birthright trip to israel

How to Apply for a Birthright Israel Trip

So you’ve read or heard all about the incredible Taglit Birthright Israel trips. Now you’re ready to experience it for yourself. But before packing a suitcase, you’ll need to fill out the online application . Here are the steps you need to follow when applying for a free Birthright trip to Israel.

Step 1: Choose a Trip

Whether you’re focused on Israeli cuisine or belong to a Jewish organization on campus, Birthright Israel offers diverse trips for varying interests and preferences. Head to the marketplace to learn more about the Trip Organizers- each has its own unique style and set of trips so you can travel with like-minded peers who share your interests. If you decide to choose a niche trip like Active or LGBTQ, you’ll still do all the classic activities such as touring the old city in Jerusalem, hiking Masada, and floating in the Dead Sea.

Step 2: Fill out the application

After you sort through the options and find the perfect trip, the next step is to create an account. After confirming your email address, you can get started on the application . Some of the questions will be about your Jewish background to confirm eligibility. You’ll also be asked to provide contact information and why you’d like to travel with us.

Step 3: Pay the deposit

To be approved for a trip, all applicants must pay a fully refundable $360 deposit . This saves you a seat on the trip and provides us with reassurance that you won’t cancel at the last minute. Until the deposit is paid, all trip offers are conditional. After your trip is over, you can choose to have your deposit refunded in full or to donate it to help other Jewish peers participate in a free Birthright Israel trip. We collect the deposit via PayPal which has a $25 non-refundable one-time processing fee.

Step 4: Provide passport information

We’ll ask you to share your passport information so that Birthright Israel can book a flight on your behalf.  

Step 5: Relax and wait for us to reach out

After you finish the application and make the deposit, sit back and wait for us to reach out. Your trip organizer will contact you within three weeks for a phone interview. This is to review and confirm the details on your application. Medical information must also be provided so that we can help you if an emergency were to occur while you’re on the trip.

Once you’re approved for a trip, you will be contacted through email with a conditional offer. You must accept the trip offer to reserve your spot. If you’re ready for the trip of a lifetime, get started on your application today. Spots are filling up quickly.

FREE 10-DAY TRIPS TO ISRAEL

For young Jews (18-26) who’ve never been

to Israel on the Jewish GROUP tri p

(Israeli citizens who left Israel before the age 12 qualify as well) ​

Direct flights from S. Francisco, Los Angeles,

New York, Chicago and Washington DC

TRIPS ARE TAKING PLACE

TWICE A YEAR (JUNE & DECEMBER)  

Sponsored by: TAGLIT - Birthright Israel Foundation

Organized by : Mayanot Israel - one of the largest providers of Birthright Israel experience

Supported and marketed in the US : EZRA USA & partnering Russian-speaking Jewish communities

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Hillel International

Hillel: birthright israel eligibility.

Are you eligible for a 10-day trip to Israel? Read over the eligibility guidelines for Hillel: Birthright Israel.

You must be 18–26 years old and have finished high school by the trip departure date. If you’re turning 27 before May 1 (for summer trips) or Dec. 1 (for winter trips), you’re not eligible to participate in the upcoming season of trips. *UK applicants must be 18–26 years old.

Jewish Background

To be eligible for Birthright Israel, one must identify as Jewish and be recognized as Jewish by their local community or by one of the recognized denominations of Judaism. Applicants must also have at least one Jewish birth parent, or have completed a Jewish conversion through a recognized Jewish denomination.

*Young Jews in the Former Soviet Union are eligible if they have at least one Jewish birth grandparent. Their Jewish heritage must also be verified by a local consul before they can be considered eligible.

