Sherut leumi, your experience/advise please

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 5:50 am

We are helping our dd look into this as an option. She is frum BH and being in Israel is a good option for her for now. She is 22.
Am I correct in assuming this can be a relatively good option? She is great with kids so would like to work in relation to....
What can you tell me please, warn me, guide me....
thank you so much

leaf

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 6:33 am

I dont think she can do sherut leumi without being israeli/making aliyah. And im not sure she can do sherut leumi at age 22. The girls hete generaly do sherut leumi for 1-2 yrs, starting the yr after h.s

Elfrida ↓

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 7:16 am

Are you talking for this year or next year? This year is probably too late.

Sherut leumi can be done up to age 24, but I don't know if that applies to olim. As stated above, it is normally done age 18-20.

Does she speak enough Hebrew to cope in an Israeli environment?

Nefesh b'nefesh, or chaim v'chesed might be able to put you in touch with the sherut leumi organisations.

zebra111 ↓

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 7:24 am

U can join sherut leumi mid year. I did it. U have less choices of placements obviously.
I wouldnt consider it aged 22, she'll be the oldest by far, even if technically its ok.
Theres a sem in an amit childrens home in netanya she could see if they need madrichot? Or just get and actual job as a sayaat in a gan, jerusalem is hugely lacking..

tree of life

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 7:38 am

השירות
כדי להצטרף לתוכנית יש לפנות לאגודה להתנדבות דרך המוקד הטלפוני: 1-800-233-133 ולבקש לקבל מידע אודות תוכנית "עטרה" לצעירות חרדיות
Try this number to see if they can help you
My two daughters did shurut lumi they loved it

↑ zebra111

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 7:41 am

Oh to add I was just turned 21 when I did it and felt a lot older than the other gjrls. Also the fact I was in israel alone and they all went back to their families every shabbat I felt I had a certain maturity they didnt have yet

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 8:00 am

Thanks for the replies.
We don't want her to just take an apartment and find work, she also feels she wants a little more security....a sense of belonging , not just making a life alone for the Ur in Israel.
Maybe even some classes post sem style
just exploring options so any and all ideas welcome
thanks

↑ Elfrida

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 8:11 am

Sherut leumi isn't in a supervised dorm, or anything. She'll share an apartment with other girls, and live basically independently. The other girls will go home for Shabbos, but she'll have to make her own arrangements, though they may invite her. It's hard to say how much she will feel she belongs, especially with a three or four year age gap and the language barrier.

Is there a reason why, at age 22, she can't rent an apartment with other girls and get a job? Plenty of girls do this. Does she have a degree, or any other qualifications? It might be harder to find at this time of year, but there are always English speaking ganim looking for assistants, and itvsounds like that might suit her.

If she wants classes, she could try going to Midreshet Rachel or Shearim. They both have full or part time options. If she goes there full time she would be able to live in the dorms and really feel part of it. If she gets a job and goes there part time she would have to find an apartment to share, but she would still be part of them.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 8:32 am

amother OP wrote:

Sherut leumi is literally like dorming life. There are girl living together. Im not sure what yiu or your daughter think there is more of for a sherut leumi apartment.
Also most girls are 17, 18 years old and at s different stage in life. It may not be such a great idea.
Also doing sherut leumi is literally living in an apartment and working.
Why not have her find an apartmrnt with roim mates and find herself a job and she could find out about local shiurim as well. And let her make aliyah. She will get zchuyot.

essie14 ↓

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 9:06 am

My DD did sherut leumi when she was 18, straight out of high school. All the girls in her sherut apartment were the same age.
By 22 I think your DD would feel very out of place with girls so much younger than her.
Why can't she get a job and rent her own apartment with girls more her age?
There are tons of young women working and going to school and renting apartments in Jerusalem.

↑ essie14

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 9:07 am

Also, sherut leumi is all over the country. What will she do if they place her in Ofakim or some other place off the beaten path?
Wouldn't she rather live and work in Jerusalem and meet women her own age and make friends?

Dolly151

Mon, Oct 07 2024, 10:44 am

Most BY GIRLS who come to Israel to live for the year at age 22,become madrichot in seminaries. BY/chareidi girls don't do sherut leumi. She will be with dati leumi girls.