Blog - Aardvark Israel Gap Year Program

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Safe & Sound in Rothschild Tel Aviv

April 8, 2021 Weekly Updates

We are having an exciting and interesting first day here at Aardvark Tel Aviv Rothschild Community! Many of the students have arrived safe and sound from the airport, and we look forward to the rest of the arrivals soon! When the students arrived at their apartments, they were greeted by ...

The Aardvark Monthly – Big Idea Gap Year Special Edition

April 1, 2021 Aardvark Israel Monthly

In this Special Edition of The Aardvark Monthly, we share with you some of the exciting things happening on the Big Idea Gap Year! And with March being International Women’s Month, we are focusing on some of our female Big Idea students making a big impact in the tech scene! ...

Weekly Letter TLV – March 25, 2021

March 25, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, Today marks the start of Spring Break, and the students are looking forward to celebrating Passover – some with friends, some with family, and some are traveling in Israel.Here are some highlights from our past week: Raquel Levit wrote about the Alternative Seder: “The past few ...

Jerusalem Weekly – March 25, 2021

March 25, 2021 Weekly Updates

Shalom Parents & Students and Chag Sameach! Today marks the start of Spring Break, and the students are looking forward to celebrating Passover – some with friends, some with family, and some are traveling in Israel.Here are some highlights from our past week: Nate Kingdom helping prepare for our alternative ...

Weekly Letter TLV – March 18, 2021

March 19, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, Another busy week has passed, with the days getting warmer and longer here in Tel Aviv. On Monday night, we had a neighborhood scavenger hunt, on Wednesday night, Faces of Israel, and of course, Yazamut and Selah are going steady. Wednesday evening, during Faces of Israel, ...

Jerusalem Weekly – March 18, 2021

March 19, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students,This week the weather got warmer, and then got colder, and our students are praying that spring comes soon! But despite the crazy changes in weather, one thing stayed the same: we had a productive, educational, and fun week! Here are the highlights: In honor of Pi ...

Weekly Letter TLV – March 11, 2021

March 14, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, We are sure you have heard about the oil spill which devastated Israel’s coast Israel two weeks ago. The oil spill is considered one the most severe ecological disasters that has ever happened in Israel’s history. Thousands of Israelis have joined efforts to clean the ...

Jerusalem Weekly – March 11, 2021

March 14, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, Spring is almost here, things are beginning to bloom, and we are looking forward to the end of winter so that we can enjoy spring in Jerusalem and Israel. That included getting out and exploring the Gush Ezion this week on our Tiyul Tuesday. Internship In ...

Weekly Letter TLV – March 4, 2021

March 5, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, It was great week here in Tel Aviv, packed with different activities and cultures. Monday night was a big outdoor game of Laser Tag. It was great to have a chance to be outside and active! On Tuesday, we went to Akko and Haifa. The group ...

Jerusalem Weekly – March 4, 2021

March 5, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, Sunday was Purim in Jerusalem!!! The Hebrew date of Purim is the 14th of the month of Adar, starting the evening before. However, in Jerusalem and other “walled” cities, the holiday is celebrated one day later than everywhere else. Our students heard the Megillah (also known ...

Student of the Week – Avi Shapiro

March 1, 2021 Student of the Week

Hi everyone! My name is Avi Shapiro and I’m from Sacramento, California. I love living in Israel. At the end of Aardvark Israel, I will have spent close to two years of my life in Israel, and I’m only eighteen. I chose Aardvark Israel after weeks of deliberation because I ...

The Aardvark Monthly – February 2021

March 1, 2021 Aardvark Israel Monthly

Happy 11th Anniversary, Aardvark Israel! Aardvark Israel is celebrating its 11-year anniversary this month 🥳!In the last decade, over 1,250 students from over 30 different countries on 6 continents have joined the Aardvark Israel program for an Israel experience they’ll never forget and memories that will last a lifetime!Here’s to ...

Israeli Innovation Honoured in 2020

February 28, 2021 The Uniqueness of Israel

Israel is well known as a country that innovates, and despite the coronavirus pandemic, the past year has been no exception. Recently, six Israeli inventions were featured in TIME magazine’s list of “Best Inventions of 2020: 100 Innovations Changing How We Live”. In particular, the inventions were credited with “making ...

Israel Once Again Aims for the Moon

February 28, 2021 The Uniqueness of Israel

In 2019, Israel’s first attempt to send a spacecraft to the moon failed when Beresheet 1 crash-landed. The crash came as a huge disappointment after the whole country and many others around the world had followed the project’s progress with baited breath. Despite this, there was immense pride, as SpaceIL ...

Gap year program in israel at the prague castle

Israel’s Castles and Fortresses

February 28, 2021 The Uniqueness of Israel

You are no doubt aware that Israel is a country full of history and historical buildings. However, you may be less aware that the country is home to a number of amazing castles and fortresses. Some of them are truly ancient while others are merely old. Keep reading to learn ...

Jerusalem’s Modern Iconic Buildings

February 28, 2021 The Uniqueness of Israel

Jerusalem is a city full of history and culture, and much of it is housed in some truly extraordinary buildings. Some of the buildings date back centuries; however, there are many buildings that are truly modern and symbolic of the country that Israel is today. For example, if you ever ...

An Environmental Disaster and Moment for Reflection

February 28, 2021 Student Blog

by Josh Glucksman “A few days ago, one of Israel’s worst environmental disasters occurred when an oil tanker spilled hundreds of tons of oil along the country’s coast. For all the parents reading this email who are not a 5-minute walk from the Tel Aviv Promenade, the beaches are bad. ...

Jerusalem Weekly – Feb 25, 2021

February 28, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, This week, we were getting in the Purim spirit! Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, who was planning to kill all the Jews. This took place in the ancient Achaemenid Persian Empire. Purim is one of the ...

Weekly Letter TLV – Feb 25, 2021

February 28, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, This week, we were getting in the Purim spirit!Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, who was planning to kill all the Jews. This took place in the ancient Achaemenid Persian Empire. Purim is one of the most ...

Jerusalem Weekly – Feb 11, 2021

February 21, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, This week, we all braced for the snow that was coming! As soon as it began to snow on Wednesday, we all ran outside; some students went to Gan Sacher and had a legendary snowball fight. For some of us, it was our first time seeing ...

Alumni of the Month – Hannah Saban

February 18, 2021 Meet Our Alumni

My name is Hannah Saban and I’m 20 years old. I went on the Aardvark Israel program in 2018 after graduating from a small Jewish high school in Atlanta, GA. I always struggled in school and wasn’t interested in beginning another four years of school right after I had just ...

Weekly Letter TLV – Feb 11, 2021

February 11, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, With more people coming out of quarantine, this week we continued with our programing inside, outside, face-to-face, and online. This week, a group of Aardvark students began their EMS training with Magen David Adom, Israel’s Ambulance Service. Through this experience, the students will gain many skills ...

Jerusalem Weekly – Feb 11, 2021

February 11, 2021 Weekly Updates

Dear Parents & Students, I want to start this week’s letter with the AMAZING news that every student & Aardvark Israel staff member in Jerusalem has received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine! This week, a group of Aardvark students began their EMS training with Magen David Adom, Israel’s ...

Impact Month

February 11, 2021 Student Blog

by Harper Green When Big Idea started back in September, I was really excited to learn about web development and expand my programming skills. I wanted to take away a new skill set that could help me in my future endeavors, as well as allow me to help others. After ...