In their first-ever convening in Israel, members of the Israel Educational Travel Alliance's (IETA) set a goal of increasing the number or participants in educational Israel travel in 2025 by over 50%.
“At a time when Israel is facing unprecedented challenges, the commitment to bringing tens of thousands of young Jewish leaders to experience Israel firsthand is more critical than ever,” said Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric D. Fingerhut. “The Jewish Federations of North America are proud to support programs that we know strengthen the bond between North American Jewry and Israel, instill a deep sense of shared responsibility, and empower young people to stand by Israel as ambassadors of truth and resilience.”
IETA is a consortium of over 100 Israel educational travel organizations, programs, and philanthropies housed at Jewish Federations of North America, and includes groups such as Birthright Israel, RootOne, Masa, and Passages. These programs are critical to Israel-Diaspora relations, and the decisions made at this convening could have significant implications for those ties going forward.
The group kicked off its first-ever convening in Israel Monday in Jerusalem to discuss the future of educational Israel travel programs in the aftermath of October 7th and the field's significant impact on Israel's economic recovery.
The educational travel sector played a pivotal role in Israel’s economy throughout the war, growing from a 5% share of tourism before October 7th to a 15% share during the war. At the convening, the groups laid out a goal of increasing participation to 53,700 participants, up from 35,500 in 2024.
“Immersive educational travel experiences in Israel are not only a growth engine for the country, but are also a symbol of hope that help connect the State of Israel and world Jewry,” said Jewish Agency for Israel CEO Yehudah Setton. “During this critical period, our goal is to enable every young Jew from around the world to take an active role in both strengthening and rebuilding the State of Israel, and in creating our collective future. The Jewish Agency is a proud partner and supporter of the hundreds of leaders running educational tourism programs in Israel."
Studies show that participating in education trips to Israel significantly shapes the Jewish identity of young North American Jews, boosting their Jewish identity, their involvement in Jewish communal life, and bolstering their commitment to the State of Israel.
Approximately 140 community leaders, CEOs, and senior leaders from North America are attending the IETA convening this week, sponsored by Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Mosaic United, an initiative of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, in order to pave the way for tens of thousands of North American youth to participate in educational trips to Israel in 2025.
"We are honored to have Mosaic United, an initiative of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism as one of our key sponsors. Mosaic invests millions of dollars in transformative travel programming that deepen Jewish identity and connection to Israel," Mosaic United said.
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