Amiad Fredman of St. Louis, Missouri, was in Mechinat Yeud’s first class. When asked how he felt about his mechina year, Fredman wrote, “Yeud successfully bridged the gap between the Beit Midrash and the land of Israel, and showed us that one is not complete without the other. They taught us that every step you take in the holy land of Israel is one with purpose. Because of Mechinat Yeud, I did not just live in Israel for the year, I lived Israel.” Fredman is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland.
Mechina in Hebrew means “to prepare.” Most mechinot in Israel are pre-army ones which prepare observant men for their experiences in the largely-secular world of the IDF.
Atlas says that Mechinat Yeud is also meant to prepare young men, but “it prepares them to live Jewish lives, whether in the IDF, in Israel, or anywhere in the world.”
