{"id":1594,"date":"2025-12-31T11:06:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T11:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shalem.ac.il\/en\/?page_id=1594"},"modified":"2026-02-15T09:28:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T09:28:48","slug":"students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shalem.ac.il\/en\/students\/","title":{"rendered":"Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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STUDENTS<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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They seek to learn broadly and deeply and leverage learning into influence.<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Models of excellence, idealism, and ambition, our students choose Shalem from among all of Israel\u2019s top programs, seeking the intellectual, cultural, and ethical formation Shalem alone can provide. In turn, we select them not merely on account of demonstrated academic performance, but also\u2014in a departure from standard procedure at Israeli colleges and universities\u2014on a record of outstanding service to their country, their people, and their communities. Our exacting admissions process ensures a diverse, accomplished, ambitious, and public-spirited generation of young Israelis, eager for lives of purpose and meaning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nevo Shahaf \u201828<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born and raised in Kibbutz Degania Bet on the southern tip of the Kinneret, Nevo volunteered for a year after high school at an agricultural village for youth at risk. After serving for four and a half years in IDF Intelligence, she completed her service as an officer in her unit. Nevo went on to serve six additional months in the reserves after October 7th, while also working for a nonprofit that forged relations with Germany to advance the release of Israeli hostages.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: Nevo spent 12 years training as a dancer at a professional level.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hallel Shandor \u201928 <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After attending a school near his hometown in the Etzion Bloc that integrated children with special needs, Hallel chose to volunteer for a year before the army as an educational guide for Israeli students and soldiers in the Judean foothills. During the course of his seven years\u2019 service in Yahalom, a special-operations unit whose focus is tunnel infrastructure, he also helped found a youth cohort in Kerem Shalom to encourage new settlement in the Gaza envelope.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: Eight months after October 7th<\/sup>, Hallel returned to Mount Everest to complete the Three Passes Trek he\u2019d begun when war broke out.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Elad Boutboul \u201928<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While in high school, Elad was a participant in and then volunteer director of his Raanana branch of Wings of Krembo, Israel\u2019s inclusive youth movement for children with and without special needs. He also took part in the Nachshon Program for social leadership and in delegations to Germany and Poland to build relationships with the countries\u2019 youth. Elad served in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps with a focus on Lebanon, earning the ranks of officer and platoon commander.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: Elad received the 2021 President\u2019s Excellence Award for distinguished IDF service.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ariella Schwartz \u201828<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After making aliyah<\/em> with her family at the age of eight from the United States, Ariella attended elementary school in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City and high school at Pelech, one of the country\u2019s leading religious high schools for girls. She volunteered as a mentor for mentally disabled children throughout her studies. After graduation, Ariella spent two years at Migdal Oz, a women\u2019s seminary for advanced Torah studies, and then went on to serve in the IDF’s Strategic Division, a critical unit that deals with strategic planning, where she still serves in miluim (reserves).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: While in high school, Ariella represented Israel\u2019s young debate team in international competitions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Theo Brand \u201927<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The great-grandson of founding members of Kibbutz Ein Harod, one of the first kibbutzim in Mandatory Palestine, Theo was a nationally ranked tennis player throughout both junior and high school. After graduation, he volunteered at an agricultural center for at-risk youth before serving six years in several of the IDF\u2019s most elite commando units, among them the special-forces unit Egoz.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: Theo biked across Iceland and trekked through the Himalayas and Patagonia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ben Levanon \u201928<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born and raised in a secular moshav in central Israel, Ben was an avid athlete and youth-movement leader throughout his childhood and teenage years. After high school, he spent a year volunteering at an agricultural village for youth at risk, and was then recruited into the elite Unit 669, the Air Force\u2019s search-and-rescue unit. He served for seven years, rising to the rank of deputy company commander, before being called into the reserves one month later on October 7th. He took part in IDF operations to rescue hostages from Gaza.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Notable Fact: Ben continues a tradition of elite service started by his grandfather, a major general in the IDF, whom he considers a key influence in his life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STUDENTS They seek to learn broadly and deeply and leverage learning into influence. Models of excellence, idealism, and ambition, our students choose Shalem from among…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1594","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nStudents - Shalem College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shalem.ac.il\/en\/students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Students - Shalem College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"STUDENTS They seek to learn broadly and deeply and leverage learning into influence. 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