Naale high school program- do they come back to USA after?

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 8:58 pm

My 14 yo dd is entering high school and really wants to studay away or abroad next year. She is deeply unhappy in her school because she is very lonely and days she has no friends. She longs to be somewhere where she can make friends. We are working with a psychologist, we have gone a long way in helping her; and she says she can make friends in summer activities but first some reason according to her, in her grade girls are not accepting it open to real friendship and including her.
I found Naale program and it looks too good to be true - free, religious high school in Israel, but of course the catch is, it is obvious they are trying to groom kids go make Aliya upon graduation. Are there any kids who do it and come home?
We are also interested in other options- Canada or Brazil... But we are not wealthy enough to pay full tuition and will need aid.... If anyone has ideas or thoughts please tell me...
It has to be a strong secular academic program, DD is a star student and needs to be ready for college.... We are modern but her brilliancy and dissatisfaction with current school make her not very committed to observance, so the school has to be strong in Jewish subjects and able to treat them with compexity.

amother

Natural

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 9:06 pm

We live in Israel and have hosted Naaleh girls from the religious program in Kfar Saba. They were lovely. They were religious (though there's quite a range of observance on the program) and seemed to find the schoolwork engaging. There's real oversight and a curfew. I don't know what kind of mental health support they offer. My impression is that the girls are independent types.

The idea is that these kids are making aliyah. Very often, the family is in the process and follows soon after. The girls stay after high school to do sherut leumi or army service.

amother

Hotpink

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 9:16 pm

Thank you for your answer. The website I found advertising this program did not mention Aliya, it was touting it as a great way to study in Israel..... But it was clear from the FAQ and the whole concept that this is the goal. I selfishly don't want my daughter to live so far away forever....I understand I cannot really control her but I don't want to push her into it myself ..
My daughter is quite independent and very mature, and I think all her issues can go away in a warm accepting environment

DrMom

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 9:19 pm

I know one family whose daughter went to the Naale program in Kfar Saba, but the entire family made aliya as soon as their daughter graduated. I don't know that the academics are super-challenging, but learning Hebrew is a challenge.

If your daughter's school is not challenging, is there some online college course she can take?

Or have you looked into more rigorous schools in the US (I assume you are located there)? How about Bruria?

amother

Jetblack

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 9:59 pm

I'm an alumnus of one of the Na'ale programs. It's one of those things that seems to good to be true, but is for real! Aliyah is not required. In fact, in my time they paid for your ticket home if you graduated with the program. The hope is to encourage the whole family to make Aliyah, but again, it's not a must. The program is not for everyone though. It can be very tough living halfway across the world during your formative years and not have your parents on hand to guide you.

salt

Sun, Aug 26 2018, 10:21 pm

Na'aleh - is an acronym in Hebrew נעלה stands for
נער עולה לפני ההורים
The idea of it is that the teenagers come to Israel ahead of their parents, and get a head start getting integrated into Israeli society.
But I don't know if it's a must.
We have hosted girls from a Russian religious Naaleh program. But maybe with the Russians it's different - it's obvious they want to stay in Israel.

amother

Sapphire

Mon, Aug 27 2018, 2:58 am

My daughter just graduated from Naale. Fantastic program. She went to Beit Chana, which is chabad, and therefore probably less zionist. I don't know if she wants to go and live in Israel but if she does, she speaks fluent hebrew, has done bagrut (she did really well) and has Israeli friends. We live in a small out of town city in Europe so its pretty unlikely she will end up living here either way...

Not all the Naale schools are frum. I think only Kfar Saba and the 2 chabad schools are girls only religious schools.

Naale pay your school/dorm fees, one return ticket over the 3/4 year program, pocket money, cell phone plan, health insurance, uniform, books...There were also subsidised touring programs for Naale girls during school vacation time.

The reality is doing this program will make it easier for your daughter to make aliya. But she may decide to do that or move to Australia or timbuctoo either way. And having a happy and healthy daughter is more important.

I would suggest you contact the school you are interested in (presumably kfar saba) and get in touch with other american parents who have sent their daughters.

I think the Israeli bagrut system is more challenging then Israeli high school...obviously this is dependant on each particular school. My daughter found it hard work. My other daughter did not want to go there because she heard it is hard.

Being in a dorm is great fun and definitely a good way to make friends.

amother

Sapphire

Mon, Aug 27 2018, 3:24 am

amother wrote:

Can you do the program for just one year or one semester?

You can drop out after a year, sure. Or even a semester. But the official program is minimum 3 years. My daughters friend dropped out at the end of 11th grade which I think was a shame.

Franticfrummie, all the Naale affiliated schools take regular israeli students too. (but you will pay more probably) You can actually join the program if your parents have made aliya, but it may have to be within the first year of them doing so. (website will tell you) Its a great way for new olim to integrate into israeli society.

amother

Hotpink

Mon, Aug 27 2018, 3:52 am

DrMom wrote:

My daughter's school is good in academics. She will probably find high school challenging enough and there are many AP class offerings. She is in all honors courses and is doing well in all, including Hebrew. I think some judaic teachers were not handling serious depth well and the peers were not the questioning type, and she either didn't get her questions addressed, or felt if she asks them she will be looked down upon by peers.
Its the social aspect that makes her very sad. She wants a new environment where she can feel part of a peer group and have real friends.

amother

Sapphire

Wed, Aug 29 2018, 2:14 pm

amother wrote:

Would love to hear more if you decide to send! Very interested for my DS for next year.

feel free to ask me anything. As I said, my daughter just finished 3 years there. Amazing experience. I don't know much about the boys schools, I think there is just one frum (Daati Leumi) boys school that participates.

There is a lot of information on their website. https://www.naale-elite-academy.com/en/

amother

Black

Wed, Aug 29 2018, 2:43 pm

Yes read on website about Shaalvim the one religious boys school and have an appt to speak to someone on Sunday on the phone. Thank you for your help!!
Questions I can think of now,
1. Did your daughter go back “home” after the program or stay in Israel?
2. Did she know Hebrew before she went? More then they teach in day school I mean.
3. How was she able to learn Hebrew well enough to pass her Begruit exam??
4. Does the school get a lot of “out of the box” kids or the Yeshiva’s pretty mainstream?
5. What will your daughter do now? Seminary in Israel or she feels like she has been there and done that? Is her Israeli HS diploma recognized in Europe?
6. I have more school specific questions to ask when I speak to Naale but what else should I be asking??

Thanks!