Tivnu: Building Justice Gap Year Program

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Tivnu is the only Jewish gap year in America. As a U.S.-based Jewish gap year program, Tivnu empowers Jewish teens to serve in grassroots justice organizations, build community with new friends, and explore Jewish values through real-world experiences. Whether you're passionate about environmental justice, affordable housing, LGBTQ inclusion, or you just want to learn more about the world and yourself, Tivnu connects your interests with meaningful action right here in the U.S.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Tivnu offers participants the opportunity to do hands-on, grassroots social justice work—like working in tiny house villages, helping in under-resourced schools, or supporting local mutual aid—while living in a pluralistic Jewish community of peers. Through communal living, weekly learning, and meaningful internships, participants explore the deep and powerful links between Jewish life and the fight for justice.

Whether hiking through the forests of the Pacific Northwest, cooking dinner with housemates, or having thoughtful conversations about equity and identity, Tivnu participants grow in ways that traditional paths often don’t allow. This isn’t a year “off”—it’s a year that launches you forward. With mentorship, real-world experience, and friendships that last far beyond the program, Tivnu gives young adults direction, connection, and a deeper sense of self.

Since its founding, Tivnu has succeeded in making its gap year program accessible to young adults of all economic backgrounds. Over 60% of past participants have received financial assistance. Please do not let the cost of the program keep you from applying - see information about financial aid at https://tivnu.org/timeline-and-tuition/.