opinion
Israel Is Becoming the Ultimate
Study-Abroad Destination
Shlomo Anapolle | JNS
iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus / peterspiro
W ith low costs, immersion in the Start-Up
Nation and antisemitism spiking, it’s no
wonder that students are choosing the
Jewish state.

There are many reasons why students choose
to pack their bags and study in Israel. After all,
there aren’t many destinations where you can get
a world-class education in one of the most inno-
vative countries in the world, while surrounded
by history and basking in sunshine for (most of)
the year.

This is why, according to the Israeli Council for
Higher Education, approximately 12,000 foreign
students each year choose to make Israel their
home away from home. What’s more, in contrast
to declining international student enrollment in
other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic actually
amplifi ed interest in Israel as a study-abroad des-
tination. American institutions of higher education are
still reeling from the pandemic, during which most
students were forced to study remotely, depriving
them of the benefi ts of the in-person college
experience like networking opportunities and a
thriving social life.

International student enrollment rates around
the world are refl ecting this shift. According to
Boundless, U.S. colleges have experienced an 18%
decrease from pre-pandemic numbers of active
M-1 and F-1 students. In Australia, the number
of international student visa holders plummeted
54% from October 2019 to October 2021. In Japan,
international enrollment dropped 13.3% during
the same two years. In Germany, the enrollment
of occasional students — those who possess an
undergraduate degree but take additional courses
or conduct research for non-degree purposes in a
specifi c country — decreased 26% from the winter
semester of 2019-20 to the winter semester of
2021-22. Yet Israel is seeing the opposite trend. For 20
years before the pandemic, only 5% of students
coming to Israel for their gap year chose to stay
in the country for further study. That number has
increased to 20%.

Why is Israel defying the global enrollment
trend? First, more and more students and parents
are realizing that it doesn’t make sense to pay for
an expensive degree when all one gets out of the
experience is a piece of paper. Instead, by coming
to Israel, international students can broaden their
The sprawling campus of Tel Aviv University in Israel on January 11, 2017.

horizons and venture outside their comfort zones,
while obtaining an education at a fraction of the
cost. College tuition in the United States can run
up to $75,000 a year, but a degree in Israel typi-
cally costs under $5,000 annually.

The socioeconomic face of Israel has also
changed dramatically. We’re no longer a Socialist
country defi ned by the kibbutz; we’re the Start-Up
Nation, characterized by homegrown high-tech
businesses that make a global impact.

In fact, the tech market is insatiable. Yes, there
are layoff s in the tech industry at the moment, but
work is still easily found if you have the proper skill
set. A cursory search on LinkedIn, FreshBoards and
Indeed shows that companies are still hiring, but
they’re looking for something specifi c. And despite
the layoff s, an OurCrowd report states that high-
tech companies are looking for “R&D/software
hires, and have diffi culty fi nding them, creating a
strong job-seeker’s market.”
At the same time, a degree in computer science
isn’t a necessity for fi nding success in the tech
world. Last year, Israel saw 30,000 job openings
in high-tech and business — a 200% increase from
2020. Meanwhile, 12,000 of those jobs were in
non-high-tech roles.

Lastly, although it may be uncomfortable to
acknowledge as a motivation behind temporarily
or permanently moving to Israel, antisemitism is
surging worldwide, especially on American col-
lege campuses. According to the StopAntisemitism
watchdog group; 55% of U.S. students report
being a victim of campus antisemitism; 72% say
university administrations fail to take antisem-
itism and personal safety seriously; 55% report
needing to hide their support for Israel; and 73%
hide their Jewish identity on campus.

Higher education is so much more than what
you’ll fi nd in textbooks. It’s an experience. In Israel,
between exhilarating trips where one can see the
results of more than 2,000 years of history, to learn-
ing the latest in cutting-edge technology in one of
the most innovative countries in the world, to being
in the only country made by Jews and for Jews, it’s
no surprise that studying there has become a
popular choice. JE
Shlomo Anapolle is the director of the International
Program in English at the Jerusalem College of
Technology. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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