Birthright Israel

Young Jewish Adults Israel Trip

What exactly is Birthright Israel? Birthright Israel began in 1999 with a bold idea—offering a free, life-changing trip to Israel to young Jewish adults between the ages of 18 and 26 and, in doing so, transforming the Jewish future.

Their mission is to give every Jewish young adult around the world, especially the less connected, the opportunity to visit Israel on an educational and inspirational religious experience. Today, Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world and it aims to strengthen Jewish identity, communities, and connection with Israel.  Each trip is 100% funded by 30,000+ donors each year. The experience of Birthright is one that your student will remember always and the connections made with fellow students on the trip will turn into life-long friendships. And there is no reason to be concerned about political unrest or their safety since every trip is guided and constantly with Israeli soldiers.

UGA has two different organizations that offer and sponsor this trip: UGA Chabad and UGA Hillel. What could be better than that? This is the trip you go on with your friends from college or to meet new people from your campus. Ten extraordinary days experiencing the enriching, inspiring and exhilarating sights, sounds, and soul of Israel. Hang out with Israelis your age, hike beautiful trails, and catch breathtaking views. When you get back, you’ll have an awesome community back on campus that you formed on the trip. You’re not a tourist you’re an adventure-seeker!

Some of the tour highlights: camel rides, rafting down the Jordan River, visit the Western Wall, float in the Dead Sea, waterfalls of the Golan Heights, taste Mediterranean food, and connect with Israelis your own age. Many students that have experienced this trip say it is a life-changing event that helped form their own unique Jewish identity. My daughter learned a great lesson on her trip and shared her epiphanies and lessons learned when she arrived home. On Shabbat, they had to turn off their phones and spend the evening at a dining table with a family and some new friends. She recalls the sense of peace knowing that for 24 hours, there would be no interruptions; just an overwhelmingly great feeling of serenity and an opportunity to recharge. Whether one celebrates Shabbat religiously or not was not the point; but rather the chance to step back, reflect and recharge once a week is something we can all benefit from. She learned this, among other things, while on Birthright.

There are also extension trips that students can look into. They have a variety of types from cooking to volunteering, but many students also choose to extend and travel a bit on their own before returning to the U.S. It surely saves on the cost of airfare, since Birthright covers it. If your student wants to go back to Israel or has never done Birthright, there are summer internships available including the more popular one Onward. For more information on trip dates and how to apply, visit this Birthright Israel page or the UGA Chabad or UGA Hillel pages.

Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.