Birthright Israel FAQs

Israel is a dynamic country, known for both its beauty and its complexity. The Harvard Hillel Birthright trip pushes Jewish students to engage, think, ask questions, and expore an Israel of th multiple truths that hold these charactaristics together. The Birthright trip is a FREE ten-day journey during which students will travel throughout Israel alongside a handful of Israeli peers. The group is led by a member of the Harvard Hillel staff alongside a licensed tour guide in Israel. From the old city of Jerusalem to the mountains of the north to the nightlife of Tel Aviv to the desert in the south, our students have the opportunity to experience the many faces and places that make Israel what it is. Harvard Hillel is committed to a pluralistic Jewish experience and reaches out to American youth who are unaffiliated and from all Jewish denominations and to Israelis of all backgrounds.

Please direct all questions to Lauren Cohen Fisher.

Yes, the trip is free. There are really no catches other than the following:

• A $250 deposit will secure your space on the program and will be fully refunded upon your return. Your deposit will also be returned if you withdraw your application before the date set forth in the waiver agreement (generally about 30 days before departure). Please note: students doing both Birthright and Trekstension will not receive their deposit back.
• Participants are responsible for travel to and from the departure gateway.
• Participants are responsible for one independent meal daily during the course of the program.

It includes round-trip airfare to Israel from a departure city in the U.S., accommodations in hotels and guest houses, two meals a day, ground transportation, entrance fees to all sites on the itinerary and the services of qualified staff and educators.

Our Winter Birthright Israel and Trekstension trip will depart on January 3, 2019 and return January 20, 2019. If these dates don't work for you, but you are interested in joining Harvard in Israel, please reach out to Lauren Cohen Fisher about our Summer 2019 trip.

Registration for all Birthright Israel trips opens soon, but you are able to pre-register now by clicking here (just fill out the Google form). Registration will close when trips are full, so sign up ASAP!

If you have been to Israel only with your family or for work, you are still eligible in most cases. Even if you've traveled on a peer group program before you turned 18, you may be eligible.  If you have any questions about your eligibility, contact Lauren Cohen Fisher before you begin the application process. You can also learn more about eligibility at the Absolutely Israel website.

Safety and security of participants is the top priority for Harvard Hillel, Israel Experts, and Birthright Israel. While participants are in Israel, bus itineraries are reviewed daily with Israeli authorities to ensure maximum safety, and changes are made if necessary. You can read for about our safety and security policy or contact Lauren Cohen Fisher with any questions.

Yes, you must have a valid passport. Israeli law requires that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the return date from Israel. If you are a U.S. citizen and you have a valid passport as defined above, you will not need a visa to enter Israel. If you live in the U.S. but are not a U.S. citizen you may need a visa for travel, depending on your country of origin. Contact the closest Israeli consulate and find out what the requirements are. Our office can help you with any documentation that you may need.

Though you are never allowed to leave the group at any time, you can have friends or family in Israel visit you during the trip. On many nights there is free time at the hotel for guests to come visit. There is also often free time on Shabbat for family and friends to visit.

Yes. For a small fee, trips can be extended for up to six months. Harvard Hillel also offers a four-day "Treskstension" following Birthright, which explores Israel through a geopolitical and cultural lens. You can view images and quotes from the January 2017 Trekstension here. Please contact Lauren Cohen Fisher for more information.

Your Harvard Hillel trip will have 40 students. Depending on the location, there are 2–3 participants per room. Each participant always has his/her own bed. Rooms are always divided by gender.  Most nights you’ll be in hotels or guest houses, with the exception being one night in a Bedouin camp. Eight Israeli participants will join you for half of the trip. A tour guide, Israeli guard/medic (or two) and two madrichim (trip leaders) will lead you around Israel!