Eden Israel Experience

The trip cost includes flights from a NY airport, all program costs, and all meals. Teens should be a small amount of spending money for laundry, souvenirs, and other personal items.

Absolutely not! Our trip is designed for both teens new to Eden Village and long-time campers. Our goal is to bring the love and spirit of Eden Village into our program, but craft an original and unique experience for all participants.

That’s great! You can mark down which positions you’re interested in when you fill out your staff application. Once we receive your application, we’ll be in touch with you about which positions we think are the best fit.

Deviation requests must be made in writing no later than April 20 to the trip operator. They will make all reasonable effort to accommodate timely requests for deviations from the group air travel itinerary. Typical requests include a change of departure and/or arrival airport(s), travel dates, airline carriers, and/or requests for the parent/guardian to assume responsibility for booking their teen’s airfare. The ability to accommodate deviation requests will be limited by the deviation rules of our airlines. For any deviation from the planned group flight arrangements, there will be a $250 administrative fee, which covers extended health insurance coverage, plus any additional transportation costs that are incurred.

Yes, just like at Eden Village, the trip is kosher and Shabbat observant.
As part of our cultural exchange, there will 3-4 meals during the trip with Arab, Palestinian, and Bedouin communities which will be vegetarian, but not kosher. A kosher pack-out meal will be provided for any participant who needs one.

Yes, scholarships are available, but due to the cost structure of the trip, Eden Village scholarship funds are extremely limited. Families should not expect to receive as much funds as previous summers at camp.

Fortunately, most local Jewish federations and synagogues offer generous scholarships – many which are not need-based. Please let us know if you need assistance accessing these resources.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of federations we know offer Israel trip subsidies.

• Western Mass & Southern Vermont – $1500
• UJA Federation of NY – $1000
• Greater Washington DC – $1000
• Philadelphia – Up to $3000
• Metrowest NJ – Up to $400
• Boston – Up to $1800

RootOne is a program which supports Jewish teens to travel to Israel on a summer program. All Jewish teens who are not enrolled in orthodox day schools are eligible for a $3,000 voucher. To receive the voucher, teens most complete some pre- and post-trip work. We’ll send you more details on the program after you register.

Unlike most other teen trips, we will be bringing the Eden Village “Unplugged” culture with us on our trip. You will be able to call home at least once each week, but otherwise we are going to keep our phones powered off and our hearts tapped into community and exploration. Bus time and free time are times to engage with each other, sing songs, make connections – not dive into your phone.

Yes, the trip will have about 30 teens, much smaller than other programs with more than 50 teens on each bus. This allows us to have more intimate experiences and workshops, while building deep connections within the group.

We will be staying at Kibbutz hotels, hostels and hotels. We will have one overnight camping journey as well.

Yes, in each city campers will have a couple of hours to explore within boundaries. We will hand out spending money to get lunch in a couple of these cities as well.

This year, we are running our trip in partnership with Yallah! Israel, a program of the URJ. All the programming and staff will remain the same, but Yallah! Israel will be the end-to-end program provider – all registration, payments, and trip management will be through Yallah! Israel, which supports trips to Israel for more than 700 teens every summer. (The trip will also continue to follow all Eden Village shabbat and kosher practices). This will allow our staff to focus on the program and curriculum, while Yallah! handles all the logistics and details. Registration and payments will all be processed by Yallah! Israel.

High-school age teens attending 10th-12th grade in the school year preceding the summer program may attend Yallah! Israel. Participants must turn at least 15 years old as of the first day of the program and may be no older than 18 as of the last day of the program

At time of enrollment, the $500 administrative fee becomes non-refundable. Through March 1 of the calendar year of the program, a $500 cancellation fee will apply and all remaining tuition paid will be refunded (see exclusion regarding travel insurance premiums below). After March 1 of the calendar year of the program, a $2,500 cancellation fee will apply and all remaining tuition paid will be refunded. After May 1 of the calendar year of the program, no refunds will be issued for withdrawal from the program.

Participants are responsible for holding and dispensing their own medications. We understand teens have varying levels of experience managing medications, and so our staff are prepared to provide age-appropriate support in building this essential life skill, such as reminders to take medications on time and reminders to double-check medication is packed before leaving for a new hotel. Our staff will directly assist participants who have medications that require special handling, such as refrigeration.

Yes, participation in this teen trip does not affect your eligibility for Taglit-Birthright Israel trips when you are older.