BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL
Birthright with Brown RISD Hillel
| FAQs | SAMPLE ITINERARY | PACKING LIST | STUDENT GALLERY
The next Brown RISD Birthright trip is scheduled for August 16 - 26, 2021!
What is Birthright? Brown RISD Birthright is a 10-day, all-expenses-paid immersive trip to Israel. We'll visit some of the most beautiful and historic sites in the country, engage with the culture and history of the land, and open up complex conversations about peoplehood and Judaism. The trip's content will be specifically tailored to the interests and passions of the Brown and RISD students who join us!
SIGN UP TODAY OR OUR SUMMER TRIP!
Visit freeisraeltrip.org/brownRISD now to start your application (make sure to use this specific link to ensure that your application will appear in our campus account)
Check out photos from past trips here
FAQs for Summer 2021
Get ready to…
kayak down the Jordan River • meet with an artist in Tzfat • sip at a winery • hang out with Israeli peers • learn about modern Israeli politics • tour the Old City and visit the Western Wall • shop (and dance!) at the shuk • celebrate and rest on Shabbat • enjoy Jerusalem’s nightlife • ride a camel • meditate on a desert night hike • trek up and down Masada • float in the Dead Sea • stroll through Tel Aviv
What if I am not sure of my plans, but I want to try to go on a trip at some point?
If you aren't sure about your summer plans, but you are interested in the trip, we encourage you to begin your application and pay the fully refundable deposit. If you decide not to travel with us this summer, your deposit will be refunded for you or you can roll it over to a future trip.
You’re saying we’ll travel in August...won’t Covid still be around?
Yes, and yes. Covid-19 will still be present in August, but we are cautiously optimistic that the remarkable success of Israel's vaccination campaign combined with the projections that most US residents will be vaccinated by the summer means travel will be relatively safe. Brown RISD Hillel’s staff, Birthright, and our trip organizers will take every precaution to ensure the health and wellness of each participant.
We do anticipate that Covid-19 will have an impact on the content (but not the quality!) of our trip. More details about our itinerary, a well as the specific precautions we’re taking to make the mental and physical health of participants our top priority, will be announced soon.
See more Covid-related FAQs, including specific information about testing and antibody requirements, here.
Will we have to quarantine when we land in Israel?
No!
What if I sign up and then I can’t go? Will I get my deposit back?
When you register, you are required to pay a deposit to be considered for admission. If you decide you cannot go, you can withdraw and receive your deposit back if you do so before the withdrawal deadline (35 days before the trip departs). If you withdraw after this deadline, you will lose the deposit. The deadline will be communicated to all students who register, so that there is no confusion.
If I register am I guaranteed a spot?
The short answer is, unfortunately, no. Registration is a bit of a numbers game because we cannot predict how many students will register; however, we truly work very hard to accommodate everyone who registers. See ‘Eligibility’ below for more info.
Can I go with friends from other schools?
Non-Brown and RISD students can sign up for the Brown RISD trip. Brown and RISD students get priority, and then if there are additional spots available, we will be happy to consider other applicants!
Is there anything I have to pay for?
Participants will receive their $250 deposit back upon completion of the trip, but the deposit must be paid upfront in order to secure your seat on the bus. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the airport, and for the cost of one meal a day on their own. Participants are also asked to bring $70 in tip money for tour providers in Israel. Any shopping or additional spending money is at your discretion.
Can I extend my trip and travel around Israel?
Yes! Contact Joe for more information.
Why should I go with Brown RISD Hillel?
Student Testimonial:
The advantage I saw with traveling with Brown was multifaceted. For one, Brown students tend to be very well informed politically and largely aware of current issues. I acknowledged the sensitive nature of politics in the region and wanted to be spending time with people that were cognizant and aware and willing to discuss these issues as a group in a responsible and informed way. Brown students tend to have similar views in general, so I felt more comfortable traveling with people who largely see eye to eye on many issues and are largely welcoming to diverse populations, which made me feel more comfortable as a non-binary person.
Additionally, I wanted to make lifelong friends on the trip that I would be able to keep in touch with on campus and maintain ties with, have lunches, and talk to during the semester and attend various Hillel and Jewish events with. I traveled the summer after my sophomore year and so I had ample time left on campus to make friends and form lasting ties which I did with several people on the trip.
A final reason is that by attending the trip with Brown, I was able to explore my Jewish identity further after the trip through continued involvement with Hillel. The trip absolutely changed the way I rationalize my Jewish identity and helped me become much more comfortable attending ceremonies, prayers, and Shabbat dinners—all things that had never been a part of my upbringing, but that I would like to bring to my life going forward.
Eligibility:
Birthright Israel is an innovative partnership between the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, private philanthropists through the Birthright Israel Foundation and Jewish communities around the world (North American Jewish Federations, Keren Hayesod, and The Jewish Agency for Israel).
http://www.birthrightisrael.com/
| FAQs | SAMPLE ITINERARY | PACKING LIST | STUDENT GALLERY
The next Brown RISD Birthright trip is scheduled for August 16 - 26, 2021!
What is Birthright? Brown RISD Birthright is a 10-day, all-expenses-paid immersive trip to Israel. We'll visit some of the most beautiful and historic sites in the country, engage with the culture and history of the land, and open up complex conversations about peoplehood and Judaism. The trip's content will be specifically tailored to the interests and passions of the Brown and RISD students who join us!
