Alana Gaffen and Hannah Gortenburg met in kindergarten at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. In third grade, they became friends and have been friends ever since. Now 19, they are both in Israel taking part in the The Young Judaea Year Course.

Gaffen is the daughter of Congregation Beth Shalom members Steve and Eileen Gaffen. She left HBHA after eighth grade and graduated in 2010 from Blue Valley North High School.

Gortenburg stayed at HBHA and graduated last May. She is the daughter of Michael and Karen Gortenburg, who are members of Kehilath Israel Synagogue.

Gaffen first visited Israel in the summer of 2008 while participating in an Eastern Europe-Israel program. Gortenberg had been to Israel three times — first on a private trip, then with her HBHA class and again as part of the 2010 March of the Living.

Before the two teens graduated last year, they thought they might want to spend a year in Israel, so, Gaffen said, they attended a fair at the Jewish Community Center.

“Hannah and I looked at all the different programs and Young Judaea stood out because it had a lot of options. It looked like the best fit for me and I hadn’t heard any bad things about it,” Gaffen said.

Gortenburg agreed. “My brother came to Israel for two years and he told me the Young Judaea course was the best option for me because there was a lot of free time so I could explore Israel on my own. When I compared other year course, they seemed too structured with not enough time to learn for me to learn about myself.”

Gaffen chose the Classic Track and spent three months in Bat Yam where she volunteered in a kindergarten, took ulpan (Hebrew language class) twice a week and had a scout living in her apartment. She then spent three months in Arad where she worked in an artists’ colony and a day- care facility for Sudanese while going to ulpan.

“On weekends, I would go camping or hiking,” said Gaffen. “I did an all-day hike to the Dead Sea and camped out on the beach and I went to Eilat for winter break.I also went to Beersheva.”

In March Gaffen moved to Jerusalem where she has a very tight schedule — taking mandatory and optional college-credit classes (she can earn a maximum of 27 credits) and volunteering in a soup kitchen.

Gortenburg also spent three months in Bat Yam where she worked in a kindergarten; then moved to Arad for two months where she helped teach English in a Bedouin school and worked on a dig at Ein Gedi. She was on the Social Action Track so she left Arad for one month and went to Rwanda to live in a village and work with high school orphans from the genocide.

“We went to help them learn English and we built a house that they use to store clothing that is donated to them,” Gortenburg said.

Now in Jerusalem as well, Gortenburg works in the soup kitchen and takes classes for credit.

Gaffen believes the course has taught her the ability to live on her own.

“I grew up a lot here,” she said.

Gortenburg said she has also grown emotionally while in Israel.

“I was forced to challenge myself to new and very different opportunities. I matured a lot, having to find everything on my own and do everything by myself,” Gortenburg said.

Gaffen has enjoyed all the hiking and camping trips she’s been able to take.

“They bring you closer to the people you go with and give you the chance to explore the city you’re in and the cities around you. In Arad we were surrounded by mountains and the desert so there was reflection time for me to write in my journal or draw.”

Gortenburg enjoyed exploring by herself.

“My favorite place to explore is Tel Aviv. I sit down, get a cup of coffee and people watch, then I also walk around,” Gortenburg said.

Both teens would recommend the Young Judaea course to others.

“I wouldn’t have gotten these experiences if I’d gone to college,” Gaffen said.

Gortenburg said teens who choose the program have to be willing to indulge themselves.

“You need to realize you are on your own. You can’t rely on your parents to guide you. In college, you don’t need to do everything by yourself and living in America is easier,” Gortenburg said.

Next year their friendship will be put to a new test. Gaffen will attend Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., and Gortenburg will attend the Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts located in New York City.

Young Judaea Year Course in Israel

The Young Judaea Year Course in Israel has been in existence since 1956. This year the program has approximately 300 participants, 60 percent women and 40 percent men. They include two young women from Holland, one woman from Belgium; a group affiliated with Great Britain’s Federation of Zionist Youth; and 13 Scouts (the brother/sister movement of Young Judaea) who participate in the program during their gap year after high school and before the army.

The “classic” program is divided into three three-month periods where participants live in three-bedroom apartments, two or three to a room, are provided with a budget to do their own shopping, cook for themselves and “live” in Israel. For the first three months, the roommates are chosen randomly by the staff; for the next two periods, participants can choose their roommates.

Young Judaea is the youth movement sponsored by Hadassah.