Youth movements announce Israel tours are going ahead

Israel tours have been announced, with at least seven youth movements planning trips for 16-year-olds in the summer.

Similar to last summer, Noam, Bnei Akiva, Tribe, Ezra, FZY and Sinai Youth are leading tours. Applications for most of them are opening in December although some movements are already inviting people to sign up.

Habonim Dror said that they were still in the planning stages of a trip to Israel and BBYO is arranging a Europe/Israel trek.

Acording to its website Reform movement RSY Netzer is gauging interest among before it decides on whether to offer an Israel tour, a Europe tour or a combination of the two.

Last year, due to the Israel-Hamas war, fewer youth movements went to Israel than in previous years or they altered their usual trip to include some time in Europe.

UJIA said that it made “significant steps” to ensure additional security was put in place on tours, with “almost all participants” agreeing those measures were sufficient.

This year, additional training will be provided to madrichim (leaders) on safety and security, and each will have knowledge of siren shelters at all accommodation and on scheduled bus routes, information which will also be given to each group. Emergency protocols will be provided to all tour providers.

With the appoximately three-week trip costing in the region of  £4,000, Isreal tour umbrella organisation UJIA has announced that young people with  limited engagement with Jewish or Israel experiences in the past would be eligible to a greatly subsidised Israel tour next summer.

Thanks to a new partnership between UJIA and Jerusalem-based non-profit Mosaic Teens, a subsidy of £2,200 is available to those who might never have been to Israel before, never joined a youth movement residential experience, live outside the main Jewish communal centres in the UK or have limited access to Jewish communal life.

Eligible applicants must complete the standard Israel tour application process between Monday, December 9 and January 20, and they will then be informed if they have qualified for funding. Eligibility for a UJIA bursary or interest-free loan is not affected by receiving a new subsidy.

Adam Waters, director of UJIA Israel Experience, said: “We are continuously looking for new ways to support this key rite of passage experience and are delighted to be able to add this new funding opportunity.

"Israel tour has been one of the formative experiences in our community for decades, and we want to ensure this programme and the positive impact it has is safeguarded for all. We are excited to support another cohort of Israel tour participants through the Youth Movements, helping empower young people and strengthening their connection to their Jewish identity.”

Mandie Winston, chief Executive of UJIA, said UJIA was “very pleased that for summer 2025 UJIA will provide the necessary matching funding to unlock support from Mosaic Teens for Israel tour, creating a new subsidy for young people who have had fewer opportunities to engage with Jewish community life.”

She said that the connection to Israel for young people had “never been more important than now and it remains as vital as ever to ensuring the future leadership pipeline of the Jewish community.”

A UJIA spokesperson said Israel tour would provide “ample opportunities to engage with a country that is in need of a collective hug”, with an emphasis on volunteering and social action projects within the programmes.

With all dates being subject to change, Noam will be travelling to Israel between July 14 and August 4; Bnei Akiva between June 30-July 2 to July 21-23, depending on the group; Tribe between July 1 and 21, and FZY between July 7 and 31. Ezra Boys will be between July 30 and August 17 and Ezra Girls between July 31 and August 18.

Habonim Dror’s Israel tour provisional dates are between July 10-31 and RSY Netzer’s provisional dates are July 3 to 25.

BBYO’s Europe/Israel trek is expected to take place in July, with a programme still being finalised.

UJIA said it anticipated all tour groups to travel with armed security at all times, along with an Israeli madrich/a (leader), trained and responsible for managing emergency/siren situations.

Participants’ free time will be restricted “to those areas approved by the office of the cheder matsav (situation room) and moked teva (nature society), and there may be no possibility of free time.”

The decision to allow free time would be made on a day-to-day basis, said UJIA, and, if given, would be “within specific geographical boundaries. [Participants] will be split into sub-groups of no less than three and will have to report to their Israel Tour Madrichim/ot at regular intervals.”

Participants will be given an emergency card including all relevant and emergency phone numbers, with increased provision of mental health support also on call.

UJIA said all plans were subject to change depending on advice from the Israeli security organisation it works with.