Length: 21 Days
2009-2010 Grades: 9,10,11,12
Register Now »

About the Experience

International Leadership Seminar Israel (ILSI) is BBYO Passport's leadership and enrichment program in Israel designed for BBYO members.

Based on an academic campus outside of Tel Aviv, the ILSI experience challenges participants with the big questions. What is the contemporary meaning of Jewish tradition? How is the Zionist movement relevant in the 21st century? What is the future of the Jewish State, and how can we play a part in shaping it?

Unlike traditional Israel tours, ILSI is about connecting to Israel on a deeper level. Participants interact with a variety of different speakers, artists, religious figures, and people who have shaped – and continue to shape – Israel’s future. Along the way, we build on the curriculum through a series of day trips, long weekend excursions, and the everyday experiences of living in Israel.

Building Cross-Cultural Bridges

One of the most special aspects of the ILSI experience is that teens from North America are paired up with Jewish teens from Bulgaria as well as from Israel. All together we form a single community, learning, traveling, and bonding together in Israel. Each teen brings their own perspective, their own unique background, and their own way of relating to Israel. Together this diversity contributes to a truly enriching dynamic and an opportunity to live the Jewish value that we are all responsible for one another.

Is ILSI Right For Me?

ILSI was designed with BBYO members in mind as a unique enrichment, touring, and leadership experience. Although most ILSI participants are BBYO members, ILSI is open to non-members who are seeking this type of experience. ILSI is appropriate for teens who have never been to Israel as well as for those who are returning for a different perspective.

Itinerary Snapshot

• WEEK #1 / Ancient Beginnings & Founding Jerusalem
  Land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and step back in time to the world of Abraham as we retrace Jewish history in the Land of Israel through to the founding of Jerusalem by King David 3000 years ago and the building of the First and Second Temples in the Old City.
  
  
• WEEK #2 / The Exile and the Talmudic Era
  Follow the course of the Roman Exile and the subsequent development of Jewish thought in the Galilee as the Jewish People charted a new identity without a sovereign homeland. Our second week on ILSI concluding with a uniqueShabbat in the mystical city of Safed (Tsfat).
  
  
• WEEK #3 / The Zionist Idea and Contemporary Israel
  Explore the foundations of Zionist thought and the emergence of a Jewish nationalist movement culminating with the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.  The program concludes by returning to where we started in Jerusalem with a moving Shabbat experience at the Western Wall.

Spitzer Fellowship (ILSI Scholarships)

BBYO is honored to announce that financial assistance for ILSI participants is again being made available through the Charlotte and Jack J. Spitzer Fellowship. This fund was established to assist young people attend ILSI where finances are a restricting factor. Download the ILSI Spitzer Fellowship Application. It is due to the International Office by February 26, 2010

Questions about ILSI?

For questions about registration, payment and forms, contact the Program Registrar: Alisha Hess-Haber. For general questions about the program, contact the Trip Director: Judith Rosenberg.

Learn More

• Sample Itinerary
• Trip FAQs
• Program-Wide FAQs
• Trip Video
• Why Israel
• Why Now
• Safety & Security
• Scholarship Info
• Register Now
  
  

Earn College Credit on ILSI!

BBYO Passport is offering a wonderful opportunity to obtain college credits to teens taking part in our ILSI program. Incoming and graduating high school seniors can qualify to earn up to three college credits through a special partnership with Gratz College. Contact us for details about this exciting option for making the most of your summer in Israel.

Flying on EL AL Airlines

BBYO is proud to announce that ILSI will be flying direct on EL AL Airlines from New York's JFK to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. EL AL Airlines is the national airlines of the State of Israel and has a reputation for quality as well as the highest security standards in the world.

Keep the Memories Going / Israel Extensions

ILSI trips can be combined with a 7-day extension program - either before or after the core trip. Choose from experiences as diverse as an intensive Hebrew language immersion program, a kibbutz experience where you will be paired with Israeli teens, a meaningful community service project, or the Gadna experience -- the IDF's basic training-style program for high school teens from abroad.

Israel Extension programs are all campus-based and provide a wonderful alternative to the traditional touring experience. Each extension option is designed to open a window on a unique aspect of Israeli society. Make the most of your time in Israel. Learn more...

• Extension Track #1: Kibbutz Mifgash & Gadna Basic Training
  
• Extension Track #2: Kibbutz Mifgash & Community Service

Trip Connections / Ambassador to Bulgaria

Become the newest link in the chain that connects BBYO in North America to the Jewish community in Bulgaria. ILSI participants can connect their experience in Israel with the 10-day Ambassador to Bulgaria experience from June 27-July 6 prior to the start of ILSI. Be a part of a close-knit group of teens instilling hope in a little-known Jewish community with a remarkable past. Take part in community service projects, build lasting friendships with local Jewish teens from Eastern Europe, and tour the hidden gem that is Bulgaria. Plus, you’ll meet the Bulgarian ILSI participants and travel with them to meet the rest of ILSI in Israel! Learn More: Ambassador to Bulgaria + ILSI.

