Ninety American college students from across the U.S. recently returned from Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alternative Winter Break in Israel, a transformative experience that brought young leaders together for hands-on volunteerism and immersive educational experiences across the Jewish homeland. Through impactful learning and service that inspired their lifelong Zionist identity, participants supported programs that strengthen Israel’s social fabric; uplift soldiers and families; and highlight the power of resilience, unity and leadership in action.
The trip was centered on solidarity, with participants making care packages and preparing meals for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. They also completed agricultural volunteer work at Adam V’Adama School, a boarding school supported by Jewish National Fund-USA that transforms agricultural education by connecting students to the land while cultivating tomorrow’s leaders.
As part of the program’s emphasis on leadership and responsibility, every student raised more than $2,000 in advance of the trip, directly supporting the Jewish National Fund-USA initiatives and affiliates they later visited and volunteered with in Israel.
The trip emphasized inclusion and opportunity, showcasing how, through Jewish National Fund-USA, Israeli society is creating pathways for individuals of all abilities to contribute and thrive. Participants volunteered with Special in Uniform, an innovative program supported by Jewish National Fund-USA that integrates Israelis with disabilities into the IDF and supports their long-term career placement and meaningful participation in Israeli society.
The group also took part in ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran’s annual “Race for Inclusion,” experiencing the work of the one-of-a-kind rehabilitative village in Israel’s South that provides high-level services and care for individuals with severe cognitive and physical disabilities.
Thanks to a partnership between Jewish National Fund-USA’s Boruchin Center and Yavneh on Campus, many of the students were members of Yavneh, a group of passionate and inspired student leaders creating Jewish life and community on college campuses and in cities across North America.
“Seeing the impact we as students have been able to make has been amazing,” said Eyal Lubin, president of Yavneh on Campus, who attends the University of Pennsylvania. “I try to do as much for my fellow Jewish students on campus, and I think this trip has really strengthened my resolve. I’ve returned to campus reinvigorated and ready to bring more energy and enthusiasm about Judaism, Zionism and Israel.”
The students also honored those who were killed on Oct. 7 while reaffirming hope for the future. They visited the Sderot Police Station Memorial that commemorates the battle that took place in Sderot on that day, as well as the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre and Tkuma, an improvised memorial created with cars that were burned at the Nova festival during the terrorist attack.
Additionally, participants visited Jewish National Fund-USA’s and KKL-JNF’s 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem, the only site outside the United States that lists the names of those who perished on Sept. 11.
“This was my third time visiting several of these sites since Oct. 7,” said Barnard College student Eliana Birman.
“Each of those places looked so different each time I was there. I really appreciated how these sites have been developed in the last few years, and I’m grateful to Jewish National Fund-USA for turning these places into a beautiful way of commemorating the lives lost and making sure to tell everyone’s story individually, which I think is something that we did throughout the trip,” she said.
Jewish National Fund-USA is the largest provider of Israel engagement programs in the United States, linking learning, travel and leadership so youth, families, and adults stay connected to the land and people of Israel for life.
The next Alternative Break Trip is taking place from May 24 to May 31.
For more information, visit: jnf.org/abtrips. To learn more about Jewish National Fund-USA’s support for college students, visit: jnf.org/campus.
Media Contact: Joseph Krebs: 212-879-9305 x 226 or jkrebs@jnf.org
