Shana Bet: A Second Seminary Year in Israel

Shana Bet means "year two": a second year in Israel after the first seminary year (Shana Alef). Not every school runs one, and the ones that do describe them differently. This is what each school's own site says.

Schools on our list that describe a second year

MMY: dedicated Shana Bet classes, tiyulim, programs and guest speakers, with administration and hadracha (counseling) staff just for Shana Bet. It also offers "Shana Bet Bet", which its site describes as an option for extending Shana Bet from January to June.
Michlalah (Machal Bet): about 30 students. The site says it's for students "who have had a successful year of accomplishment in Shana alef", with a full schedule of courses made for Shana Bet, tiyulim, Shabbatonim, two chesed slots a week, and general-studies courses for university credit. You apply with separate forms emailed to the school.
Tiferet: about 15 Shana Bet students alongside up to 75 in Shana Alef.
Midreshet HaRova: reported 135 students for 5785, including 12 in Shana Bet.
Aish Gesher Women: Shana Alef and Shana Bet, each with its own coordinator.
Midreshet Torah v'Avodah lists a Shana Bet program called TVSTAY. Midreshet Tehillah and Tomer Devorah each list a Shana Bet program.
Bnot Torah (Sharfman's): a monthly intensive learning program, Aliyot, that runs across Shana Alef and Shana Bet.
Yeshivat Drisha: Shiur Bet, a second-year program.
Maalot Yerushalayim: a Shana Beis program for women 19 and over on Neve Yerushalayim's campus, with Kodesh classes alongside college-level general studies, or general studies only.

To see them together, filter our list for Second year (Shana Bet). Schools not named here may still take second-year students, so ask.

Masa grants for a second year

Masa's eligibility page lists, among its conditions, that you haven't already been on an organized post-high-school program in Israel of more than four months. It doesn't say how that applies to a second year, at the same school or a different one. Ask Masa and the school before counting on a grant. Our costs and Masa guide covers the first-year rules.

College credit

Michlalah's Machal Bet offers general-studies courses for university credit, and Maalot Yerushalayim is built around college-level courses. YU's and Touro's Israel programs describe the first year; if you're enrolled with either, ask how a second year would count. See college credit for your seminary year.

Questions to ask

Is there a separate application, and when is it due?
Do you take students who spent Shana Alef at another school?
What does Shana Bet cost, and is it priced differently from the first year?
Which classes are only for Shana Bet, and how much is shared with Shana Alef?
Do Shana Bet students live with first-year students or separately?
Can I stay for half a year instead of a full year?
Has my college agreed to hold my place for another year?

Questions and answers

What is Shana Bet?

Shana Bet ("year two") is a second year of learning in Israel after the first seminary year, Shana Alef. The schools that describe one mention classes just for second-year students, and some have their own staff for them.

Which seminaries have a Shana Bet program?

On our list, MMY, Michlalah (Machal Bet), Tiferet, Midreshet HaRova, Aish Gesher Women, Midreshet Torah v'Avodah, Midreshet Tehillah, Tomer Devorah, Bnot Torah, Yeshivat Drisha (Shiur Bet) and Maalot Yerushalayim describe a second year on their own sites.

Does Masa give a grant for Shana Bet?

Masa's eligibility page doesn't say. Its conditions include not having already been on an organized post-high-school program in Israel of more than four months, so ask Masa and the school directly before you count on one.

Can I do Shana Bet at a different seminary?

Most schools' sites don't say whether they take second-year students from other schools. Michlalah says Machal Bet is for students who had a successful Shana Alef. Ask each school.

Sources

Read on 30 October 2026. Open them to check a figure or see whether it has changed.

Shana Bet: staying for a second year