Pre-Israel Europe Trip Options

Depending on availability, ILSI participants can also link up with one of the Euro-Israel Journey groups for the Europe-only program (Spain or Central, or Poland tracks) before arriving in Israel to join the ILSI group. If you are interested in this 8-day "pre-extension" in Europe, let us know and we will put you on a first-come-first-served waitlist. We will advise if we can accommodate the request by no later than April 1st.

Sample Itinerary

We have provided the following sample itinerary to give you an idea of what this travel experience is all about. Keep in mind that the actual itinerary may vary from the schedule below. That said, this sample itinerary is meant to give you a taste of the overall program. A formal itinerary, including a list of accommodations and phone numbers, will be sent to you 4-6 weeks prior to the start of the program.

DAY #1 / Monday / Departure!
• Icebreakers and orientation at JFK Airport
• Depart for Israel and spend night in the sky en route to Israel

DAY #2 / Tuesday / Introduction to Jerusalem
• Arrive to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in early afternoon
• Meet Israeli educator and begin travel to AMHSI Campus
• Check-in & formal program introductions
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #3 / Wednesday / Jewish Beginnings
• Seminar: Beginnings – Abraham to Moses and monotheism vs. the paganism around them
• Service project / Harvest crops for the needy with the Table-to-Table program
• Evening: Group night out in the town of Hod HaSharon
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #4 / Thursday / Ancient Jerusalem
• Ascend to Jerusalem
• Jerusalem shecheyanu welcome ceremony from the Haas Promenade
• Tour the of the City of David complex & Hezekiah’s Tunnel
• Explore the alleys, rooftops and tunnels of the Old City’s Jewish Quarter
• Take time for personal reflections at the Kotel – The Western Wall
• Davidson Center & Southern Wall excavation
• Time for shopping in the Cardo area of the Old City
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #5 / Friday / Exile & Return
• Seminar – From the Babylonian Exile to Roman Rule
• Relaxed afternoon on the beach
• Return to AMHSI to prepare for mifgash Shabbat with Israeli peers from Tzamerret
• Enjoy Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive Shabbat dinner at AMHSI
• Oneg Shabbat party & and review of first week
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #6 / Saturday / Shabbat on Campus
• Shabbat text study at AMHSI
• Shabbat lunch & relaxed afternoon with Tzamerret peers
• Mark the end of Shabbat with a Havdalah ceremony
• Group night out in Hod HaSharon
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #7 / Sunday / The Judean Desert
• Begin travel into the Negev Desert
• Hike to the desert waterfalls at Ein Gedi – Take a dip under the waterfalls
• Float on the “unsinkable” waters of the Dead Sea
• Travel the desert in style by camel
• Experience traditional Bedouin hospitality & a hafla dinner feast
• Relax around a massive bonfire in the desert
• Overnight under the stars at Kfar HaNokdim Bedouin Tent, Negev Desert

DAY #8 / Monday / Masada and its Aftermath
• Pre-sunrise climb up Masada via the “Roman Ramp”
• View a spectacular sunrise from the top of Masada
• Walking tour of Masada – Herod’s ancient desert fortress
• Return to the AMHSI campus in the early afternoon
• Seminar – Middle Ages to Emancipation

DAY #9 / Tuesday / Talmudic-Era Settlement in the Galilee
• Tour the catacombs of the great Talmudic rabbis at Beit Shearim
• Continue northwards the Galilee
• Welcome ceremony overlooking the Kinneret – Sea of Galilee
• Swim in the Kinneret at Ginnosar Beach
• Walking tour of the mystical city of Tzfat – birthplace of the Kabbalah
• Meet with Avraham Lowenthal, Tzfat’s famed Kabbalistic artist
• Falafel dinner in Afula!
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #10 / Wednesday / Zionist Thought
• Seminar – Zionist Thought – historical & contemporary
• Service project with the Joint Distribution Committee
• Orientation program on an Israeli kibbutz
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #11 / Thursday / Early Pioneers of the Galilee
• Learn about the poets & pioneers that came to Israel and built the Galilee
• Water hike to Maayan Baruch springs – a source of the Jordan River
• Kayaking down the Upper Jordan River
• Overnight: ANA Tel Hai Guest House, Upper Galilee

