Mechinat Telem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa
A pre-army leadership program of the Reform Movement in Israel, living and volunteering in the heart of Israeli society.
Who we are
Founded in Jaffa in 2002 by graduates of Reform communities in Israel, Telem is a liberal, activist mechina (gap-year leadership program) located in the heart of Tel Aviv-Jaffa: between the markets, the Florentin neighborhood and the Mediterranean Sea.
About 50 participants live together for a year before their army service. They volunteer three to four times a week in their own neighborhood with vulnerable communities, migrant workers and the children of asylum seekers; study an open, egalitarian Judaism; take part in the struggle for Israeli democracy; and prepare mentally and physically for meaningful military service. After the year, participants can travel together to work as counselors at summer camps in the United States.
Support Telem
Your gift provides safe housing for our participants and keeps a two-decade program running strong. Donations within Israel are tax-deductible under Section 46a, and U.S. contributions are tax-deductible via Friends of IMPJ.