The winners of the American Israel Gap Year Association inaugural Rosina Korda Gap Year Scholarship were recently revealed in surprise ceremonies for each of the three winners.

Student Calev Knopf received a surprise notification that he had been selected for a scholarship to attend a gap year program in Israel. (photo courtesy of the American Israel Gap Year Association)

The winners are Leora Lalezari, currently attending YULA Girls School on Robertson Boulevard; Calev Knopf, who attends Valley Torah High School in Valley Village; and Rory Meyerson, a student at Yeshiva High School of Arizona.

“This scholarship reflects Mrs. Korda’s deep love of Judaism and connection to Israel,” the association’s Founder and Executive Director Phyllis Folb said.

The association, which produces the largest Israel gap year fair on the West Coast and the only cross-denominational fair in the country, made the scholarship available to all attendees of the fair last November. The regional nature of the event brought winner Meyerson and his father Charles from Arizona to explore the diversity of programs. The winners will pursue in-depth Torah learning a language-focused Israel gap year program.

Applications were judged in a competition that evaluated their interest, passion, growth, direction, connection, financial situation and clarity of thought. A $5,000 tuition voucher, donated by the extended Korda family, will be given to each of the programs the winning students choose to attend.

“Since my son was not sure which program was right for him, we made the trip to LA in the fall of 2018. It was a great bonding experience for my son and I, and our ability to speak to the variety of representatives helped us we find a program that we both agreed was a great fit for Rory,” Charles Meyerson said. “As we say at the Passover Seder, if AIGYA had only helped us to select a program for my son, it would have been enough for us. As it turns out, God repaid our efforts in traveling from Arizona many times over with Rory’s win of the [Rosina] Korda [Gap Year] Scholarship. We are extremely grateful to the AIGYA and to the Korda family for partnering with us to send our son to Israel for his gap year.”

The 2019 Israel Gap Year Fair will be held on Nov. 21. For information, visit americanisraelgapyearassociation.org.