RootOne, an ambitious startup initiative working to radically transform the trajectory of North American Jewry by providing access to high-quality educational experiences to Israel for North American Jewish teens, announced today that in addition to offering trips to Israel it is partnering with trip provider organizations to offer immersive Jewish experiences outside of Israel during summer 2025. Teens will have the option this summer to use a RootOne voucher to travel to alternative locations, including Greece, Belgium, Costa Rica, Spain and more. Each trip will include the participation of Israeli teens, and all itineraries will have a focus on current events in Israel and on global Jewish peoplehood to prepare Jewish teens for the future, particularly as they face antisemitism on college campuses.
All RootOne-funded trips have Israeli teens join for several days to help create unique bonds with North American trip participants, adding an interpersonal dimension to the experience to complement sightseeing and other activities. The alternative trips this summer will include this important aspect, with one Israeli teen joining for every five North Americans. Research shows that the mifgash, a Hebrew word that means “encounter” or “meeting,”is one of the most impactful aspects of RootOne’s classic Israel trips.
The alternative trips are offered in partnership with BBYO, the Union for Reform Judaism, Eli and Bessie Cohen Camps, JCC Association of North America and the Chabad Teen Network (CTeen).
“Travel experiences in Israel remain RootOne’s top priority, but we take seriously the realities of the current geopolitical situation and its impact on teen travel to Israel,” said Simon Amiel, executive director of RootOne. “Our hope is that these alternative trips, which we plan to only offer this summer, will foster a strong sense of global Jewish peoplehood, which can be built upon with Israel experience in subsequent years. We simply cannot let another year go by with thousands of Jewish teens missing out on opportunities to connect with Israeli peers and be prepared for stepping foot on a college campus.”
Incubated at the Jewish Education Project, RootOne’s innovative and rapidly growing model is maximizing the number of young people participating in travel to Israel. Aimed at rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders, RootOne engages teens during their most formative years. The classic RootOne Teen Experience encompasses approximately 10 hours of pre-trip learning, an engaging trip to Israel with a RootOne-funded trip provider and a robust set of post-trip engagement opportunities to learn and connect with alumni. The pre-trip learning for alternative trips has been adapted from the classic Israel offerings to focus more on global Jewish peoplehood and be appropriate for the additional destinations and trip providers.
The organization provides vouchers to subsidize the cost of participation and helps teens find the experience that is best suited for each of them. Vouchers for the summer 2025 trip offerings range from $2,000-$3,000. Voucher recipients for non-Israel trips this summer are still eligible for a RootOne Voucher for travel to Israel in future years, as long as they are in the right age range. If a student has already received a RootOne Israel Voucher, they will not be eligible for an alternative trip voucher.
RootOne works with trip organizers and providers to ensure that all RootOne-affiliated experiences meet the highest standards of educational content that will build pride and confidence in Israel literacy while incorporating fun activities and catering to and respecting the diversity of thought of trip participants.
“Similar to how we adjusted when the pandemic presented challenges to the facilitation of these travel opportunities, we are ready to meet the current moment and offer new ways for young people to gain meaningful Jewish experiences,” said David Bryfman, CEO of the Jewish Education Project.“Now is precisely the time when Jewish teens should have the opportunity to learn about their culture, bond with other American and Israeli Jews, and strengthen their connection to global Jewry. In fact, we know that the relationships built during RootOne trips are the ones Jewish young people lean on for years to come, particularly amid challenging times.”
Since 2020, more than 15,000 young people have participated in RootOne-affiliated experiences. After trips in the summer of 2024, more than 70% of participants reported feeling a sense of responsibility to Israel and 83% said that it was very important for them to be involved with Jewish life once they arrived on campus.
“My experience on a RootOne trip to Israel was life-changing,” said Raya Sulman, who participated in a RootOne trip in the summer of 2023. “I experienced Israel firsthand, met Israeli friends and strengthened my Jewish and Zionist identity. I am now in college at Lehigh University and my RootOne trip prepared me more than anything else to navigate campus antisemitism and ensure I could proudly and confidently stand up for myself and my Jewish peers.”
Media Contact: RootOne@berlinrosen.com.