Birthright Israel

Mifgashim

Mifgash, meaning "encounter" in Hebrew. As a key component of our program, young Israelis are invited to join our groups to gain the same understanding of Israel, Judaism, Jewish identity and the larger Jewish community. By engaging in creative, recreational and educational activities with Israeli peers, members of the group develop a personal peer-to-peer connection to Israel.

Safety & Security

The welfare of our participants is of utmost concern, and in an ongoing effort to secure the safety of each participant; all itineraries are planned in accordance with the security directives of the Israeli Ministry of Education, the Israeli Defense Forces, Israeli Police, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Our Partners

Taglit Birthright Israel trips are conducted by multiple trip organizers. We are proud to be partnering with Tailor Made. For further information, please visit https://www.israeltm.com/.

Jewish Heritage

Eligible individuals are those recognized as Jewish by their local Jewish community or by one of the recognized denominations of Judaism. Applicants must also have at least one Jewish birth parent, or have completed Jewish conversion through a recognized Jewish denomination.

Previous Israel Experience

If you have been to Israel before, but only with your family or on other personal business for under 3 months, you are still eligible, if:

• You participated on a peer educational trip to Israel under the age of 18.
• You participated on the March of the Living when you were in high school. You are still eligible to participate on one of our programs if you turn 18 years old at time of departure.
• You have served in the Israeli Army or volunteered on an Israel Army base under the age of 18.
• You traveled to Israel since turning 18 on a family trip, a multi-generational trip, or some interfaith/secular experiences are eligible.
• Please note: If you were born in Israel, have ever held Israeli citizenship or have held an Israeli passport you are not eligible, unless you can prove by official documentation that you left Israel before the age of 12. Documentation can be in the form of a Landed Immigrant Certificate or a report card from the school you attended in Canada at the time. If you have served in the Israeli Army or volunteered on an Israeli army base, you are not eligible.

You are not eligible to participate on one of our programs, if:

• You traveled to Israel after turning 18 on programs designed for college students or young. Programs include: University, study abroad, gap year, yeshiva/seminary, internship and any other experience under the umbrella of Onward Israel or Masa Israel.

Important Passport Information

A valid passport is one that expires a minimum of six months after your return date (i.e. if you return on May 15, your passport must be valid until at least November 15). This is non-negotiable and is an enforced airline policy. Please do not forget that even if your passport is valid until the return date of the group, if you choose to extend your trip by even a few days past the 6-month rule, your passport will not be valid for travel.

If you do not currently have a valid passport, please contact your local passport office to begin your application process. Obtaining a valid passport could take up to six weeks. Give yourself enough time so that a copy of your valid passport can be submitted by the deadline indicated on your application.

Please ensure that your passport is in good condition. Stained or torn pages can result in any airline refusing to accept a passport for travel.

Attention: Israeli Citizens

If you were born in Israel, have ever held Israeli citizenship (includes having one parent born in Israel) or have held an Israeli passport, you must travel with a valid Israeli passport. If you were born in Israel, have ever held Israeli citizenship or have held an Israeli passport, you MUST be able to provide a copy of your Army exemption papers if you are accepted to the program. We suggest you contact your local consulate of Israel to begin this process immediately; you will not be able to participate on our program without these documents.

Please note that these documents may take 6-8 weeks to be processed. We encourage you to begin this process immediately once you have applied for a trip. In order to expedite the documentation process, Federation CJA can provide participants assigned to a trip with an official letter stating that the participant is confirmed on a trip when requested.

Please contact the Israeli Consulate nearest you as soon as possible to speak with a consular staff, if you require more information.

Do you have a question? Please do not hesitate to contact us at (514) 734-1626.