will be fixed.
