Service Year

The Pre-Army Service Year, or Shnat Sherut or Shin-Shin, is a one year voluntary service program for Jewish Israeli high school graduates prior to their service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Since most Israeli Arab youths are exempt from military service, the program does not apply to them.

Contrary to the Gap Year offered in other countries, the Service Year is entirely devoted towards volunteer work, and offers no material reward for volunteers. Service Year volunteers work fulltime in a variety of different fields: Assisting developing towns and disadvantaged communities, residential schools for youth at risk, youth movements, nature/ecological organizations, and many other civic organizations and projects.

In order to partake in a Service Year, prospective volunteers must defer their compulsory military service. However, the number of deferments allowed by the IDF is limited, making acceptance into the Service Year program selective and competitive.

Conscription rates among Service Year graduates are nearly 100%, and many of the volunteers are accepted into the most elite units of the IDF.

...
Wikipedia