Previous Israel Experience

If you have traveled to Israel with your family or for other personal matters, you’re still eligible for the trip! You’re not eligible if…

• You’ve been in Israel for more than three months since the age of 12.
• Note: You’re still eligible if you participated in RootOne, Magen David Adom, the Maccabiah games, or Federation missions. You’re also eligible if you participated in the Maccabee Task Force and Fact Finders programs prior to 2020. 
• You were born in Israel or are an Israeli citizen and you didn’t leave before the age of 12.
• You’ve served in the Israeli Army or volunteered on an Israel Army base after the age of 18.
• If you don’t hold an Israeli passport, but have Israeli parents, you must obtain army exemption papers from your local Israeli consulate.

For more information on trip eligibility, read Birthright Israel’s eligibility FAQs .

This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel

This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel. The gift of a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to tens of thousands of donors including individual donors and foundations, and alumni and their families that support Birthright Israel Foundation in the United States as well as the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, and Jewish communities and Federations around the world.

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Summer Registration

Sign up for a future trip:, already signed up, we are mayanot.

Thousands of people choose MAYANOT for their Birthright Israel trip each year for good reasons. We spare no expense to give you the experience of a lifetime! We are all about creating memories.

Age 18-22 Ages 22-26

Don't Just Take Our Word For It

@mayanotisrael

Nice to meet you.

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F      646-405-0167

• Experience Israel
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This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel.

The gift of  a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to tens of thousands of donors including individual donors and foundations, and alumni and their families that support Birtright Israel Foundation in the United States as well as the people of Israel through the Goverment of Israel and Jewish communities and Federations around the world. 

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Ⓒ 2024 Mayanot Israel

For information on how to reach our General Inquiries and our EMERGENCY issues lines related to participants who are CURRENTLY in Israel, please visit our Contact Us page

About birthright israel onward.

When you grow, so do your opportunities. Global experience gives you that extra competitive edge. Our programs take you Onward – personally and professionally – and allow you an authentic taste of modern day Israel while gaining experience and knowledge through an internship opportunity. Birthright Israel Onward is designed with the beginning in mind: The beginning of your success story. Start up your future in Israel.

A majority of our programs are Birthright Israel Onward- Masa programs, carried out in partnership with Masa Israel Journey. Onward, first established in 2012 as a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is now a department of Taglit Birthright Israel. Onward is a partnership between lead philanthropists and foundations, Jewish communities, and organizations from around the world. It also serves as a major platform for mid-length internship experiences in partnership with Masa Israel Journey.

Since January 1, 2022, Onward is part of Birthright Israel and therefore users of Birthright Israel Onward’s website are subject to Birthright Israel’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Safety and Security Update

Birthright Israel Onward stands with the Israeli people as they face harsh reality. Despite attempts by adversaries to undermine our existence, they cannot erase our spirit, our rich history, or our homeland.

We strictly follow the guidelines provided by the Home Front Command, ensuring the safety of all our participants and volunteers as we continue to vigilantly monitor developments in the situation. We support and stand in solidarity with Israel. For more information visit our FAQ .

Am Israel Chai – now and forever.

*Updated: April 15th

What is Birthright Israel Onward about? Hear from our Vice President, Ilan Wagner:

Impact at a glance.

Number of Onward Israel participants in its most recent cohort in 2022.

Number of Onward Israel participants in the first cohort in 2012.

Onward Israel alumni are 59% more likely to educate others about Israel than they were before their program.

Percent of Onward Israel participants that attended the same or more Israel and Jewish activities and events after returning home. Contrary to the general trend of declining engagement among college students.

Demand is high: there are three applicants for every available spot on an Onward Israel program

from our blog

ALLIE RUBENSTEIN January 14, 2024 In the middle of Hanukkah, my stomach dropped when I got an email offering...

by Ilan Wagner Onward Israel President/CEO While Israel has enjoyed one of its rainiest seasons on record (accompanied by...

