Hillel: Birthright Israel FAQs
Do you have questions? Get them answered before applying for a life-changing adventure with Hillel: Birthright Israel.
Travel
Multiple trips depart every week from May鈥揓uly and December鈥揓anuary. Summer and winter trips leave from New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco. If you鈥檙e traveling with your campus, connect with your Hillel professionals regarding dates.聽
You鈥檙e responsible for finding and paying for any domestic travel, but not for international travel. Don鈥檛 book any domestic travel until you receive a confirmation email from us.
Cost
Yes, the $360 deposit is fully refundable. There is an additional $25 processing fee that isn鈥檛 refundable. Shortly after your Birthright Israel trip, you鈥檒l receive an email with instructions on how to request a refund for your deposit. You鈥檒l also receive a refund if you鈥檙e waitlisted or you withdraw prior to the refund deadline for accepted participants.
Due to the limited number of spots on each trip, we need to ensure that all chosen participants will show up. When an applicant pays the $360* USD deposit, this lets us know that you鈥檙e serious about traveling with Birthright Israel and covers any fees that we might incur in the event of a late cancellation. It also helps guarantee that you follow Birthright Israel safety and behavior standards. In extreme cases in which participants violate these guidelines, their deposit may be confiscated.
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Fill out to request a refund, which may take up to two weeks to be processed. For other deposit issues from the United States, email [email protected] with the word DEPOSIT in the subject line and a detailed explanation of the issue in the message.
Besides the $360 refundable deposit and $25 processing fee, travel accommodations are cost-free because of generous donors. However, we suggest bringing $200鈥$500 USD on the trip to cover the following:
- One meal a day (roughly $10 USD)
- Tip for the tour educator, bus driver, and guard (Participants customarily leave a $100 USD tip at the end of the trip.)
- Gifts and souvenirs
Yes, you can transfer your deposit.
There鈥檚 no catch. You are only responsible for a $360* USD deposit鈥攚hich you can kindly donate to support future Birthright Israel educational activities or request a refund after successfully completing the program.
Learn more about the gift of Birthright Israel,
Traveling with friends
We won’t know who you want to travel with unless you indicate it in your application. Under TRAVEL PREFERENCES (in the Birthright Israel application), list the name of the friend you want to travel with. If your friend has registered for Birthright Israel with Hillel, then their name will automatically populate in the section regarding travel buddies. If their name doesn鈥檛 automatically populate, use the space below to provide us with your friend鈥檚 name and email so we can be in touch with them about registering with Hillel.
General
There鈥檚 a lag time between adding and updating information. This issue should be resolved within 24 hours. If not, or call 202-449-6695.
Yes, you can still complete the application. Remember, the passport process takes a few weeks, so build in enough time. As soon as you have your passport information, add it to your application. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your scheduled departure date from Israel.
An important note: The name on your Birthright Israel application MUST MATCH the name on your passport. Exactly.
Review our 鈥Extend鈥 page for more information.
There is a common myth that Birthright Israel programs are funded by just a few donors, but in reality, they are funded by nearly 40,000 donors annually, including tens of thousands alumni, their families, and individual donors from around the world who believe in our mission. The program is also funded by the people of Israel through the government of Israel, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish communities and Federations.
Absolutely. There is no gift too small to make a difference. The future of the Jewish people is a shared responsibility, and every dollar counts and contributes to a stronger future for us all. To make a donation in support of Birthright Israel, please click