How the Program Works
Youth through age 26 can raise money for a trip to Israel by asking family and friends to plant trees with JNF. Half of the proceeds of each donation ($36 minimum) will go towards planting a tree in Israel and the other half goes into a student account which can be redeemed for any trip to Israel. Special tree certificates (one per each $36 donation) is sent to a designee on behalf of the donor. Funds may be redeemed when a total of 10 sales have been made, and $180 is accrued towards the student trip.
How to Enroll
Fill out the online application form. If the participant is under 18, his or her parent/legal guardian must read acknowledge the attached parent consent form.
Account Information
The account will be managed by Jewish National Fund. Participants will be notified of their progress via updates in their personal website and “Participant Center” online. Redemption of funds will be made upon the participant’s request, once a total of 10 trees have been planted, and a total of $180 has accrued towards the Israel trip. See below for details on redeeming PYW funds. When the participant reaches age 19, his or her Plant Your Way account will be rolled over into a Build Your Way account, if necessary. Account transfer is available to a sibling with JNF prior approval. If the Israel trip is not redeemed by the undersigned participant’s 25th birthday the funds will become the property of JNF. Should participation be canceled at any time, or if it has not been transferred to a sibling, the money from the account will be used for JNF projects in Israel.
Step By Step:
A Guide to Your PYW Fundraising Webpage
By utilizing your personal PYW fundraising webpage you will be able to raise more money for Israel. Download Step By Step: A Guide to Your PYW Fundraising Webpage to learn how to personalize your page, track donor progress, register offline gifts and more.
Redeeming Your Plant Your Way Funds
Redemption will be made directly to the sponsoring organization or travel agent upon receipt of an original invoice stating the participant’s name, the nature of the trip, and the amount owed. Please allow 3 weeks for the redemption request to be processed.
Follow these 2 easy steps to redeem your Plant Your Way to Israel funds:
- Print and complete the Plant Your Way Reimbursement Form.
- Provide an original invoice from your travel agent or sponsoring trip organization (e.g.: youth group or school) which states the amount owed.
Send this information to:
Jewish National Fund
42 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10021
Attn: Education/PYW
Fax: 212-861-5781
Email: Education@jnf.org
(subject line: PYW Redemption)
What Program to Choose
PYW funds can be used for trips to Israel with your family, your school, or any organized student program. There are many trips to choose from. Below is a list of PYW’s featured Israel programs. Special programming includes Tikun Olam, our social action track, an ecological program called Sviva, and Te’amim, which explores the diversity of Israel. Please use the contact information provided to get more information for each program.
Students, is your trip listed here? Include the trip logo and blurb on your personal PYW website!
Right click with your mouse on the logo to “save picture as” for uploading, and then “copy” and “paste” the trip description below onto your personal page. (You will need to complete these steps first, and then login in to your PYW “ParticipantCenter” to complete editing your personal page.)
USY Israel Pilgrimage:
More than just a tour of Israel, USY Israel Pilgrimage is a complete experience in the Jewish homeland. You’ll climb Masada, swim in the waters of the Kinneret, pray at the Kotel and drink tea in a Bedouin tent on the sands of the Negev desert. Half of your trip will send you traveling throughout the Galilee and the Negev the rest will bring you back to your home away from home, Jerusalem. You can begin your tour in Poland, Eastern Europe or Italy. To learn more, contact Aviva Tilles USY Israel Pilgrimage Coordinator at pilgrimage@uscj.org or 212-533-7500 ext 1146.
NFTY IN ISRAEL: Since 1958, thousands of families have chosen to send their teens to Israel with the North American Federation of Temple Youth. Our Israel programs are only one of the many life changing experiences offered to Reform teens by the Union for Reform Judaism. Teen summer programs in Israel are recognized not only as spectacular opportunities for fun and friendship but as defining and transforming Jewish growth experiences as well. All those who care deeply about ensuring a vibrant Jewish future, appreciate the impact of a substantive Israel program on young people. Parents, potential participants, rabbis and synagogue leaders need to know how to choose the appropriate Israel experience for their teens. Not all programs are created equal!
The NFTY-EIE High School in Israel is for Jewish young people in grades 10 through 12. Since its inception in 1961, over two thousand high school students from the United States and Canada have participated in the program. Their high schools warmly endorsed the program and welcomed the opportunity to have their students participate in this international educational project. The NFTY-EIE High School in Israel is an intensive academic program and is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. All instruction is conducted in English with the exception of the Hebrew Ulpan (language instruction) and other foreign language instruction. The educational structure of the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel includes small classes and small group tutorials ensuring that students fulfill the requirements of their home high schools while immersed in the study of the history, culture and land of Israel. At the conclusion of the program, students receive an official transcript. The NFTY staff works closely with parents and schools to plan a special curriculum that fits into every participant's academic schedule of required courses. Students can arrange to take the Advanced Placement, PSAT, SAT I & II and ACT examinations while in Israel. Students interested in the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel may choose to participate in either the Fall Semester (September - January) or the Spring Semester (February ‑ June). During the course of each semester, students are housed on Kibbutz Tzuba, near Jerusalem.