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Find Out What’s Happening at Birthright Onward Israel

Birthright Israel Onward applicants interested in interning in one of the following internship fields – STEM, Finance, Law, and Medicine – must meet the following criteria:

The applicant must be in their sophomore year of studies or beyond while applying for the Onward program

The applicant must have prior exposure to the field outside of academic studies

Prior professional experience/internship experience in the specific field of interest is desirable but not required*

*Applicants interested in an internship in the legal field must demonstrate internship and/or work experience related to the field

The applicant must have completed at least 4 courses relevant to the internship field of interest or be enrolled in said courses that will be completed by the time the Onward program begins

If the applicant is applying for a computer science or computer engineering internship, they must meet the criteria above AND must be proficient in at least in one computer programming language.

Applicants meeting all criteria have the strongest chance of securing an internship in the desired field

Applicants meeting two or fewer criteria:

Theme Based Programs: Applicants can be waitlisted or can be transitioned to a different Theme Based Program depending on availability

Hillel/Community Programs: Applicants will need to take under consideration that it is unlikely that an internship match will be made in their desired field or a related field if they do not meet the above criteria based on available internships and the applicants skills and experience and should therefore seek internships in other fields.

Onward Israel applicants interested in interning in one of the following internship fields – STEM, Finance, Law, and Medicine – must meet the following criteria:

The applicant must be in their sophomore year of studies or beyond while applying for the Onward Israel program

The applicant must have completed at least 4 courses relevant to the internship field of interest or be enrolled in said courses that will be completed by the time the Onward Israel program begins

If the applicant is applying for a computer science or computer engineering internship, they must meet the criteria above AND must be proficient in at least in one computer programming language.

Hillel/Community Programs: Applicants will need to take under consideration that it is unlikely that an internship match will be made in their desired field or a related field based on available internships and the applicants skills and experience and should therefore seek internships in other fields.

Entry & Quarantine Requirements

Currently, in accordance with the State of Israel regulations, only participants that fall into one of the following categories will be granted entrance to Israel.

• Vaccinated individuals*: individuals must have received at least two doses of the vaccination (with the exception of Johnson & Johnson which requires only one). * Please be aware that additional conditions may apply depending on each individual’s specific status.
• Recovered individuals*: individuals must have been recovered within one year of the program start date. *Please be aware that additional conditions may apply depending on each individual’s specific status.

Please note that these policies are subject to change.

In both of the above cases, certain entry and quarantine requirements will apply. Participants must refer to our Onward Israel Masa Programs – Entry & Quarantine Requirements for more information.

Prior to arrival in Israel, participants will receive detailed information regarding all COVID-19 protocols & policies in respect of their trip.

For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected]

In both of the above cases, certain entry and quarantine requirements will apply. Participants must refer to our Onward Israel Programs – Entry & Quarantine Requirements for more information.

Updated: July 27, 2021

In recent days, and despite the high rate of vaccinations in Israel, there has been a resurgence of COVID-19 transmissions in Israel, stemming from the Delta Variant. In response, the Ministry of Health has restored the obligation to wear facemasks in indoor locations and is considering limitations on entry to certain venues for only vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 individuals. The list of countries that Israelis cannot travel to is begin updated and additional restrictions and regulations at the airport are being considered. Onward Israel obliges all of its participants to wear masks at indoor activities and is now limiting participation in future programs to only vaccinated and COVID-19 recovered participants.

Today, the US Embassy in Israel published a Level 3 Health notice about travel to Israel. It can be found here:

https://il.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Onward Israel’s policy is to allow early departure from our 2021 summer programs  because of anxiety or worries connected to COVID-19. In such cases there is no financial penalties for participants, although costs connected with changes to flight tickets as well as the required PCR test within 72 hours of departure remains the responsibility of each participant.

Onward Israel remains steadfastly committed to providing a meaningful, impactful, summer experience to each and every participant on all of our summer 2021 programs. We have planned the summer with the well-being of our participants as a cardinal concern.

If you have any other questions, please contact us at  [email protected]  and visit our website periodically for important updates.

Updated July 19, 2021

On May 20 th , a cease fire went to effect on Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip. The cease fire has been upheld since then. Due to the complexity and dynamism of the issues involved we are carefully monitoring the situation on a daily basis, and making any adjustments to our programs due to changes in the security situation.

