Instead, the 18-year-old is now ensconced in one of Tel Aviv’s hippest neighborhoods, Florentin, known for its trendy cafes, bars and restaurants. Long a destination for young Jews yearning to explore their religion and create a connection to the Jewish state, Israel is seeing a fresh explosion in gap-year students arriving from the U.S. and other countries. With few other countries accepting American students, Israel has emerged as a top destination for those seeking meaningful experiences beyond the confines of online learning from family couches. They are coming even though the country has just entered its second nationwide lockdown as cases of Covid-19 hit record levels and daily new cases are currently hovering at roughly 7,000 a day. The three-week lockdown, which started in mid-September, has disrupted some of the activities and work experiences the young people have planned for their year abroad but hasn’t deterred them.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 28, 2020 11:26 UTC