NFTY in Israel
NFTY programs have integrated travel and learning curriculum, created by Reform rabbis and educators, designed specifically for young people from Reform synagogues, NFTY supports a full time staff of youth program and travel logistics professionals in Israel and in North America. NFTY programs are dedicated to creative Jewish identity building and Reform Jewish self esteem, making a meaningful connection between the NFTY experience in Israel and Reform Jewish-synagogue life at home.
NFTY is proud of our touring and learning itinerary filled with Reform Jewish values, sights and celebrations. Exciting visits to Reform communities and institutions throughout Israel (Kibbutz Yahel, Kibbutz Lotan, Leo Baeck School, Har Halutz, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and more).
NFTY's Education Goals and Objectives:
- Reinforce positive Jewish identity, to develop a sense of pride in oneself as a person, as a Jew and as a member of the Jewish people.
- Provide broadening experiences, which embrace the continuous growth of participants into mature, responsible adults.
- Develop an awareness of the history of Israel, its people, its land and culture, through visits to historical sites - ancient and modern.
- Begin to understand the issues and challenges that face the modern Jewish state through seminars, meetings with individuals who are involved in these issues and challenges, and through visits to the relevant sites and institutions.
- Provide an opportunity to meet young Israelis in a sharing environment in order to acquaint North American and Israeli youth - with each other’s world views and concerns as members of the same people.
- Experience the physical connection between the Jewish people and its land and to appropriate Israel’s natural beauty through “walking the land.”
- Develop a traveling Jewish community reflecting Reform Jewish values through communal living, shared experiences and mutual respect.
- Reaffirm the participant’s belonging to, and belief in, a Reform Jewish world view and deepen and expand it through new educational experiences, formal and informal, which are uniquely available in Israel.
- Expose individuals to the Hebrew language as the national language, through the introduction of Hebrew phrases and words related to the Israel experience.
Israel is an inspiring environment for spiritual growth. NFTY programs encourage participants to ask questions, to experiment with prayer and explore feelings about God. As part of the daily life of the program, the group participates in blessings before and after every meal. Each evening, the staff and teens participate in ma’amad a moment of reflection on the spiritual implications of the day. This might include original prayers, readings, songs and includes themes of Jewish history, nature appreciation; or relationships developing within the group. The celebration of Shabbat in Jerusalem, the Golan, the Galilee, Tel Aviv, or in the desert enhances the summer experience and opens participants to a wide range of Jewish expressions of prayer and spirituality.
Camp Type:
 Travel
Tours
Year Established: 1958 Gender: Coed Age of Campers: 15 to 18 years old Cost/Week: $1001.00-$2000.00/wk Religious Affiliation: Jewish Camp Owner(s): Camp Director(s): Gadi Ben-Dov Nearest Large City: Off Season Rental: |
Camp Focus:
Academic and Pre-College Camps: Academic Credit Religious Camps: Jewish Special Accommodations: Asthma, Diabetic, Food Allergies, |
- Photography and Video
- Theater
Sports Activities:
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Water Sports
Adventure Activities:
- Backpacking
- Canoeing
- Environmental
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Mountain Biking
- Mountaineering
- Orienteering
- Primitive Skills
- Rappelling
- Rock Climbing
- Ropes Course
- Survival Skills
- Wilderness
Academic Activities:
- History
- International Studies
- Languages
- Leadership
Miscellaneous Activities:
- International Exchange
- Oversea Travel
- Team Building
- Travel/Trips
The NFTY Adventure program is a unique and challenging four week summer experience created especially for teens who seek a meaningful and exciting journey to Israel filled with amazing memories and friendships which will last a lifetime.
From ancient Jerusalem to modern Tel Aviv, from the beautiful Galilee to the stunning Negev Desert, you will create and be part of an intense traveling Jewish community of teens from all over North America.
You’ll have opportunities to meet Israeli teens, ride a camel, snorkel in the Red Sea, mountain bike, join in a real archeological dig, swim in the Mediterranean Sea, celebrate Shabbat in Jerusalem, buy some sandals, eat a falafel, and have the most amazing time of your life. With a great summer of shared fun and friendship as a backdrop, you’ll return home with an intense personal connection to the land, history and people of Israel…proud of yourself and your people.
With NFTY’s renowned tour guide-educators leading the way, you’ll walk on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, make a pilgrimage to the Kotel—The Western Wall—travel back 2000 years in time to explore the ancient tunnels around the foundation of the Temple Mount, and see the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls at the Shrine of the Book.
As the sun rises over the mountains of Jordan, you’ll ascend the summit of Masada at dawn. You’ll float in the Dead Sea, cover yourself with the famous black mud, and cool off in the refreshing waters of the Nahal Arugot Waterfall near Ein Gedi.
You’ll dig into your roots on an archeological expedition, unearth ancient pottery with your own hands, and crawl through the caves of the Maccabean Revolt by candlelight. Together with your Israeli peers, you’ll explore the Galilee and Golan, swim the headwaters of the Jordan River, wander through the alleyways of the mystical city of Safed, and “conquer” Crusader castles.
As you travel with your friends spend three unforgettable days and nights hiking and exploring the Negev Desert. You’ll ride camels across sand dunes, sip tea in a Bedouin tent, snorkel the crystal clear blue waters of the Red Sea, relax on a sandy beach, and sleep under a peaceful blanket of stars.