The Netzer Year A Gap Year Experience is a unique 8-month leadership training program in Israel for recent Reform Jewish high school graduates, under the direction of the Union for Reform Judaism and Netzer Olami, The International Reform Zionist Youth Movement. The Netzer Year develops the skills and knowledge necessary to become leaders in the Reform Movement, your community or on a college campus. The program facilitates personal development, study of Jewish and Zionist ideals, as well as the Reform Movement’s principles and ideology, both in and out of the classroom. The Netzer Year is a fun, challenging and stimulating way to spend 8 months in Israel and to be a member of an exciting and vibrant group. The Netzer Year broadens participant’s horizons and offers an opportunity for self discovery, what it means to be Jewish and to live in Israel. Life-long friendships will be formed within The Netzer Year group and with other Jews from around the world during this opportunity of living, learning and growing as a person and as a Reform Jew. The academic year is spent with other recent Reform Jewish high school graduates from all over the world, including South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Canada, England, the Former Soviet Union, Israel, Germany, Spain and the U.S.A.
For additional information on any of these exciting Israel programs visit http://www.rjisrael.org/ or call The Union For Reform Israel Programs at 212-650-4070
IsraelExperts Affordable Teen Adventure - 3-weeks in Israel including airfare under $3000!
Come join our fabulous Israel teen adventure this summer! Kayak on the Jordan River. Participate in workshops on yoga or Krav Maga Israeli developed self-defense. Learn about life in Israel by getting to know Israelis your own age! Spend four days on a kibbutz in the Negev desert and see how this arid region has come to life. Learn about the environment at Israel’s Eco-Greenhouse programs. We’ll also take time to give back to Israel through volunteer work on an IDF base (Israel Defense Forces) and maybe get a taste of IDF basic training! With IsraelExperts you’ll experience the beauty, excitement, power and meaning of Israel in an open, pluralistic and liberal atmosphere. We’ll challenge ourselves physically as we climb the snake trail up to the ancient fortress of Masada; and mentally as we struggle with the challenges facing the vibrant Jewish Democracy in Israel. IsraelExperts is Israel's leading educational tour operator, so you can be sure this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be both fun-full and meaningful!
A serious program for serious teens who want to have serious fun!
Learn more: www.israelexperts.com
Contact: 1-800-772-2452 x120 steveb@israelexperts.com
Young Judaea Israel Programs
Young Judaea has proudly been running Israel Programs for nearly 60 years and the programming options are endless! The jam-packed programs offer all the fun and excitement of a teen tour plus enriching and challenging extras like Maccabiah, our two-day Festival on the beach, and Special Interest Week which includes army training, a week-long hike, social action, and endless adventures. Participants have the option to travel to Spain, Morocco, and/or Italy before their stay in Israel. Summer Programs range from 3 to 5 weeks, but the experience lasts a lifetime! www.youngjudaea.org
Young Judaea's Year Course in Israel is a 9-month program for recent high school graduates who spend a dynamic year living, volunteering and studying in Israel. Participants are offered a wide variety of experiential, volunteer and academic opportunities. Participants on Year Course have the opportunity to earn up to a full year of university credits. Specialty Tracks include Athletics, Medicine, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Design, Culinary Arts, and a special Judaic enrichment program called Shevet. New programs include an international business track in Israel with trips to China and India and a social action program in which participants volunteer in Ghana for three months of their overall Year Course experience. Olami, the world travel extension of Year Course, includes options to over 20 countries! For more information, please visit us at http://www.youngjudaea.org/ | www.yearcourse.org
BZD - The Ultimate Teen Trip for $2495*& Enter to Win a Free Trip**
BZD’s one month long summer teen trip to Israel is full of adventure, experiences, challenges and new friendships. You will have the opportunity to tour from the north to the south. Float in the Dead Sea, snorkel in Eilat, climb Masada at sunrise, spend a day on an army base, bonfire on the beach, volunteering with JNF, dinner and spend the night at the Bedouin tent after a camel ride in the desert & of course shopping! One of the highlights of the BZD experience is building a raft with your team of peers (there will be 100’s of teens) and then everyone “rafting” across the kinnert! Our mifgashim program is always number one! You will spend three days on a kibbutz creating new life long friendships with your Israeli peers…socialize and volunteer together while you get to experience Kibbutz life and meet their community. BZD subsidized every teen’s trip so the cost of $5999 is less than half price - $2495* with an additional cost of $199 for a registration fee.For more information go to www.bzdisrael.org, or our facebook page or call us at 410-484-4510. This trip is for jewish teens in grades 9, 10,11.
*This price is only for teens in the Baltimore Metro Area. If you do not live in the Baltimore area - you can still be part of the BZD trip for $4200.
** For teens in the Baltimore Area: Enter BZD’s video contest to win a free trip on BZD’s summer 2010teen trip to Israel.
Habonim Dror Israel Experience
Choose from two Israel programs: Machaneh Bonim B'Israel (MBI) or Habonim Dror Worskhop. MBI is a five-week program that incorporates an exploration of Israel with creative educational programming. The tochnit (program) is designed to provide a substantive Israel experience resulting in personal growth, the formation of a relationship to Israel and the development of a national shichva (age group). MBI involves hiking and touring throughout the country, and a strong commitment to educational seminars incorporated into the summer tochnit.