SIGN UP TODAY OR OUR SUMMER TRIP!
Visit freeisraeltrip.org/brownRISD now to start your application (make sure to use this specific link to ensure that your application will appear in our campus account)
- Be sure to select Brown or RISD as your school
- Please note that filling out this application does not guarantee you a spot on the trip, but it will ensure that you are included in our prioritization considerations.
- We have limited spots available so please sign up as soon as possible!
Check out photos from past trips here
FAQs for Summer 2021
Get ready to…
kayak down the Jordan River • meet with an artist in Tzfat • sip at a winery • hang out with Israeli peers • learn about modern Israeli politics • tour the Old City and visit the Western Wall • shop (and dance!) at the shuk • celebrate and rest on Shabbat • enjoy Jerusalem’s nightlife • ride a camel • meditate on a desert night hike • trek up and down Masada • float in the Dead Sea • stroll through Tel Aviv
What if I am not sure of my plans, but I want to try to go on a trip at some point?
If you aren't sure about your summer plans, but you are interested in the trip, we encourage you to begin your application and pay the fully refundable deposit. If you decide not to travel with us this summer, your deposit will be refunded for you or you can roll it over to a future trip.
You’re saying we’ll travel in August...won’t Covid still be around?
Yes, and yes. Covid-19 will still be present in August, but we are cautiously optimistic that the remarkable success of Israel's vaccination campaign combined with the projections that most US residents will be vaccinated by the summer means travel will be relatively safe. Brown RISD Hillel’s staff, Birthright, and our trip organizers will take every precaution to ensure the health and wellness of each participant.
We do anticipate that Covid-19 will have an impact on the content (but not the quality!) of our trip. More details about our itinerary, a well as the specific precautions we’re taking to make the mental and physical health of participants our top priority, will be announced soon.
See more Covid-related FAQs, including specific information about testing and antibody requirements, here.
Will we have to quarantine when we land in Israel?
No!
What if I sign up and then I can’t go? Will I get my deposit back?
When you register, you are required to pay a deposit to be considered for admission. If you decide you cannot go, you can withdraw and receive your deposit back if you do so before the withdrawal deadline (35 days before the trip departs). If you withdraw after this deadline, you will lose the deposit. The deadline will be communicated to all students who register, so that there is no confusion.
If I register am I guaranteed a spot?
The short answer is, unfortunately, no. Registration is a bit of a numbers game because we cannot predict how many students will register; however, we truly work very hard to accommodate everyone who registers. See ‘Eligibility’ below for more info.
Can I go with friends from other schools?
Non-Brown and RISD students can sign up for the Brown RISD trip. Brown and RISD students get priority, and then if there are additional spots available, we will be happy to consider other applicants!
Is there anything I have to pay for?
Participants will receive their $250 deposit back upon completion of the trip, but the deposit must be paid upfront in order to secure your seat on the bus. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the airport, and for the cost of one meal a day on their own. Participants are also asked to bring $70 in tip money for tour providers in Israel. Any shopping or additional spending money is at your discretion.
Can I extend my trip and travel around Israel?
Yes! Contact Joe for more information.
Why should I go with Brown RISD Hillel?
Student Testimonial:
The advantage I saw with traveling with Brown was multifaceted. For one, Brown students tend to be very well informed politically and largely aware of current issues. I acknowledged the sensitive nature of politics in the region and wanted to be spending time with people that were cognizant and aware and willing to discuss these issues as a group in a responsible and informed way. Brown students tend to have similar views in general, so I felt more comfortable traveling with people who largely see eye to eye on many issues and are largely welcoming to diverse populations, which made me feel more comfortable as a non-binary person.
Additionally, I wanted to make lifelong friends on the trip that I would be able to keep in touch with on campus and maintain ties with, have lunches, and talk to during the semester and attend various Hillel and Jewish events with. I traveled the summer after my sophomore year and so I had ample time left on campus to make friends and form lasting ties which I did with several people on the trip.
A final reason is that by attending the trip with Brown, I was able to explore my Jewish identity further after the trip through continued involvement with Hillel. The trip absolutely changed the way I rationalize my Jewish identity and helped me become much more comfortable attending ceremonies, prayers, and Shabbat dinners—all things that had never been a part of my upbringing, but that I would like to bring to my life going forward.
Eligibility:
- Only students who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by August 1, 2021 will be eligible for the August 2021 trip. Please also note that this is our first Birthright trip since Winter 2019; as such, we are expecting more students to be interested than we have available spots, so we will announce further eligibility and prioritization guidelines soon. Reach out to joe_blumberg@brown.edu with any questions.
- General Birthright eligibility: Someone who is 18-32, who identifies as a member of the Jewish people with at least one Jewish parent or has converted through any recognized denomination, and who has not been on a peer trip to Israel for longer than 3 months. More info here.
- Someone who does not identify as Jewish, or doesn't have a Jewish parent, who has lived in Israel after their 12th birthday for longer than 3 months, has been on an organized trip to Israel after the age of 18, or who has begun but not completed the conversion process.
Birthright Israel is an innovative partnership between the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, private philanthropists through the Birthright Israel Foundation and Jewish communities around the world (North American Jewish Federations, Keren Hayesod, and The Jewish Agency for Israel).
http://www.birthrightisrael.com/
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