IsraelNow – To support Federations in North America with implementation of IsraelNow’s Israel trip experience, designed to strengthen the Jewish identity of 8^th graders who are in non-Jewish day school settings.

Why is this trip geared toward 8th graders, in particular? 

Jewish engagement among teens drops off dramatically after B’nai Mitzvot. This happens because many see the B’nai Mitzvah as the culmination of their Jewish education while others have a lack of opportunities, as a gap in programming exists in Jewish education between the B’nai Mitzvah age and high school. IsraelNow is working with 8th graders to bridge this gap by providing an intense and immersive experience to help teens form connections to Israel, strengthen Jewish self-confidence, and broaden Jewish peer networks. 

What has the effect been on Chicago-area 8th graders who have already participated in IsraelNow trips? 

Our research shows that our participants, in comparison to their peers, are more engaged and connected to Israel and their Judaism. In 2020, we commissioned a longitudinal survey in partnership with Rosov Consulting. The results of this study show that 79% of our alumni feel very/somewhat attached to Israel, as compared to 48% of their peers. Our research also demonstrates that alumni know significantly more about Israel than their peers, with the majority of alumni attributing their higher level of knowledge directly to their IsraelNow experience. And 20% of our alumni return to Israel on an organized trip during high school, surpassing the national average of Jewish teens and again demonstrating the success of IsraelNow.  

What is the most unique experiential aspect of the IsraelNow trip experience? 

IsraelNow is unique in the landscape of Jewish teen travel in that it is the only national trip for 8th graders. Driven by the maturity of our participants and our educational pedagogy, IsraelNow has a few elements that, while not necessarily unique to the field, are certainly a strength of our program. Our teens are broken down into small subgroups of 6-8 participants with a dedicated staff member. This allows the group experience to be a bit more personalized and for our teens to have the necessary support. In addition, at least once each day, our small groups gather for dedicated reflection time. These intentional sessions are designed to deepen and personalize the impact.  IsraelNow also prioritizes a mifgash with Israelis.  Our teens have multiple opportunities to engage with Israeli peers through participation in our regular itinerary and additional sessions dedicated to relationship building between Americans and Israelis.