Frequently Asked Questions. We have the answers!

Trying to make sense of current events? Go beyond the headlines and discover Israel firsthand. With safety as our top priority, travelers can still look forward to experiencing the beauty of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Masada, the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the Negev Desert, Haifa, and the Mediterranean Coast.

What is Birthright Israel? Birthright Israel is a not-for-profit organization providing the gift of a 10 day educational group trip to Israel for Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 to 26. Today, Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world that has given over 900,000 journeys to the magical state of Israel. When you go on a Birthright Israel trip, you’ll travel throughout the country. Explore historic, cultural, and religious sites. Hike, raft, and take in Israel’s varied landscape and nature. Israeli peers will also join you for a significant portion of the trip and introduce you to the local culture, music, and food—giving you a glimpse of what it’s like to live in Israel. You might even become lifelong friends.

We work with Trip Organizers to offer Jewish young adults the gift of a free trip to Israel.

What are our responsibilities? We coordinate all air travel and set educational and quality standards, procedural guidelines, and security policies for all programs. We also perform extensive quality control reviews of every trip to ensure that they meet our high standards.

In a nutshell—the trip is developed and implemented by the individual Trip Organizers that Birthright Israel puts through a rigorous approval process, all so you can enjoy your Israel experience to the fullest.

What’s included:

• Round trip airfare (from designated cities)

• Accommodations 3 and 4-star hotels

• Group transportation in Israel

• At least two meals per day

• All organized activities and touring

What’s not included:

• Most lunch meals

• Personal purchases (like souvenirs)

• Travel/health insurance

• $360 USD deposit which you can kindly donate or request a refund after your trip

There’s no catch. You are only responsible for a $360 USD deposit - which you can kindly donate to support future Birthright Israel educational activities or request a refund after successfully completing the program.

Learn more about the gift of Birthright Israel, click here

There is a common myth that Birthright Israel programs are funded by just a few donors, but in reality, they are funded by nearly 40,000 donors annually, including tens of thousands alumni, their families, and individual donors from around the world who believe in our mission. The program is also funded by the people of Israel through the government of Israel, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish communities and Federations.

Over 900,000 young adults from all over the world have been to Israel on Birthright Israel trips.

Our participants hail from 70 countries and every continent in the world (except Antarctica). They come from all Jewish religious backgrounds and degrees of travel experience.

All participants return home with a new understanding and appreciation for the people of Israel and the country, as well as new friends and incredible memories.

80% of our alumni called their Birthright Israel trip a “life-changing experience”- an approval rate every brand would envy. They have so many incredible things to say about how our trips impacted them in a variety of ways.

In addition, independent research conducted by Brandeis University confirms this. For more information, see our Research page.

Absolutely. There is no gift too small to make a difference. The future of the Jewish people is a shared responsibility, and every dollar counts and contributes to a stronger future for us all. To make a donation in support of Birthright Israel, please click here.

No. Trips for 27-32 year olds were offered as a pilot program that ended in October 2022. Birthright Israel trips are now only offered for ages 18-26.

Birthright Israel Onward is a framework for immersive and resume building experiences in Israel for students and recent graduates from all over the world. Many Onward programs are specifically constructed through a partnership between Onward and a Jewish community or organization. For those that are not eligible through a partner program, Onward offers Theme Based programs based on applicants’ desired field of work. Our programs are intended as a more meaningful and immersive *follow-up to an initial, short-term experience in Israel. You can find out more on the Onward website. You can apply to both Birthright Israel’s 10-day trip and Birthright Israel Onward, but if you’re accepted to both you must participate on the Birthright Israel trip before the departure of the Birthright Israel Onward program. *Once you’ve participated in the Birthright Israel Onward program, you’re no longer eligible for a Birthright Israel trip.

Birthright Israel Excel is an immersive 10-week summer fellowship that engages talented Jewish young adults interested in making a tangible impact in business, tech, entrepreneurship, the Jewish community, and the State of Israel. The program is highly subsidized and runs separately from the Birthright Israel 10-day trip to Israel.

You can find out more on the Birthright Israel Excel website. You can apply to both Birthright Israel and Birthright Israel Excel, but if you’re accepted to both you must participate on the Birthright Israel trip before the departure of the Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship.

Once you’ve participated in the Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship program, you’re no longer eligible for a Birthright Israel trip.

In North America, Birthright Israel is the umbrella organization that funds the gift and accredits individual Trip Organizers to run Birthright Israel-approved programs and sets the basic guidelines, standards and security policies by which Trip Organizers must operate. There are a number of Birthright Israel-accredited Trip Organizers running programs.

If you’re not from the United States, upon beginning the registration process, you’ll be directed to the Trip Organizer(s) or the local community partner that serve your country or region.