You are about to graduate, and the stress is coming from all directions. You are confused because, for the first time in your life, there is no real syllabus that leads you through the rest of your days. Now, some options are lined up before you, and you need to choose which road to follow.

It is important that you know that, as a graduating Jewish student, you have a lot of choices if you ever consider going to Israel.

“It depends on what the student is looking for and what are his goals,” said Yair Kalush, director of the Israel Aliyah and Programs Center. Aliyah is the Hebrew word for emigrating to Israel. “Once they set their goal, we can find something that suits them.”

Kalush explained that there are many programs that are offered in Israel for graduating Jewish students. The programs vary in their length and their purpose but cover a large area of opportunities.

One of the possible programs is the Magen David Adom Program, the Israeli Ambulance Corps. The participants spend two months, gaining hands-on first aid and emergency care experience in Israel.

“Students studying life sciences can serve in the stations and in ambulances,” Kalush said. “This is also a great opportunity to understand the Israeli society, to see its diversity, by going into people’s houses.”

There is also an internship program for students in all academic fields who would like to translate their studies to practice.

A good example is the “Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.” ICT is a research institute and think tank dedicated to developing innovative public policy solutions to international terrorism. They apply the solutions-oriented approach built on a foundation of real world and practical experience.

“This will be a good field for students who studied international relations or political science,” Kalush said.

Other programs offer studying Hebrew and working on a kibbutz, which is an Israeli collective settlement. This program can also be beneficial for students who are in the middle of their studies, since they can get transferable credits for this program.

An additional program which offers the opportunity to develop Hebrew knowledge is through the World Union of Jewish Students. WUJS Institute is located in Arad, a town in southern Israel, and offers young Jewish graduates and professionals from all over the world a well-rounded Jewish, Hebrew and Israeli education in a seven-month program.

For students who decide to take it one step further and wish to emigrate to Israel, there are some benefits that they can receive.

“First, their B.A. or M.A. tuition will be paid; second, they will receive a basket of benefits, which will provide money for everything that is needed for their first eight months in Israel,” Kalush explained.

Money can be an issue for some people who wish to go to Israel.

“Most of the programs are not free,” said Ines Richel, Israeli Program Coordinator at Maryland Hillel. “Part of the program’s cost may be subsidized, and the programs are not very expensive, but it is definitely not free.”

Another issue that poses a problem for people who would like to go to Israel is the tense situation the country is in right now.

“I understand where those feelings are coming from, but I don’t agree with the fear,” Kalush said. “I have my family in Israel, and they live their regular life.”

Kalush said that students ultimately need to make their own decisions about what they want to do.

“My philosophy is that if someone explains to me what kind of program he is looking for, even if we can’t find it, we will create it for him,” he said.