Before you leave for Israel you’ll select a “Chavaya”—special interest—module and during your stay. You’ll spend four fun-filled days pursuing your own interests while also making new friends from other NFTY groups. Chose from Yam L’Yam (Sea to Sea), Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World in Israel), Indiana Jones in Israel (Archeological Dig), Gadna (Army Training), and Tel Aviv’s Tarbut (Arts & Culture)
Before you depart for home, you’ll be amazed by the modern city of Tel Aviv, swim in the Mediterranean, shop on famous Dizengoff Street, and return to spiritual Jerusalem for one final visit as you prepare to conclude your spectacular summer of adventure, personal discovery, challenge and growth. When you do return home to family and friends, you’ll have wonderful memories of your once-in-a-lifetime journey of friendship and fun. More important, you’ll have newfound pride in yourself, your people and your land.
The 5 week program is called NFTY L'Dor V'Dor (http://www.nftyisrael.org/programs/ldorvdor/)
Experience for yourself the epic story of the journey of the Jewish people. Together with NFTY friends from across North America, begin your adventure in Europe, exploring more than 1000 years of our rich European Jewish heritage. Truly appreciate the beautiful community and culture our ancestors created and its virtual destruction during the Shoah—Holocaust. With the Czech Republic and Poland as an introduction, you’ll arrive in Israel with an intimate understanding of the importance of Eretz Yisrael – the Land of Israel in our time, ready to enjoy four wonderful weeks discovering your personal connection to our people and our history. 
For 1000 years Prague was home to a thriving Jewish community. Here you’ll visit the Alt-neu Shul, the oldest continually used synagogue in Europe, and wander through the Jewish Quarter, absorbing the creativity and culture that shaped Jewish lives for more than a millennium. Wander through the Jewish Quarter, stroll across the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, explore and shop in Old Town Square, visit the historic St. Vitus Cathedral and have an ice cream in the shadow of the famous Astrological Clock.
You’ll travel to the medieval Polish city of Krakow, where you’ll visit the ancient Remuh Synagogue and the newly rededicated Reform “Temple” Synagogue, as well as Oskar Schindler’s factory, made famous in the movie “Schindler’s List,” and the inspiring Coronation Cathedral. Together with other NFTY teens, you’ll make a moving pilgrimage to the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps where we will gather to remember and rededicate ourselves to building a Jewish future. En route to Israel, you’ll visit Warsaw and discover for yourself how 
courageous Jewish heroes led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Once in Eretz Yisrael, you’ll spend four weeks exploring the land together with teens from across North America. From ancient to modern, from border to border, from sea to sea, you’ll do it all and see it all. For the highlights of our 4 weeks in Israel, see the NFTY Adventure program details or our highlights page.
Our 6 1/2 week program is the NFTY EIE Summer Session (http://www.nftyisrael.org/summer/index.html)
NFTY will offer a summer session of the renowned NFTY-EIE High School in Israel program. This is an amazing opportunity for students who want the incredible EIE experience, but are not able to spend a full school semester in Israel. This extraordinary 45 day summer program includes many of the highlights of the EIE experience that have made it so rewarding and meaningful since its inception in 1961. This is an opportunity for a high school teen looking for an unbelievable summer of challenging and rewarding learning and living, extensive touring, great fun and friendship and high school academic credit.
While residing on NFTY’s EIE campus at Kibbutz Tzuba in the Judean Hills near Jerusalem, participants will:
- Participate in NFTY’ famous Jewish History experience: classroom and touring;
- Have fun learning lots of Hebrew in a daily Ulpan;
- Enjoy more than 25 days of touring in Ancient and Modern Israel;
- Create a warm and welcoming Jewish community on Kibbutz Tzuba with other participants from across North America; and
- Travel and learn with NFTY’s fantastic faculty.
Students will receive academic credit for this wonderful experience and will receive an official transcript from the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel for 2 semesters credit for Jewish History, 1 semester for Hebrew and 1 semester for Physical Education. The NFTY EIE High School in Israel is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and all of our students in the past have received full academic credit at their hometown schools.
The NFTY EIE High School in Israel summer session is designed for students who are looking for a more challenging, rewarding and serious program than any other summer opportunity in Israel. Teens should be prepared for comprehensive classroom study accompanied by the physically challenging and exciting adventure travel in Israel.
What will make the summer a unique and unforgettable experience? Together with our gifted faculty explore the story of Israel and the Jewish people in the classroom and then these stories come alive as you visit these actual sites.
- In the Old city of Jerusalem visit the City of David, the Herodian Mansions, Hezekiah’s Tunnel; and the Southern Wall Excavations.
- Learn about the historical Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum’s, Shrine of the Book;
- Visit the Second Temple Model of Jerusalem;
- Wander the alleyways of the mystical city of Tzfat;
- “Dig for a Day” in the caves of the Bar Kochba Revolt
- Ascend the summit of Masada at dawn;
- Float in the Dead Sea;
- Explore the Galilee and Golan Heights,
- Spend three unforgettable days and nights hiking and exploring the Negev Desert.
The goals of the NFTY EIE High School in Israel summer session are for our students to enjoy a wonderful summer adventure in Israel and develop a connection with the story of the journey of the Jewish People while studying Jewish History – your story and exploring sites throughout Israel. Central to the success of this wonderful opportunity is living in a real Israeli community while developing useful Hebrew language skills. We hope at the conclusion of the summer our students will return home with a love of Israel and Judaism, learning Hebrew, and having had a wonderful experience traveling throughout the county while celebrating Shabbat with friends from across North America.
- Immerse yourself in the story of Israel and Jewish people
- Learn some Hebrew
- Create a traveling learning community
- Celebrate your Reform Judaism and Shabbat
- Live in a real organic Israeli community
- Build a love of Jewish learning
- Return home thirsty for more and a desire to continue to explore your Jewish identity
