Record Crowds, Scholarship, and Recognition Mark the 2018 American Israel Gap Year Fair

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Record Crowds, Scholarship, and Recognition Mark the 2018 American Israel Gap Year Fair

The American Israel Gap Year Association’s (AIGYA) Gap Year Fair has become a staple of the fall season for parents, students, and educators to learn about gap year opportunities in Israel. This year marked record crowds of over 400 and the initiation of the Rosina Korda Scholarship.

The AIGYA Gap Year Fair featured 42 gap year programs and many more support programs. The only cross-denominational gap year fair in the United States, this fair has influenced and encouraged hundreds of students to make Israel their destination of choice for their gap year.

This year marked AIGYA’s launch of the Rosina Korda Scholarship, which is calling for applications from fair attendees applying to a boys, girls, and co-ed programs represented at this year’s fair. The $5,000 scholarship, coupled with the grant from Masa Israel Journey (a featured sponsor of the 2018 fair), will aid in relieving the financial pressures for those attending a gap year.

There was much positive feedback from the fair attendees. “An amazing community event for families to see all these diverse gap year programs in one place. This wasn’t available when my son went on his gap year” said Judy Levin, a passionate parent of a Gap Year Alum. “I think the greatest gift you could give your student is a Gap Year in Israel.” Attendees citied how the AIGYA Israel Fair, “Really solidified my desire to go on the gap year and helped me find the right program fit.”

The 2018 AIGYA Gap Year Fair was attended by students from high schools including Beverly Hills High School, Harvard Westlake, Taft, Palisades Charter High School, and others who traveled from San Diego, Orange County, Seattle, and Arizona.

YULA Girls School hosted the fair, and was co-sponsored by YULA Boys School, Shalhevet, Harkham GAON Academy, Valley Torah, de Toledo High School, Adat Shalom & Temple Aliyah, B’nai David-Judea, Beverly Hills Synagogue, YICC, NCSY, WUJP, JNF, Stand With Us, IAC, Touro College Los Angeles, Landers School for Women, Landers School for Men; and with special support from Milken High School, USY, and Beth Am.