Kol Ami Mechina Leadership Gap Year in Israel

Participating in "Kol Ami" machina is the most meaningful and amazing thing I have ever done. Livening together with 36 people as a community, from around the world combining both Israeli and Jews from the diaspora is an experience that not only amazing and enjoyable, but more than that is education in and experiencing, I learned how to live and care for others better, I embraced values that I saw in others, I met other cultures and took things from them to my own life, participated in amazing conversations and lessons that we had in the routine of the mechina along with things we did outdoor such as judeah and samaria week or the south challenge, And the most important thing I got from the mechina Is friends for life from all around the world That I had amazing, bonding and unforgettable experiences.

Its hard to summarize Kol Ami in one paragraph because this is a very busy and load of memories and experiences but i have to say that Kol Ami is the best program and most amazing experience that i've been participated in. The unique experience of meeting people from all over the world (Australia, U.S, England, South Africa etc...) were really significant to me, to know more about them and their life, to hike, hang out, laugh, to get bond, and enjoy with them. In addition, this program taught me about leadership skills, the army and a lot of significant subjects that for me they were really interesting. I recommend to be part of this amazing and big program, and to be exposed to a new and different world! There is no doubt that this is was one of the most enjoyable and significant for me!!!

Dont miss the opportunity to meet new people new places and new challenges that will give you amazing and significant six months!

Hope to see you next year in Mahzor Het (8) in Kol Ami!

So as a participant in Kol Ami Mechina - I have acquired a great satisfaction and leadership skills.
I had an incredible time with an amazing Jewish people all over the world and learn how to deal with taught questions about Israel issues.
Thanks to this program I got to know so much about the culture and mentality of people from the diaspora.
Besides the comprehensive learning I got to develop myself mentally- by being more responsible and independent and physically - by doing madases ( workouts) with professional coaches which have brought me to reach higher skills than I thought I have.
This program allowed me to encount with amazing teachers which broadened my horizons.
In short I recommend you all to be a part of this amazing Kol Ami journey 😁.

If you consider yourself responsible, motivated, a leader, a do-er and someone who wants to experience something sometimes uncomfortable and out of routine - this is your place!
Kol Ami is the perfect platform to build friendships, challenge yourself and find that you are much more capable of doing what you think you can. Yes, you will experience days where you feel like you “just can’t” but those days are complemented but random spurts of dance-parties, food fights, tiyulim, volunteering and movie nights. What happens during Kol Ami can’t be experienced anywhere else. Breaching the gap between Israeli youth & Diaspora youth is unique and rare. This program created an environment to break the stereotypes of the “classic Israeli” but rather build a special connection between people who lead completely opposite lives! They exposed us to a type of army life that isn’t normal in the diaspora and it was fascinating to see how committed they are to this part of their lives. Be a do-er and do the program. I promise you won’t regret it and if you do, blame me :)

Enrolling to Kol Ami has given me the opportunity to work significantly on personal growth and behavioral skills that will surely help me for my future path living in Israel. For me personally, I’ve thought about serving in the IDF for a while. But I wasn’t fully prepared to take on this huge commitment without spending a gap year in order to fully understand what i’m getting myself into. This program is truly a wonderful gift for both Israelis and foreigners who are deeply interested in learning existential values on leadership skills and teamwork. The participants will have to step out of there comfort zones when it comes to living with a group of people, waking up early and sleeping late at night, attending valuable classes on jewish peoplehood, traveling on hikes and learning to navigate with tools that you’re given, practicing and improving he/she’s Hebrew, ect. But I think the main purpose for Kol Ami is working as a team rather as an individual. There will be points in time during your mechina experience where you feel like giving up and reluctant to participate each day, but those are the exact moments where you have to gain he strength and courage to think "even though i’m deadbeat tired and want to sleep in bed all day, i’m still going to work and participate in the daily activities". Mechina will teach you to stay strong and have this motivating mindset to be apart of things because in the long run, you will make dear friends who can potentially stay close with you outside of mechina. As a chulnick coming from Los Angeles it was definitely difficult at times to surround myself with Hebrew speakers and not understanding half of the conversations in front of you, but you use your skills in your head to adapt and learn the language which will create a strong bond between you as a foreigner and the Israelis. If there is anyone who is planning on bravely volunteering in the army, think of mechina as a pre-army program that will teach you very valuable lessons before you go into the army. I can’t stress how important it is for he/she to fully come to the understanding what mother mechina will do for your personal growth in the future.

If you are interested in developing your leadership skills, learning, travelling and creating amazing friendships then Kol Ami is the place for you. You will be challenged and pushed out of your comfort zone but also have insane amounts of fun and feel very much at home. The mechina requires that you take responsibility for yourself and the group and work as a team. Each individual plays an important role in the group - whether it’s planning tiyulim, creating the daily schedule or cooking for everyone. You will learn a lot about yourself, others and the world and be very well prepared for the army or for wherever life takes you!

My experience in Kol Ami was incredible! I got to meet Jews from overseas, learn about Jewish Peoplehood, and strengthen my Jewish identity.

It wasn’t always fun and I had some hard moments but it made me stronger, more independent and responsible!

It’s great for Israelis and Diaspora Jews alike and strengthens the bond between them.

The living quarters, classroom and kitchen were all new and nice, the staff is really amazing and the schedule keeps you constantly busy.

Our days started around 7am and ended around 11pm which made the group really close and united. We also had many hikes throughout Israel which were beautiful, and we had workouts 3 times a week which were actually enjoyable.

We were devided into different committees which devided the responsibilities of the Mechina- Management, Food, Community Involvement, Schedule, Army Prep, Shabbat and Culture, Recruitment and Hiking.

It was an amazing experience and it was worth every second of my time before the army!

P.s. the Carmiel Shlucha is the best!

So...yeah, I wrote down a whole nice review and everything and then as I’m posting it the website tells me it’s gotta be 750 characters. So here we go let me start again, this program has honestly been one of the best experiences of my life, I’ve made friends I’ll never part with, learned about things I never even thought of learning before, learned about myself- my weaknesses , my strengths, how to improve, how to help others improve, it for me out of my shell as a pretty shy person and overall has been an amazing experience, I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a great fun program where they’ll get everything they want in a gap-year program especially if you’re overseas looking for a program that’ll accept your language troubles and where those same troubles won’t prevent you from making friends or having the best experience you can have. Amen brothuh