The renowned ulpan for single college graduate olim will open summer and fall sessions with up to 270 students.  

 

The Jewish Agency for Israel is re-launching its famed Ulpan Etzion at a new location in Jerusalem, tripling the program's capacity from 80 students to 230 students. It is also opening a new Ulpan Etzion campus in Haifa which will accommodate 40 students.
 

Ulpan Etzion has served for decades as a unique first home and Hebrew ulpan for thousands of single college-educated olim age 22-35 from around the world when they first arrive in Israel. During the 5-month program, participants live on campus and go through intensive Hebrew study in what is considered one of the best Hebrew study programs in Israel. As part of the program, Ulpan Etzion facilitates trips around Israel and helps the new immigrants acclimate to the country.
 

Late last year, in a cost saving measure, the Jewish Agency relocated the Ulpan Etzion facility from the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem, to the Beit Canada center in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood, two miles away. The move facilitated the program's expansion to accommodate an additional 150 students.
 

Along with the expansion in Jerusalem, the Jewish Agency is opening an identical program on the new Port Campus, Campus Hanamal, in partnership with the Haifa Municipality. A new municipal development on the sea, Campus Hanamal will be home to local colleges and other academic institutions; the first session of Ulpan Etzion will begin in October. (Students will live in a newly-renovated building - four room apartments with a shared kitchen and views of the Mediterranean.)
 

"Ulpan Etzion is our flagship ulpan and a source of great pride for the Jewish Agency," said Eli Cohen director of the Jewish Agency's Aliyah Department. "Our goal was to expand it -- so more young adults from Western countries who immigrate to Israel can benefit from this experience, which has helped so many begin their new lives in Israel."