JAcademy

What JAcademy does

JAcademy is a Berlin-based Jewish gap year program operated by the German non-profit Lauder Yeshurun gGmbH, serving young Jewish adults seeking structured professional and personal development before committing to university or a career. Founded in 2016 and currently staffed by seven people, the program integrates career development (internships at companies in Berlin and London), personal growth coaching, Jewish literacy and philosophy education, and international travel (including a 10-day New York visit) into a single year-long cohort experience. The organization is institutionally backed by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation as parent and supported by overlapping Jewish community organizations (Olami, JDC, JSUD), with leadership overlap between JAcademy and Olami Germany reinforcing referral pipelines.

The program operates as a traditional, human-delivered educational service with no proprietary technology platform. The disclosed technology stack is limited to MailChimp for newsletter distribution and Zoom for video conferencing. Revenue is generated primarily through participant tuition of €14,000 per student for the full-year all-inclusive program, with financial aid available up to €12,000 per qualifying student, suggesting net revenue per aided student can be as low as €2,000. The remaining operating capital is implicitly provided by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation and affiliated community organizations. As of the most recent disclosure, the program is not accepting applications for the 2026-27 cohort, signaling a pause in intake.

The addressable market is narrow by definition: young Jewish adults in Europe (and adjacent geographies) who elect to take a structured gap year before tertiary education. The customer segment is individual consumers (B2C), distributed through community referrals, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), and partner organizations. The geographic footprint nominally spans four countries (Germany, UK, USA, Israel), but the program is delivered primarily in Berlin with satellite components in London and New York.

Name

JAcademy

Legal name

Lauder Yeshurun gGmbH

Website

https://jacademy.info

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JAcademy is a Berlin-based non-profit (Lauder Yeshurun gGmbH) operating a year-long Jewish gap year program for young Jewish adults, combining professional internships in Berlin and London, Jewish education, personal coaching, and international travel, supported by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Gap Year Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs (EDAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ), Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE), Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA), Study Abroad Program Operators (THAKAGAD)

Keywords

• Jewish gap year
• Youth cultural education
• Religious internship program
• Personal development coaching
• Jewish community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: The primary revenue stream is tuition fees for the full-year gap year program. The all-inclusive price is 14,000€ per student for the complete program year, covering courses, internships, accommodations, trips, and events. Additional financial aid of up to 12,000€ per qualifying student is available, effectively reducing net revenue per aided student.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JAcademy operates a full-year Jewish gap year program based in Berlin for young Jewish adults, combining two paid internships (8 weeks in Berlin, 4 weeks in London), Jewish literacy and philosophy education, soft-skills courses, one-on-one personal coaching, and international travel including a 10-day New York visit. The all-inclusive program is priced at 14,000 EUR per participant, with financial aid of up to 12,000 EUR available for qualifying students.

Product overview

JAcademy offers a single unified gap year program for young Jewish adults based in Berlin. The program integrates career development (internships at companies in Berlin and London), personal growth (soft skills courses, one-on-one coaching), Jewish education (Jewish literacy, philosophy, and community connections), and experiential travel (trips to multiple countries including a 10-day visit to New York). The full-year all-inclusive program costs 14,000 EUR with financial aid available up to 12,000 EUR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jewish Gap Year Program

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OlamicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlami is a global organization supporting Jewish students and young professionals. JAcademy's Schlomo Bondarev serves as Director of Olami Germany, indicating deep collaborative relationship for student recruitment and program delivery.
• Jewish Students Union of Germany (JSUD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent advocacy organization for Jewish students in Germany. JAcademy's leadership includes founding board member of JSUD, indicating collaborative relationship for student outreach.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alexander Muss High School in Israel: Six-to-eight-week study abroad program for high school students combining academic coursework with Israel travel and Jewish heritage. Comparable international Jewish educational travel model, though shorter duration.
• SELA (Seminaries and Institutes of Jewish Studies in Israel): Network of post-high school yeshiva/seminary programs in Israel serving Orthodox and Modern Orthodox young Jewish adults. Comparable audience and one-year curriculum model, with stronger religious focus.
• NFTY in Israel: Reform Movement high-school gap year program combining study in Israel with community service and Jewish learning. Comparable target demographic (Jewish young adults) and experiential gap year structure.
• Masa Israel Journey: The leading global provider of Jewish gap year and post-high-service programs in Israel, serving 18–30 year-olds from around the world. Direct peer in the Jewish gap year category with a much larger scale and primarily Israel-based curriculum.
• Livnot U'Lehibanot: Israel-based gap year program combining service learning, hiking, and Jewish studies for young Jewish adults. Direct peer in the Jewish experiential gap year category serving a similar demographic.
• Young Judaea Year Course: Long-running Zionist gap year program for North American high school graduates featuring study, volunteer work, and travel in Israel. Closely comparable Jewish experiential gap year audience and curriculum model.
• Kivunim: New York-based gap year program combining study in Israel with international travel and Jewish learning. Comparable in combining Jewish education, travel, and personal development, though anchored in Israel rather than Europe.

Emerging players

• March of the Living: International Jewish educational program bringing students to Poland and Israel to study the Holocaust and Jewish heritage. Overlapping audience and Jewish-heritage education mission, though structured as a short-term experience rather than a full gap year.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JAcademy.info
• Instagraminstagram.com/jacademy.info
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JAcademy