THE YAHEL SOCIAL CHANGE FELLOWSHIP
Create Real Change in Israel's Communities
A 9-month fellowship connecting global changemakers with Israel's diverse communities through meaningful service and authentic cultural immersion.




Nine Months of Service, Learning, and Impact
The Yahel Social Change Fellowship brings together changemakers from around the world for an immersive 9-month experience in Israel's diverse communities. Fellows work hand-in-hand with local organizations on grassroots projects while diving deep into Israeli society through service, cultural immersion, unique travel experiences, and meaningful relationships.
Serve with Purpose
Engage in direct service that meets real community needs while immersing yourself in authentic Israeli life.
Learn and Grow
Through structured learning and hands-on experience, develop critical skills, and deepen your understanding of social issues.
Create Lasting Impact
Live within community, build lifelong connections, and make a tangible impact .

Iriet Danon
Fellowship 2022-2023
I feel like I received a truly in-depth exploration into Israeli society. I left with a much firmer understanding of those perspectives, and the challenges faced by communities living in Israel, and that is something I value immensely.
Life as a Fellow
Volunteering
Work directly with grassroots local organizations to address real community needs. From designing youth programs at schools to supporting grassroots nonprofits and empowering at-risk youth, you'll use your unique skills to create tangible change.
This hands-on service forms the core of your fellowship experience, ensuring both communities and fellows benefit meaningfully.

Learning Days
Engage in action-oriented education through courses on Israeli society, Hebrew and Arabic language, skill-building workshops, and structured reflection sessions.
Our learning curriculum engages with the current realities in Israeli society, while encouraging critical thinking and personal growth. You'll develop tools for effective social change work that extend far beyond your fellowship year.
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Seminars and Travel Days
Explore Israel's complexity through guided seminars, meetings with local activists, and educational travel to diverse communities.
These experiences expose you to multiple perspectives on Israeli society while taking you off the beaten path to discover the authentic stories and voices often missed by typical programs.

Local Immersion
Live and work within the communities you serve, experiencing daily life as locals do. Learn Hebrew naturally, share meals with host families, participate in cultural celebrations, and build genuine relationships.
This deep integration creates lasting connections and transforms how you understand Israeli society.

Community Living
Share apartments with fellow participants from around the world, creating a supportive international community. Navigate daily challenges together, celebrate successes, and form bonds that extend far beyond the program.
This collaborative living experience builds lifelong friendships while developing independence and cross-cultural skills.

Our Locations




Next Steps
Our city-specific sample itineraries give you a clear picture of what day-to-day life as a Yahel Fellow looks like.
Mike is our wonderful Recruitment Manager for the Fellowship. Hailing from the UK, Mike was a Yahel fellow in 2022/23 in Lod, so has all the first hand info you need.
Schedule a call directly using the link below: https://calendly.com/yahel-discovery-call/30min
Our Application isn’t intended to trip you up. We ask for some background info, and a few short personal statements. Be honest, and tell us what you want us to know about yourself.
When you're ready, you can do that using the link below:
Once you apply, you’ll have two conversations, 1 with our Director, Dana, and another with a Fellowship alum. This will give you a couple of perspectives!
Once accepted, we’ll send you an official acceptance letter and all the onboarding info you’ll need.
At this stage we need a few things from you, such as a background check and health form.
If you are joining us through Masa Israel, you will need to complete their short application. If not, we will need to complete your volunteer visa application process, but we’ll tell you everything you need to know at the time!
Book your flight, pack your backs, learn some simple Hebrew phrases and get ready for an experience of a life time!
One of my main aims for the Fellowship, was to experience a true sense of authentic immersion into an authentic Israeli community. I soon found the Fellowship to be the perfect medium in which to achieve this goal, and it was ultimately this element in which I found the most value.

