A new and exciting era in long term teen travel to Israel has begun with the launch of Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) DREAM ISRAEL: Teen Travel Initiative.
JNF-USA’s DREAM ISRAEL will make grants of up to $7,500 available per teen on selected programs.
The initiative will reignite long-term Jewish teen travel to Israel, bringing leading Zionist movements, the Conservative and Reform movements together with JNF-USA.
Supported by JNF-USA’s Boruchin Center, DREAM ISRAEL will enable students to access various levels of grant funding toward their travel to Israel while learning about the act of tzedakah (charity).
For example, if a teen raises $2,500 in funds, they receive $3,750 in grants for a minimum four-week program in Israel. If the program they choose is at least eight weeks long, they can raise $5,000 in funds to receive $7,500 in grants.
There are currently four programs that students can attend using DREAM ISRAEL grants: Alexander Muss High School in Israel, JNF-USA Roots Israel, URJ Heller High, and Ramah TRY.
JNF-USA Boruchin Center Chairman Mike Lederman said: “JNF-USA’s Boruchin Center continues to play a leading role in maintaining and promoting the historic connection between the American and Israeli people. We look forward to broadening and deepening our impact by nurturing lifelong connections to Israel among teens and thereby inspiring our next generation of community leaders and changemakers.”
President of the Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Rick Jacobs said: “The Reform Movement is committed to creating the spark that connects young people to the land and people of Israel. A core part of that connection is impactful and educational long-term teen travel to Israel as well as building ties to Reform Movement institutions within Israel. We are pleased to be one of the launch partners of JNF-USA Boruchin Center’s DREAM ISRAEL initiative.”
CEO of USCJ and the Rabbinical Assembly Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal said: “All of us in the Conservative Movement are thrilled that more and more of our young people are interested in spending significant time in Israel on our programs. We are grateful to JNF-USA’s Boruchin Center for its innovative approach to youth philanthropy.”
Director of Israel Immersives URJ/Youth Rabbi Loren Sykes said: “DREAM ISRAEL is going to make a high school semester in Israel a reality for more students than ever before. Participating in longer, more immersive experiences will lead teens to deeper, lifelong connections to Israel and Israelis.”
Ramah TRY Jerusalem High School Director and Head of School Jonathan Madoff said: “The generosity of JNF-USA will make it easier for hundreds of teens to spend a high school semester on Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), journeying through Jewish history and modern Israel, and making Jerusalem their home."
President of Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Ron Werner said: High School in Israel has been transforming teen lives with our immersive educational experience for nearly 50 years. Our programs teach Jewish history as a tool to inculcate Zionistic and Jewish values while setting students up for further academic success. We are so excited about the creation of DREAM ISRAEL and believe it will reenergize long-term teen travel.”
DREAM ISRAEL Manager Josh Samet said: “Now more than ever, it is crucial that Jewish students feel an attachment to their ancestral homeland. With this initiative, future leaders will feel a strong connection to Israel that will last a lifetime.”
For more information, go to jnf.org/dreamisrael or contact Josh Samet at jsamet@jnf.org.