DEAR EYAL

A year of your life is not a lot of time in the greater scheme of things but the value that shnat can add to your life is immeasurable. I’m not going to tell you why Shnat is better than going into University or that it’s something everyone should do. However I do believe that it's worth considering.

There are so many amazing aspects and unique experiences that shnat offers that one cannot find anywhere else. One of the most inspiring and empowering elements is that shnat opens the opportunity for you to create your own mini society. This is the thing which will affect you the most. You can build your own small society, with your own social norms where you can express yourself however you want to, and experience alternative ways of living for example living in a kvutsah (an opportunity to actualize socialist principles).

Shnat allows you to experiment with who you are and who you want to be in the most eccentric manner while still providing the safety that we all crave. You are also surrounded by people who want to do the same, building you up and allowing you to have the experience which you are looking for. While Shnat provides the safety and boundaries with its structures it still provides something more than anything else could, true freedom. Freedom to explore yourself, freedom to discover new ideas and passions, freedom to be silly and freedom to explore the different ways you want to live. Shnat provides you with the ability to understand how to appreciate and exploit your newly found freedom but also shows you how to be responsible over it. Through your different classes on Machon, volunteering with local communities, budgeting, interacting with different madrichimot your age from around the world and all the different experiences you have, you will learn what it means to be you.

You will be able to sit with our shnat group and contemplate the difficulties of being a young South African Jew, while also being spontaneous, fun and young. You will be provided with the perfect mix of structure and freedom, designed specifically for you, to allow you to embark on the next chapter of your life. If you want to spend a year in Israel, gaining a deep understanding of our movement, exploring all the different aspects of Israeli society, youth, culture and learning what it means to be independent then Shnat is for you.

Your year is yours for the taking Aleh Ve’hagshe

Daniella Steiner

P.S. While this booklet contains logistical information about Shnat I suggest speaking to your madrichim and past shnatties to help inform you decision.

Exploring SA!