Workshop is the first and longest running gap year program to Israel, going into its 59th year. Members from your national shichvah (age group) will collectively live in Israel for 9 months, experiencing life on kibbutz and in small cities. During this time they learn about and travel the country, form kvutzot (smaller groups) and engage in messimot (long term volunteer projects). Additionally, you will have a chance to meet your World Habonim Dror peers from other countries such as England, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and many others. Special programming includes Tikun Olam, our social action track, an ecological program called Sviva, and Te'amim, which explores the diversity of Israel. Please use the contact information provided to get more information for each program.
Learn more at http://www.habonimdror.org/and contact mailto:programs@habonimdror.orgor 212-255-1796 with any questions.
NJY Camps
The NJY Camps, located on two scenic sites in the Pocono Mtns of Pennsylvania, is the largest Jewish cultural camp is North America. Founded in 1920, the camps offer the finest overnight camp programs for children in grades 1-11. Programming in the arts, sports and academics is conducted by caring professional instructors utilizing state of the art facilities. Our camps are all kosher and celebrate Shabbat in a pluralistic environment. Israel is explored with numerous staff members from Israel as well as programs designed to increase awareness about issues of the Jewish homeland. A trip to Israel is also offered for campers in grades 10 and 11. To learn more about our summer programs at camp and in Israel, contact us at info@njycamps.org or at (973) 575-3333.
Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY)
Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim, the Jerusalem High School, based right in the heart of Jerusalem, is a fully-accredited high school semester (February-June) for 10th and 11th graders. The program offers a full range of academic classes including AP and honors courses as well as superior Israel, Hebrew and Judaic courses. Everyone’s favorite course is the Israel Core Curriculum, which is equal to 18 high school credits. It integrates formal classroom sessions with extensive field trips throughout Israel. TRY is under the auspices of the Conservative Movement and are strictly kosher and Sabbath observant. Contact ramahisrael@jtsa.edu for more information.
Alexander Muss High School in Israel
LEARN in a classroom without walls. LIVE 4000 years of history. LOVE an adventure unlike any other. Grow in ways you could not have imagined. Build life long friendships. See why more than 18,000 alumni say the Alexander Muss High School in Israel was one of the most important experiences of their lives. The Alexander Muss High School in Israel is dedicated to engaging teens to discover, explore and embrace their connection to the history, culture and land of Israel. During an 8- week session, students plunge into the history as the country becomes the classroom. Our seasoned and passionate educators become the students’ mentors as they inspire them to live outside of books, encounter new ideas and challenge themselves in infinite ways. Students have the unique opportunity to take their high school classes with them so that they don't get behind. All this in a place where the past, present and future come together like magic, and where world history is shaped every day. Five sessions offered yearly! The Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education also works with individual Jewish Day Schools to tailor programs (timing and structure) to meet their unique educational goals. AMIIE already serves more than 16 Jewish Day Middle and High Schools from throughout the US. For more information, please visit http://www.amiie.org/.
MASA Israel Journey
"MASA Israel Journey is a joint project of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel that enables thousands of Jewish young adults, ages 18 to 30, to spend a semester or a year in Israel in any of over 180 programs, helping them build a life-long relationship with Israel and a firm commitment to Jewish life. MASA connects young adults to programs that meet their needs and interests, grants and scholarships towards program fees, and support, activities, workshops and resources while they are Israel. For more information, visit www.masaisrael.org.
Gesher Hai
Gesher Hai is Palm Beach County's month long community teen trip to Israel. For $3,200, Palm Beach County teens entering 10th, 11th and 12th grade can enjoy touring all throughout Israel and spend a week with Israeli peers in the Tzahar Region from June 14 - July 8, 2010. Price includes the flight cost. The deadline to apply for scholarships is March 1. Gesher Hai is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and Partnership 2000. For more information and to reserve your spot, please contact: Mia Johnson, Israel Program Coordinator, or 561.242.6609 and visit our website at: http://www.jewishpalmbeach.org/gesherhai.
JNF Travel & Tours - B’nai Mitzvah Trips, Personalized Family Tours & More
JNF has been working the land for nearly 100 years! From the breathtaking views of Mount Carmel overlooking Haifa and the Mediterranean, to the rolling Judean Hills around the holy city of Jerusalem, down to the pristine beauty of the Negev Desert- JNF knows Israel. But traveling with JNF is so much more! No one else can help you take part in building the land of Israel. Tour the sites that JNF has helped redeem and then plant a tree with your very own hands. Get your hands into the earth that has been the focus of Judaism for thousands of years! Make Israel yours through a Jewish National Fund trip and let JNF bring you home to Israel. See a complete list of travel options at support.jnf.org/travel. Contact JNF Travel & Tours at travel@jnf.org, fill out an information request form or call the JNF Travel & Tours at (877) JNF-TOUR(563-8687).
Contact Us
For more information on JNF’s Plant Your Way to Israel program, or if you have any questions, please contact us at education@jnf.org or at 212-879-9305 ext 263.
