<p>Oh, Bonanza, please don’t tell my wife that “loosely organized” thing. That’s just not the kind of thing a Jewish mother wants to hear!</p>
<p>Year Course is actually the program we’re considering most seriously, and we’re hoping to get most of the benefits you listed: a year of growing up and living more independently, shoring up Hebrew skills, and learning some Arabic. When I started teaching, my first job was in summer school. I got six weeks to make a lot of mistakes, but I didn’t have to live with any of them for more than a summer. I sort of hope a gap year is a similar opportunity to make some boneheaded 18-year-old mistakes, but not have them follow you around for the next four years.</p>
<p>But a LITTLE organization and supervision would be OK…</p>