Applications for the 2015-2016 Masa Israel Teaching Fellows are officially open

For the program’s fifth cohort, Masa Israel Journey will select 200 outstanding Jewish college graduates to teach English in Israel’s periphery and, for the first time ever, in Israeli youth villages for immigrant and at-risk youth.

Masa Israel Teaching Fellows is a joint initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Education, Masa Israel Journey, and The Jewish Agency for Israel. The 10-month service-learning fellowship was created to address the achievement gap in Israel’s education system. As Israel’s classrooms are overcrowded and less than 25% of Israeli English teachers speak English at a native level, Masa Israel Teaching Fellows work as teachers’ aides in underserved classrooms, where they help reduce class sizes and improve English learning outcomes for Israeli students.

Since its inaugural session in 2011-2012, 535 Jewish young adults from the United States, Canada, England and Australia have served as Masa Israel Teaching Fellows. The Fellowship has expanded from five cities to nine cities in Israel’s periphery: Ashdod, Be’er Sheva, Netanya, Petach Tikvah, Rishn Lezion, Rehovot, Ramle and Lod.

To apply for Masa Israel Teaching Fellows, visit: www.israelteachingfellows.org. Applications are due on December 15, 2014 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Nominations from community members are also encouraged at www.israelteachingfellows.org/nominate.