In general, we prioritize the safety, health and security of our participants while also striving to facilitate their immersion into Israeli life and society and their exploration of the country, as key elements of the Onward Israel Experience.

Our security protocols rest on the following important elements:

• All participants receive a detailed safety and security orientation at the very beginning of the program. This orientation is repeated as a refresher during the program itself. This orientation also includes training about how to use conduct oneself in public spaces if there is an air raid siren
• All housing units have immediate and quick access to safe spaces in the event of air raid sirens. These spaces include “safe rooms” within apartments, shelters or reinforced stairwells
• Participants are shown these spaces and taken to them physically as part of the safety and security orientation
• The initial orientation at each internship site includes learning about and practicing access to the safe space at the worksite
• All educational trips and activity are vetted on the day of implementation by the Israeli Ministry of Education’s “Moked Teva”- which approves every itinerary based on updated security developments and dictates what additional security measures must be taken for each itinerary, if applicable
• All participants are part of a Whattsapp group, run by their group counselor, through which all pertinent security information is clearly communicated to participants.  In addition, participants are part of a wider Onward Israel Whattsapp group as an additional source of information
• Onward Israel is in daily coordination with Masa Israel Journey, The Jewish Agency for Israel and Birthright Israel for safety and security updates
• Participants are instructed to share individual travel plans with their program staff in order to get directions about safe and secure ways to travel in their free time
• Please see our “Contact Us” page should you have additional questions. We are happy to answer further questions (including those security related), however, ask that you direct non-emergency inquiries or those in regard to participants who are not currently in Israel to our general inquiries phone line and email address. While these avenues are only staffed during North American working hours, we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible. We have an Emergency Helpline available for urgent/immediate problems related to participants who are currently in Israel.

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Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies

Director's letter.

Dear Friends,

Over a year ago, my CMJS colleague, Graham Wright and I began developing a new course on contemporary antisemitism for Brandeis University undergraduates. At the time, we had no idea how relevant this topic would become. Now, as we talk with our students about the latest headlines, we (and they) have been repeatedly struck by how frequently questions about antisemitism on campus—how much there is, how to define it, and what to do about it—have been debated without reference to reliable data, or sometimes any data at all.

Since October 7, 2023, CMJS has been engaged in a systematic program of research aimed at providing data that can help inform these critical debates, by exploring how college students think about antisemitism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Today, we are releasing the second report based on data collected from nearly 2,200 US Jewish undergraduates in November and December 2023. Drawing the Line: How US Jewish College Think about Antisemitism examines how Jewish college students view key phrases that have been part of campus anti-Israel protests. We found that, even in the intense period soon after October 7, Jewish college students had relatively nuanced views about what constituted antisemitism. For example, although the vast majority of respondents felt that the phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” crossed the line into antisemitism, most did not consider the claim that Israel was guilty of violating the human rights of the Palestinian people to be antisemitic.

We are also releasing two additional reports that assess the impact of Birthright Israel programs on young adults. The findings demonstrate that Birthright Israel’s classic ten-day trip , as well as its internship and fellowship program (Onward) , are instrumental in connecting Jewish young adults to Israel and increasing their engagement with Jewish life on many measures. We found that, after October 7, even young Jews who did not participate in Birthright became more connected to Israel. An even larger increase was evident for those who participated in a ten-day Birthright trip and, for those who participated in Onward, the increase was larger still.

Finally, we continue with our program of local Jewish community studies. We have just released the 2022-23 Washtenaw County Area Jewish Community Study and the 2024 Jewish Population Study of Northeastern Pennsylvania . If you are interested in joining our newsletter for Jewish community studies, please indicate that box on the newsletter signup page .

Wishing you a peaceful and joyous Passover.

Chag same’ach,

Leonard Saxe , PhD Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Social Policy Director, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University

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