$1 million in funding
for security initiatives each year
There is nothing in the world quite like a trip to Israel – and JewishColumbus has the tools help you get there. Whether you’re a student looking for your first experience or someone who travels regularly, there are plenty of options available to you. Best of all – some of them are completely free!
Nothing makes Jewish identity and history come alive for teens like an Israel Experience Program.
An Israel Experience program is an encounter of the realities and dreams that shape the Jewish experience. Participants have the opportunity to experience the land, people, history and a rich culture of Israel through a Teen Israel program.
Learn MoreOn odd numbered years, JewishColumbus actively recruits 11th and 12th graders for March of the Living, a two-week international experience where teens from around the world come together each year and bear witness to the destruction of the Holocaust in Poland and then travel to Israel to rejoice in the Jewish Homeland.
Join fellow Jewish teens from Ohio and around the world in spring of 2023 to bear witness in Poland and celebrate the Jewish Homeland in Israel. The March of the Living commemorates Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, and it celebrates Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, dancing in the streets of Jerusalem.
The gift of a free trip to Israel — with absolutely no strings attached!
Birthright Israel was launched in 1999 with the mission of giving young Jewish adults (ages 18-26) of all backgrounds the chance to visit Israel at least once in their lifetime. With the exception of one meal a day, the program is entirely free, including round-trip airfare from a variety of gateway airports.
Learn MoreSpend a semester or year in Israel and experience another culture while earning college credit. There is no better or more effective way to immerse yourself in a culture or learn a language than spending a semester or year abroad.
Studying abroad at an Israeli university will help you develop skills and expose you to experiences a classroom setting could never provide. Take courses you would never have the opportunity to take at your home campus and enhance your degree. Your experience living and studying in Israel, immersing yourself in a foreign culture and acquiring another language will all set you apart and give you skills and experiences that will last a lifetime.
JewishColumbus, in collaboration with Jewish Agency and a wide array of partners from around the Jewish world, has launched Onward Israel: a framework for six to ten week meaningful experiences for students and young adults in Israel.
The goal of Onward Israel is to provide participants with an immersive and transformative resume building experience in Israel, featuring opportunities such as internships, service learning, academic courses and fellowships.
Onward Israel offers a competitive and attractive venue for young people seeking such experiences at affordable prices, and for time periods ranging from six to ten weeks. While meeting the individual needs of the participants and allowing them to advance their resumes, Onward Israel programs will also feature inspiring educational modules, with special attention dedicated to activism opportunities within local communities and institutions after program completion and to the development of a deeper understanding of Israel and enhanced Jewish identity and commitment.
The Columbus Onward program is made possible by the generous support of The Diamond Family Endowment.
Learn MoreThrough our Israel Experience grants program, JewishColumbus has sent nearly 700 teens and young adults to Israel since 2005. Visit Israel to learn about the Jewish homeland, the vibrant people and amazing culture.
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