YAVNEH B’ARETZ FELLOWSHIP
Yavneh B’Aretz: Israel Gap Year Fellowship
Yavneh B’Aretz is a leadership and community-building initiative for students spending a gap year in Israel. Run by OU-JLIC’s Yavneh on Campus, this program introduces students to Yavneh’s national network of Jewish changemakers and helps them explore how to grow as leaders before they arrive on campus.
We host school based sessions at seminaries and yeshivot throughout the year, bringing dinner, great conversation, and engaging workshops on leadership, programming, and vision-driven activism. Students learn what it means to be a builder on campus and how to contribute to Jewish life in thoughtful and lasting ways.
Who We Are
Yavneh B’Aretz is part of the broader Yavneh Fellowship ecosystem. Participants are introduced to the tools, networks, and support that have shaped Yavneh’s work on dozens of campuses across North America. Students connect with staff and alumni, gain early access to fellowship opportunities, and begin building the skills they’ll need to make an impact in college and beyond.
Our approach is grounded in Yavneh’s concentric circle model of Jewish leadership. We start with personal development, move inward toward campus changemaking, and then build outward toward responsibility for Am Yisrael as a whole. This program is the first step in that journey.
What We Do
Each session focuses on practical and meaningful leadership growth and is taught by a Yavneh alumni living in Israel.
Topics include:
• Community needs assessment
• Jewish values and leadership
• Program planning and development
• Team building and communication
• Vision setting and goal mapping
Where We Are
Yavneh B’Aretz is currently running at the following schools:
Amudim
Lev HaTorah
Machon Maayan
Midreshet Lindenbaum
MMY
MTVA
Orayta
YTVA
If your school is not listed and you are interested in bringing Yavneh B’Aretz to your seminary or yeshiva, reach out to miriam@yavneh.us.
Jeremy Tibbetts
Director of Student Leadership
Jeremy Tibbetts (he/him) studied Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and is currently a candidate for rabbinical ordination and studying at Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak. He is the Director of Student Leadership at Yavneh On Campus, where he works with students on over 40 college campuses to build local Jewish communities and establish a campus-wide Jewish student movement. In addition, Jeremy works with gap year students to prepare them for their college experience. Jeremy lives with his wife Emily and their dog Rosie in Baka, Jerusalem, where he loves to study mysticism, play tennis, and write. He is always in the mood for a seltzer.
Miriam Pincus Gold (she/her) completed her undergraduate degree from Binghamton University in Human Development and is currently in her second year of her Masters Degree in Social Work. Miriam was involved in the Yavneh on Campus fellowship as a fellow and then on the National Board as the mentorship chair. Through her roles as president of the JLIC minyan and JLIC intern as well as being a Yavneh fellow, at Binghamton, Miriam implemented many different Torah learning programs and other social events. Since graduation Miriam has worked in social work envrionments as well as being a madricha at Midreshet Lindenbaum. Miriam currently lives in Baka, Jerusalem with her husband Akiva.