Launching in January 2026, the program offers U.S. students immersive learning, cultural exchange and leadership development.
(Courtesy of Ohr Torah Stone) Ohr Torah Stone (OTS) has announced the launch of Nelech, a groundbreaking program in Israel offering 10th grade students from Modern Orthodox high schools in North America a semester of immersive study and living in Israel. With applications opening this summer, Nelech will provide students with a unique opportunity to deepen their connection to Israel and Judaism while building leadership skills to bring back to their home communities.
Participation in the unique Nelech program will be underwritten by the Tzemach David Foundation, which is dedicated to Jewish education and leadership in Israel. The program will launch in January 2026 with an initial cohort participating in a spring semester pilot, opening the door to future possibilities for expanded educational tracks.
Nelech is designed to integrate U.S. participants with Israeli teens in a Modern Orthodox school environment, fostering peer relationships through shared classes and social activities. Boys and girls will attend fully separate programs at OTS’s top-tier yeshiva high schools in Gush Etzion.
“We’re creating a transformative experience that’s rooted in serious learning, meaningful relationships, and real integration between Israeli and American teens,” said Rabbi Rick Schindelheim, director of Nelech and a certified school psychologist. “This is about building Jewish identity and leadership that students can take home and build on for years to come.”
Nelech is working with a growing list of Modern Orthodox high schools across the U.S. The program meets the accreditation requirements of American partner schools and will work in close collaboration with school leadership to ensure smooth transitions for returning students, including academic credit transfers. In an effort to prioritize student well-being, Nelech will include robust pastoral support, including psychologists, social workers and a team of trained madrichim and madrichot to help students adjust to life in Israel away from family.
“Nelech is built to meet the needs of passionate, independent students, with the hope that their experience in Israel will introduce them to the passion and purpose of living in this land,” said Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, president and rosh yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone. “Furthermore, when they return to their communities for 11th grade, these students will be strong, knowledgeable advocates for the land, the people and the Torah of Israel.”
The program will be guided by an educational advisory board made up of respected educators living in Israel, who will help shape the curriculum and be actively involved in student learning.
“This program is both a calling and an opportunity to learn, live and connect with Am Yisrael and Torat Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael,” said Rabbanit Shani Taragin, a member of the advisory board representing Tzemach David. “This is the perfect time, educationally as well as historically, to begin your journey of ‘Lech Lecha.’”
Interested students and families are encouraged to begin the pre-application process ahead of this summer’s official launch.
