Jacqueline Bein, 18, of Riverside, is among the first participants in a unique new post-high school gap-year program in Jerusalem that integrates Israeli and North American high school graduates. Bein, a graduate of Greenwich High School, is one of seven American students in “Hevruta,” and is currently studying at Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem for the academic year.

Launched this fall as a collaborative project of the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem and Hebrew College of Boston with 25 participants, Hevruta is one of the few such programs in Israel that brings together both North American and Israeli student leaders from a diverse range of Jewish backgrounds and perspectives. It is designed to foster new relationships and cultivate young leaders with an understanding of Israeli and North American Jewish life.

“The students live together, study together, and create a special community together,” says Hevruta co-director Chaya Gilboa. “We are amazed at the maturity, sensitivity, and desire for learning and doing that continues to increase among them.”

Over the course of their 10-month experience, Hevruta participants engage in academic study, while participating in community service, volunteering, and internship opportunities in and around Jerusalem.

For more information, visit hevrutagapyear.org.