The lifelong Israel connection starts now
ISRAEL TOUR has established itself as a rite of passage for British Jewish teenagers. Straight after their GCSEs they go on the trip of a lifetime. This year over 1,200 UK Jews — around half in that year group — are taking part in a UJIA supported Israel Tour.
The three weeks of tour will fly by but planning it is a year-round endeavour for the dedicated team at UJIA, our colleagues in Israel and the youth movements with which we partner. This collaboration provides participants with a formative and unforgettable experience, connecting them with their homeland and heritage while forging friendships for life. And in the longterm, the benefits are felt by the entire Jewish community.
Israel Tour is one of the most powerful experiences on offer for our teenagers, helping them develop a bond with Israel, their youth movements and each other. It inspires them to think about what it means to be Jewish and their connection to our homeland. More than just the camel riding and Dead Sea bathing you see on Instagram, Israel Tour is central to addressing the challenge of how future generations sculpt their own Jewish identity and relationship to Israel.
When I think about the remarkable people that provide the back-bone to our communal organisations today — the dedicated professionals, trustees, donors and volunteers — so many will have been on a journey of Jewish leadership and participation in which Israel Tour was a crucial and seminal step. Among the teenagers currently on tour, or about to set off, will be future leaders of UK Jewry. This is also true of the young adults who lead them, their Madrichim. They are just a few years older and, on a purely voluntary basis, dedicate their summer to inspiring these tour groups with a love of Israel and a commitment to the Jewish people.
This year, the number of teenagers attending an Israel Tour is up ten per cent from 2018. Forty per cent do not go to a Jewish school. For around 100 this will be their first ever visit to Israel. This makes the experience even more important as we look to strengthen Jewish identity in a way that is fun, lasting and relevant. Recent research we commissioned showed that going on tour has a positive impact on an individual’s relationship with Israel. 93% of British Jews say that Israel has a place in their Jewish identity. I have no doubt that tour is critical to maintaining (and hopefully increasing) that figure long into the future.
With tour playing such an important role for our community, we want the experience to be accessible to everyone. UJIA believes that no one should be unable to participate in tour because of cost. That is why we have boosted our means-tested bursary fund to £200,000. This year 250 families applied and more participants than ever before were able to go on tour as a result of our financial support. For those who might not feel comfortable asking for help, but for whom it is still a significant expense, we introduced a new interest-free loan scheme to spread the cost. We want to remove the barriers for families to help make tour a reality for as many as possible.
One of the most pleasing aspects of tour is the diversity of young people who go and the youth movements and organisations they go with. UJIA is facilitating tours for 11 movements and organisations from across the religious spectrum, from Haredi to secular. Our community is facing new and evolving challenges to our unity; religious, political and most specifically in terms of our relationship to Israel. Through Israel Tour, UJIA provides a shared reference point in the lives of Jewish teenagers whatever their level of observance, giving them a chance to engage with Israel in a way that is meaningful for them.
For many, Israel Tour is the most exciting step they have yet taken on their Jewish journey; for others it is just the start. It encourages Jewish teenagers to be engaged in communal life, preparing them for leadership roles in youth movements, on campus and beyond. For every organisation and institution across UK Jewry, it is Israel Tour graduates who will in time ensure that they continue to thrive. UJIA is proud to support them and excited by their role in the future of UK Jewry. Every lifelong connection to Israel must start somewhere. This summer, like every summer, it starts with UJIA.
The most exciting step in the Jewish journey’
Louise Jacobs is the Chairman of UJIA