Shaping Jewish Futures Through Early Israel Experiences

By Samuel Rodin, Chief Programming Officer, IsraelNow Education Foundation  

Between global pandemics and regional wars, too many Jewish teens have missed out on meaningful Israel experiences. However, a period of calm and stability seems to be within reach—and with this renewed feeling of security comes opportunity. One which the stewards of the Jewish future-clergy, educators, youth professionals, and the organized Jewish community, cannot afford to ignore. 

This is the time to recommit and reinvest in sending teens to Israel as early and as often as possible, before we risk losing an entire generation’s chance to form a personal connection to the Jewish homeland.  

We know that experiential trips to Israel are the most effective way to build lifelong connections to Israel. And we know that the earlier these experiences occur, the deeper the impact.  

While programs such as Birthright provide incredible opportunities for young adults to experience Israel, and longer high school trips can have great impact, the special timing of the 8th grade trip is especially meaningful. 

Shorter, more affordable trips, for younger participants offer a critical window of opportunity when young teens are beginning to grapple with complex ideas and to form opinions. For teens on the cusp of transitioning to high school, it is our responsibility to provide a framework for critical thinking and provide opportunities for them to make their own connections, ask their own questions, and create authentic relationships with Israel on their own terms.  

To meet this critical developmental moment, IsraelNow offers a powerful solution: A one-week, community-based national peer trip to Israel that broadens Jewish peer networks, builds Jewish self-confidence, and creates a lasting relationship with the land, people and State of Israel. 

IsraelNow trips are scheduled near the end of 8th grade, at a time when extracurriculars and friend groups are resetting. The program exposes students to broader Jewish peer networks at this transitional moment, as they begin making new choices about academics, extra curriculars, and social engagements in preparation for high school. IsraelNow builds a community of youth who are curious and open minded about how Israel and Judaism fit into their identity. While 30% of Jewish teens engage in a meaningful Jewish activity monthly throughout high school, our data shows that when looking at IsraelNow alumni this number increases to 70%, with no participatory drop off over time, a significant and lasting outcome of this experience*.  

Is one week enough? Of course not.  But for teens who are otherwise unengaged in the Jewish community or conversation about Israel, it is the perfect taste of Israel. Subsidized by more than 50% by the IsraelNow Education Foundation, local Federations, and other supporting foundations, the cost to families is significantly reduced. It is the perfect low barrier, high-impact, and value-driven experience. 

This is an investment in our teens, who will return home with a broader understanding of the complexity and diversity of Israel.  

It’s an investment in future Israel experiences, as IsraelNow alumni return to Israel on peer programs during high school at significantly higher rates.  

And it’s an investment in helping teens build Jewish self-confidence and providing firsthand exposure to Israel, making them more resilient and better able to respond to anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitic encounters. 

But mostly, it is our obligation. We have spent decades building an expectation of connection and shared destiny between North American Jewry and Israel. If we are to ask them to care about Israel, support Israel, and at times defend Israel, we must also give them the opportunity to experience it. We have a responsibility to help them understand what it truly means to share in the destiny of Israel and its people—and to discover for themselves what makes the Jewish homeland so unique, so meaningful, and so worthy of connection. The moment to act is now. Let’s give our teens the chance to form their own relationship with Israel—while their curiosity is alive, their values are still being shaped, and their identities are taking root. 

* Rosov Consulting (2020). Exploring IsraelNow’s Impact: A Study of 2016–2019 Alumni 

First published in Jewish Chicago September 2025