A new kind of gap year in Israel: Inside Tel Aviv University’s ELI program
More than a gap year — a launchpad for Jewish leaders, combining Tel Aviv University academics, innovation, and immersive Israel experience.
Gap year programs are often associated with travel and short-term experiences. The Exploration, Leadership and Innovation (ELI) program at Tel Aviv University takes a different approach. Offered in English through The Lowy International School, ELI Gap Year is designed for curious, academically minded Jewish students who want to use their gap year as a structured step forward rather than a pause before university.
ELI Gap Year offers intellectual challenge, leadership development, and meaningful engagement with Israel. By combining university-level coursework, experiential learning, and a strong focus on innovation and Jewish leadership, the program positions the gap year as a formative stage that helps students build clarity, confidence, and direction before entering higher education.
The Vision Behind the Program
The ELI program was founded by Dr. Ronen Hoffman, a Tel Aviv University alumnus, diplomat, entrepreneur, and academic with a long-standing commitment to Jewish leadership development.
As an undergraduate student at Tel Aviv University in the late 1980s, Hoffman spent a summer in the United States as a counsellor at a Jewish summer camp in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I remember that moment when I thought to myself, it’s very nice to take a piece of Israel in my backpack and go to the diaspora and give them a taste of Israel,” he recalls, “but why not take young people here to the real place, to Israel?”
For Hoffman, gap year programs are particularly impactful because they reach students at a formative moment. “It’s about really helping them to prepare themselves for their future, for university life and college life, and also for their role in their own communities,” he says.
Listen to Dr. Ronen Hoffman about the ELI program
An Academic Framework for the Gap Year
TAU’s ELI Gap Year program is built around a structured academic curriculum. Students take for-credit introductory university courses taught by Tel Aviv University faculty across four academic areas:
- Israel and the Middle East
- Jewish Peoplehood
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Best of Science and Human Thought
Courses introduce students to academic expectations, critical thinking, and structured discussion. Coursework is paired with workshops, site visits, and immersive field experiences that connect learning to real-world contexts.
“To experience and study Israel in all its richness and multitude of complexities,” explains Hoffman, is central to the program’s purpose.
Gap students will participate in leadership workshops and mentorship sessions with professionals from fields such as diplomacy, entrepreneurship, culture, media, and technology.
For Hoffman, leadership is inseparable from preparation and responsibility. “We want these students to not only feel confident in their quest to make a difference,” he says, “but to feel like they have the practical tools to see things through, regardless of whatever adversity they may meet.”
Jewish Life and Community
Jewish life is embedded throughout the ELI experience. Students engage with Jewish history, identity, and peoplehood through coursework, Hebrew language classes, and service-learning initiatives, including collaborations with institutions such as the ANU Museum of the Jewish People.
“Above all,” says Hoffman, studying in Israel allows students “to accomplish an act of Zionist fulfillment.”
As part of The Lowy International School, students also benefit from Shabbat dinners, learning opportunities, religious accommodations where needed, and ongoing support from the Student Life team.
“Being part of the international school means students are supported academically, socially, and personally throughout the year, while remaining fully immersed in campus life,” says Maureen Adiri Meyer, the Director of the Lowy International School.
Who ELI Is Best For
ELI Gap Year will be the best fit for students who see their gap year as an investment in their future, and who are interested in leadership, public engagement, or fields such as academia, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy.
The program will welcome its first cohort in the 2026–27 academic year. While designed as a full academic year, students may also opt for a single semester in either the fall or spring.
For students weighing how to use a gap year well, ELI offers a structured pathway into university life and beyond.
Visit the Lowy International School here