Articles, Tips & Free Resources

Guides, Tips & Free Resources for your GAP Year in Israel

Check out this amazing treasure trove of resources for your GAP year in Israel. Here you'll find, guides, tips and articles to help parents navigate their child's GAP year in Israel. Everything from your child's mental health to how much spending money they need. Some of these articles are written by experts in the field, while others are based on feedback from experienced GAP year parents as well as our own experience working with GAP year parents and students.

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Thoughts on mental health during a GAP year in times of crises

In this guest post, therapist Yonatan Sinclair, shares ideas about how to offer support to your child during their year in Israel, especially in these times of unrest and unknown.

Maintaining Dental Health During Your Gap Year: A Comprehensive Guide

In this guest post, American trained dentist, Dr. Rachel David, provides insights and tips about maintaining your dental health during your GAP year in Israel.

Navigating your Child's Mental Health during their GAP Year in Israel

In this guest post, psychotherapist Joy Epstein, MSW, discusses potential mental health issues that can arise during the GAP year and provides guidelines and resources to ensure that you and your child are prepared and are able to get the support necessary should you need it.

The Medical Health Handbook for Your Gap Year in Israel

In this guest post, experienced nurse, Adina Berkowitz RN BSN, provides a comprehensive guide about navigating the medical health system in Israel during your GAP year. She also discusses how to prepare yourself beforehand. Adina lives in Israel and provides health care to GAP year students in yeshivas and seminaries throughout the country.

How to Speak to Your Child About Drinking on Purim

The custom to drink on Purim has become a green light for many gap year students to drink until they are sick, passed out, or exhibiting dangerous or inappropriate behavior. As a parent, learning how to approach drinking on Purim with your gap year child is important as it keeps communication open. In this article, Dr. Eliana M. Aaron shares some tips for parents to talk to your kids about drinking on Purim.

Are Gap Year Students with Mental Health Challenges getting the Help they Need?

"While the year in Israel or gap-year programs did not create these problems, the programs receive thousands of participants each year who often need more professional help than the staff are able to offer." Read more in our guest post by Robbie Sassoon, an MSW and executive director of Crossroads Center which offers therapeutic services for gap-year students and English-speaking teens and young adults in Israel.