Israel Night

Sleeping in Bedouin tents staring up at the stars of the Negev... Watching an entire country stop for a moment of silence for Yom Hazikaron... Hiking Masada as the sun rises... Laying flowers at a soldier’s grave… Floating in the salty waters of the Dead Sea... shedding silent tears at Yad Vashem…

These are just some of the special moments our students experience as part of their 8th Grade Israel Encounter. It is difficult to measure the value that this trip has for our students. How do you quantify the look of awe in a child’s eye when they see the Kotel for the first time? How do you measure the depth of the connection that our students make with Israel during their visit? How do you measure the impact of an experience that lasts an entire lifetime?

We ask you today to partner with us to help continue sending our 8th graders on this essential trip, an experience that puts Israel at the very core of what type of Jew and what type of person they become as an adult. In recent years, with increasing airfares and security costs, the trip cost has risen to nearly $6,000 per student. For many families, this cost is simply unattainable. On average, over $25,000 in trip scholarships are given to our students. Your sponsorship provides the needed support to help ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to experience Eretz Yisrael.