DAY #12 / Friday / Mount Meiron
• Hike the Pisga Trail on Mount Meiron to the Rashbi’s grave
• Prepare for Shabbat in Tzfat
• Kabalat Shabbat at local synagogues in Tzfat
• Overnight: Merkazi Hotel, Tzfat

DAY #13 / Saturday / Shabbat in Tzfat
• Attend Shabbat services at local synagogues
• Shabbat lunch at hotel
• Evening activity in Tzfat
• Overnight: Merkazi Hotel, Tzfat

DAY #14 / Sunday / Golan Heights
• Ascend the Golan Heights
• Understand the precariousness of the Galilee from Gadot lookout point on the Golan
• View Oz’77 film about the struggle to retain the Golan during the Yom Kippur War
• Hike down the Jilaboun canyon on the Golan Heights
• Return to campus
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #15 / Monday / Yad VaShem
• Return to Jerusalem
• Visit to Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem
• Seminar – The Modern Jewish State
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #16 / Tuesday / Tel Aviv
• Travel to Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial & cultural capital
• Walking tour of Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhood, Neve Tzedek
• Stroll through Nahalat Binyamin street festival & market
• Visit the interactive Palmach Museum – Relive the struggle for independence
• Hebrew Urban Cultural Center
• Rabin Square – Memorial to the slain Prime Minister of Israel
• Walking tour of the ancient Jaffa seaport
• Classic Middle Eastern-style dinner at Dr. Shakshouka
• Evening – Na LaGaat theater production
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #17 / Wednesday / Struggle for Independence & Peace
• Kastel battleground – War for Independence and the refugee consequences
• Ammunition Hill – Reunification of Jerusalem during the 6-Day War
• Look out onto the West Bank from Ramat Rachel hilltop
• Discussion – Issues of Peace, Security & Co-existence
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #18 / Thursday / The David Project
• Seminar – The David Project
• Final dinner on campus
• Overnight: AMHSI Campus, Hod HaSharon

DAY #19 / Friday / Modern Jerusalem
• Recount the legends of Israel’s founding leaders & soldiers at Mt. Herzl
• Feel the energy of Mahane Yehuda marketplace as Jerusalem prepares for Shabbat
• Check-in to Jerusalem hotel to prepare for Shabbat
• Return to the Old City to experience Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Kotel
• Walk back from the Old City to the hotel for a final Shabbat dinner as a group
• Overnight: Agron Guest House, Jerusalem

DAY #20 / Saturday / Shabbat in Jerusalem
• Shabbat program – Visit to local Jerusalem synagogues
• Shabbat lunch at hotel
• Relaxed afternoon at Jerusalem’s Independence Park
• Program wrap-up and final dinner party
• Return to airport for late night flight to New York

DAY #21 / Sunday / Shalom!
• Arrive back to New York in the early morning

Trip Q & A

This page contains trip-specific FAQ's. For program-wide info, check out the General FAQs page. ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Do I need to make arrangements for a visa?

Citizens of the U.S. and Canada will automatically receive a three-month tourist visa upon entry to Israel. Citizens of many other countries receive this courtesy as well. If you are uncertain, please visit the website of the Israel Ministry of Tourism or contact your local Israeli consulate. To visit Israel, your passport must be valid for at least six months after your departure. NOTE: If you also have Israeli citizenship, you must enter and exit Israel using your Israeli passport, so make sure it is up-to-date as well!

Do I need any immunizations before traveling?

Israel is a first-world country with a top-rate health care system. You are not required to have any immunizations or medications to travel to Israel. We view these issues as a matter of personal choice for which you should consult a trusted physician at least 4-6 weeks prior to trip departure. The Center for Disease Control recommends that travelers to Israel receive immunizations for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B as well as have all routine vaccinations up-to-date. However, many travelers go to Israel without any special vaccinations. We have provided the official recommendations by the CDC so you are aware, but please consult your physician who can help you to make an informed decision.

Can I make my own flight arrangements?

Although we do not encourage it, participants are allowed to meet the group at Ben Gurion Airport and will receive a flight credit accordingly. In such a situation, please contact our office to coordinate your plans with the timing of our group flights.

How academic is this program? Will I be sitting in class a lot?

ILSI is more education-oriented than other Passport travel programs, but that doesn’t mean that you will feel like you’re in school. It means that you will have in-depth discussions about the places that you see and the related history and current events. You’ll get to meet Israelis who have a stake and a say in the contemporary social and political situation, and you’ll have a chance to contribute your efforts in several meaningful service projects. You’ll also travel all over the country, and have lots of fun! If you’ve been to a BBYO summer leadership program before, then you know that it’s possible to learn an incredible amount while also having the time of your life.

Do I need to be in good physical shape to enjoy ILSI?

