Providing Students from Around the World with an Israeli High School Education

Na’ale is a unique educational program for Jewish high school students worldwide who come to Israel without their parents and wish to attain a high-quality Israeli matriculation certificate to help them to integrate fully into Israeli society.

More than 16,000 students from over 40 countries around the world studied through Na’ale since its inception. Their integration into existing educational frameworks, learning in an Israeli milieu, immerses them in cultural heritage, contributes to their connection with Judaism and builds a feeling of belonging.

In 1992, in cooperation with the Society for the Advancement of Education in Jerusalem, the Israeli government initiated the Na’ale Program based on a Zionist vision – creating a high school educational framework for Jewish students from the former Soviet Union in Israel, so that these students would be pioneers toward the immigration of their families after them (The acronym Na’ale is for “Noar Oleh Lifnei Horim-Youth Immigrating Before Parents”.)

This vision came to fruition and the Na’ale Program brings to the ranks of students in Israel hundreds of new students each year with full financial support of the Ministry of Education.

At the conclusion of the first decade of Na’ale activity, the government decided to move Na’ale from an “experimental program” to an “established program of the government and the Jewish Agency” and to enable students from around the world to participate in the program under these same conditions.

To date, 25 years of activity have turned Na’ale into a recognized brand with a strong reputation in the educational system in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world.

To ensure the advancement of students toward optimal achievements, a special dedicated administration established for this purpose by the Society for Advancement of Education accompanies the students. Support is offered on a number of planes with an emphasis on maintaining emotional and spiritual balance for the students who are far from their homes, parents and native countries. Learn more about Na’ale here.