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About the Trip

Israel Free Spirit, is a 10-day "love your neighbor" program, which means participants from all Jewish backgrounds are welcomed and encouraged to attend our trip sponsored by the OU.  (Read our "Vision Statement"). 

WHY IS THIS TRIP UNIQUE?

Our trips are special in that we believe that experiencing Israel should be about more than just taking a tour. The Israel Free Spirit experience is a hands-on journey. Participants on our trips gain a rich appreciation for the beauty of Israel and gain a deeper connection to our global Jewish community and our vibrant and enduring Jewish Homeland. Perhaps most importantly, our participants form a lifetime of new friendships with fellow travelers and Israeli peers who will accompany and enrich our experience. Assuredly, there’s no better way to experience Israel than with Israelis by your side.
 
The staff on our trips are comprised of both Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni and other JSU & NCSY staff who share a passion for Israel and bring extensive background in informal Jewish education.
 
The overall theme of the Israel Free Spirit experience is rooted in the three Jewish pillars upon which the world stands:  Jewish Learning & Spirituality; Service & Relating to the Land and Helping Others.  Israel Free Spirit challenges our participants to experience Israel through spiritually inspiring discussions; breath-taking outdoor hikes, and opportunities to help those in need by giving of our time and spirit. Of course, the trip itinerary is full to overflowing with simple pleasures and an overall spirit of adventure.

The spiritual highlight of the program is almost always the Shabbat program. Unlike many other trips, the Israel Free Spirit program always spends Friday and Saturday in the heart of Jerusalem so that we can walk together to the Kotel (the Western Wall) -- a sacred remnant of our Holy Temple. Many past participants have reflected that the experience at the Kotel was one of the most memorable, enriching, and personally moving experiences of their life.  One wall.  One people.  One shared destiny. Discover Israel with all its beauty on an authentic, undiluted and original Israel experience! When it comes to experiencing 3500 years of Jewish wisdom, history, culture and adventure; no one reveals Israel with its depth and spirit better than the Israel Free Spirit program. If you want to explore the secrets and tap into the vast pleasures of the amazing Jewish people, our history and our religion, then this program is for you!

The Israel Free Spirit trip is about...