Conservative Movement Suspends Its Israel Gap-Year Program, Citing Budget Woes

The Conservative movement has decided to halt its Israel gap year initiative for high school graduates, a move coming months after narrowly escaping closure this year through a crucial fundraising appeal, JTA reports. Administered by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the movement’s congregational arm, the Nativ program has been a fixture for over four decades, historically drawing high school graduates affiliated with Conservative synagogues, schools, or camps, or those seeking a gender-egalitarian, kosher, and Shabbat-observant program.

While Nativ has historically enrolled over 80 students, recent years have seen a significant reduction, with fewer than 20 teens participating this year, all accommodated at the Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism. The decision to suspend the program is attributed to “new economic realities, recruitment challenges, and the changing nature of what young adults are looking for in their gap year,” as stated in an email sent to Nativ alumni by Conservative movement leaders, including USCJ CEO Jacob Blumenthal.

Despite the suspension, leaders are collaborating with “movement partners in the field of Israel education and young adult leadership to reimagine the program for the future.” Blumenthal, an alumnus of the program himself, expressed optimism about the potential resumption of a Conservative movement gap-year program, estimating a possible restart in fall 2025. He outlined plans for research and planning over the next eight months to facilitate recruitment.

Over the 40-plus years since Nativ’s inception, the gap-year landscape has evolved, with Orthodox yeshivas and seminaries attracting more US teens, Young Judaea’s pluralistic program thriving, and newer egalitarian initiatives, such as one by the Shalom Hartman Institute, gaining traction. Blumenthal acknowledged Nativ’s pioneering role but emphasized the need to assess what the Conservative movement can offer amid the current diversity of available programs.

This development coincides with a broader contraction of the Conservative movement. Once the largest denomination of American Judaism in the 1950s and 1960s, recent data from the 2020 Pew survey indicate a substantial net loss. A decade ago, facing financial challenges, the movement suspended its college program, KOACH. Currently, it does not operate on college campuses.

In March, an emergency aid plea was issued for the ongoing Nativ cohort, highlighting the need to raise $100,000 to ensure the program’s continuation. While USCJ contributed to closing the funding gap, specific details were not disclosed at the time. Despite challenges, the program proceeded as scheduled in mid-September, with participants adjusting their volunteer activities in response to the October 7 attack on Israel. The program faced adaptability challenges, with some participants temporarily returning home and later resuming their activities.

{Matzav.com}