There is some hiking which is an essential part of exploring Israel, since much of the country's beauty and history is in its wilderness. However, physical activity is not the emphasis of this trip, and the itineraries are designed so that everyone can participate and enjoy themselves.

I have friends/family in Israel who would like to see me while I’m there. Will there be a chance for that?

The best option for visiting with people in Israel is to extend your stay beyond the end of the program. Once your exact flights are announced in March, just contact the office to make those arrangements (flight change fees will apply). If there’s someone you’d like to meet up with only briefly, then depending on where they live there may be an opportunity for them to visit you on the AMHSI campus or at your hotel during a Shabbat afternoon or a lightly-programmed evening. Arrangements for such a visit should wait until you get to Israel and discuss the options with your program leader.

What is the weather like?

In general, the weather in Israel during the summer can be quite hot, although the climate varies significantly in different parts of the country. It is very dry in the desert, with intense heat in the daytime and cool & windy nights. Along the coast near Tel Aviv, it is much more humid. In the mountains up north and in the Jerusalem area both the temperature and humidity are more moderate, although it is still very warm. The good news is that you never have to worry about rain. Leave the umbrella at home, but bring plenty of T-shirts and a sweatshirt, too. Because of the extremely strong sun, you will usually be required to wear a hat and a shirt that covers your shoulders whenever you are outside.

How much clothing will I need to bring? Will there be an opportunity to do laundry? What kind of suitcase do you recommend?

About two months prior to the start of the program, we will post a detailed pre-trip preparation manual for each trip, which will include suggestions for the type of clothing needed. There will be an opportunity to do laundry twice on the AMHSI campus. You should try to pack as light as possible, in a rolling suitcase or duffel, because you will need to be able to transport your own bags between your bus and accommodations at each stop of the trip. It’s a good idea to also bring a smaller duffel bag inside your suitcase, so that when you leave campus for a few days you can take only what you need for that time.

Will I need a sleeping bag?

No, whenever you stay overnight away from campus, linens or sleeping bags are provided. However, you will need to bring several towels for use at the AMSHI campus, where bed linens are provided but towels are not.

Will I need any special equipment to be able to use electrical appliances?

The electrical current in Israel is 220V. Therefore, unless the charger for your mp3 player or camera says on the label that it works with 220V current, you will need an electrical converter in order to protect the device from damage. Also, the outlets in Israel are a different shape from those in the U.S., so you will need a plug adapter to plug anything in. Converters and adapters can be purchased in most electronics or luggage stores. Remember, anything you bring with you is at your own risk, so we don't recommend bringing items that are extremely valuable to you.

How much spending money is recommended? Should I bring traveler’s checks?

How much money you will need depends mostly on your own shopping plans. All of your programming costs are covered, so you will only need money for snacks, personal souvenirs, and gifts for family and friends back home. Most people find that $100 per week is more than enough. You should not bring travelers’ checks, as you will not have an opportunity to cash them during the trip. Instead, we recommend the Payoneer pre-paid debit card system. (Information will be provided to participants.)

Are scholarships available?

When it comes to Israel travel, many scholarships are available. Jewish communities throughout North America have created special funds to help high school-age teens get to Israel over the summer. Translation: money for you! Check out the Scholarship Info page for tips on how obtain scholarship funding. There is also some financial assistance available from BBYO; contact the Passport office for an application.

Who's Coming?

87 people have signed up so far

Carly H. Liora B. Max F. Daniel A. Robert D. Samantha D. Hannah S. Natalie W. Talia M. Shira I. brette W. Sarah E. Drew S. Jenna S. Shira B. Jess T. Alyssa B. Maya B. Amit B. Adam R. Sara L. Adam N. Elliott S. Lindsey P. Arielle B. Keren S. Melissa E. Samantha L. Jessica G. Jason G. Marshall F. Becca G. Jeff H. Sarah W. Hannah K. Ethan T. Sarah A. Daniel B. Ethan S. Nathan S. Aviva T. Emmalee K. Nora P. Lauren R. Jessica M. Aimee R. Orli B. Alex R. Jonathan K. Ira R. Marni H. Daniel C. Lindsey R. Jordan R. Julia C. Elena G. Sam T. Benjamin K. Andi D. Romane T. Ashley U. Jacob M. Jesse S. Benjamin G. Samantha S. Allie P. Samuel H. Jay K. Adam Q. Matthew H. Mac Kenzie S. David B. Hayley G. Cara S. Alexandra H. Sharon L. Leanna R. Nicholas G. Jenny S. Rachel S. Wesley P. Hannah Z. Jessica L. Arielle D. Knox M. Abigail R. Jakob K.