Brandon Roberts
Fellowship 2022-2023
FAQs
The Yahel Social Change Fellowship invites adults between the ages of 22-32, interested in social change, activism, grassroots organizing & Israeli society, and who want to learn about these topics through hands-on service.
As a fellow you will gain direct experience working in the non-profit and social sectors, you will explore Israel through the lens of social change and gain valuable skills for your future career.
The fellowship is appropriate for people looking to continue academic studies or future careers in the fields of social work, public policy, public health, education or related fields, for those who want to delve deeper into understanding Israeli society and for people who care about being a Mensch.
The Yahel Social Change Fellowship is an Israel volunteer program open to both Jewish and non-Jewish participants, and in fact we encourage those outside of the Jewish community to apply. It is important to note that the content and curriculum have a Jewish lens.
The Israeli work week runs from Sunday to Thursday. As a fellow you will volunteer approximately 30 hours each week, in 5/6 different volunteer placements. You will have opportunities to take initiative around community projects.
Thursdays will be dedicated to immersive, experiential learning, alternating between city-based learning days and supervision, day-trips, and multiday seminars. Learning elements are usually done as together with the full Fellowship cohort
See a sample itinerary here.
As a Yahel fellow you will receive:
Free accommodation in fully furnished apartments
A monthly living stipend
Free health insurance
Hebrew and Arabic courses
Educational programming
Day trips and seminars
Travel to and from volunteer placements
The fee does not include your flight to Israel, travel on free weekends during free time and personal expenses.
Learning: The learning curriculum is an integral part of the program and is comprised of eight mini-courses
1. Learning days – A series of workshops, encounters and sessions exploring the context of volunteering and social change work. This includes a wide array of topics, such as: in-depth understanding of the communities in which we work; ethical questions about volunteering; space for group processing, reflection and discussion; project-based planning and preparation; volunteer placement supervision; a course on community work and more.
2. Hebrew Ulpan – A series of Hebrew language learning and enrichment sessions led by language educators and Yahel staff.
3. Arabic language course – a brief conversational Arabic language course for the benefit of the fellows volunteering in Lod with the Arabic speaking community. Rishon fellows are welcome to join as well.
4. Foundations in Educational Work – An introduction to the Israel Educational system, eqiping fellows with foundational skills required for EFL through a combination of theoretical instruction and hands-on practical workshop.
5. Community Work – This course combines two key elements: community engagement and internal group development, by teaching fellows community mapping techniques while building communication skills and cohesion, culminating in a fellow-led mapping project.
6. Skill building for the Non-Profit World – Hands-on workshops that teach volunteers important skills for work in the non-profit sector.
7. Judaism and Social Justice – A course dedicated to exploring the connection between Jewish texts, Jewish peoplehood and Jewish values to social justice. Facilitated by Rabbi Levi Lauer.
8. Visions – A course highlighting the visions for the future of Israel held by communities, leaders, activists, and educators. Through this course, volunteers will also engage in peer-led learning on a range of topics related to Israeli society.
Each unit includes a mix of sessions facilitated by Yahel staff and outside speakers, as well as day trips and seminars.
Free accommodation is provided throughout the program. Yahel Fellows live together in fully furnished apartments within their placement cities. The apartments have a full kitchen, dining room, living room, washing machine, wi-fi, air conditioners, fans and heaters. You should be prepared to potentially share a bedroom.
Most weekends on the program are free. Fellows are welcome to stay in their cities or travel. There are a few programmed weekends throughout the year - either in the community or as part of overnight seminars to different parts of the country.
Yes. There are no mandatory activities planned for Shabbat or Jewish holidays. We do have 4-5 cross weekend seminars, however during Shabbat hours there is no programming that will require a fellow to break shabbat. If a fellow feels unable to participate in an activity during Shabbat, they should confer with Fellowship staff at the time.
As a fellow you will receive Hebrew training during orientation and in subsequent weeks run by professional teachers through A Home for Hebrew. A high level of Hebrew will not be necessary. Creativity and a sense of humor will.
Most volunteer projects will not require specialized skills. Experience in youth work, social work, resource development, media, gardening, music and IT/Tech are welcome. Having an open mind is crucial.
Masa Israel’s grants and scholarships are a gift of the Government of Israel and The Jewish Agency for Israel, made possible through the generous contributions of the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA. Masa provides every eligible participant a grant towards participating in a program in Israel.
The Masa grant is paid directly to Yahel after confirmation of your acceptance to the program. Masa grants vary based on your country of origin.
Participants on Masa Israel-recognized programs of any length who fit the eligibility requirements listed above can apply for additional need-based financial aid depending on their country of origin and income.
For further information on how to apply for your Masa grant, click here.
All fellows will receive a monthly living stipend of 1,000 shekels. Fellows from certain countries receiving Masa grants may receive a monthly stipend of up to 2,500 shekels.
The fellowship takes place in three cities in Israel: Rishon LeZion, Lod, and Haifa.
