BJ Family Israel Trip: 2026

For the first time in nearly a decade, BJ families have the opportunity to travel together to Israel for an immersive experience of learning, spiritual connection and community building. Israel is central to Jewish life – spiritually, culturally, and politically – and its future matters profoundly. Led by Rabbis Felicia Sol and Deena Cowans, the trip will allow children and adults to grow and deepen their connection to the land and people of Israel in countless ways. Nothing can build a more powerful relationship with Israel, than actually spending time there in community.

On this nine-day trip, we will immerse ourselves in the history of our people and the spiritual homeland of our religion. The itinerary will bring us to ancient and modern sites, uncovering many complexities of modern day Israel, all while having fun and deepening our connection to this sacred land and community. A meaningful relationship with Israel must be built on knowledge—honest, rigorous, and expansive.

As part of deepening our connection to Israel, we will visit many of the country’s major sites, from the Kotel and the shuk (market) to opportunities for learning and reflection at sites connected to the events of October 7 and their ongoing impact (in age-appropriate ways). We will also meet some of BJ’s partners in Israel, hear from diverse speakers, and come home with new friendships, new questions, and a renewed commitment to both Israel and the BJ community.

Our trip will begin at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, December 23, and end with a closing dinner Thursday, December 31.

Inclusions: accommodations: December 23–26 in Jerusalem (4 nights), December 27-28 in Tel Aviv (2 nights), December 29-31 in Sde Boker (2 nights), all activities and entrance fees, transportation, guide, and some meals.

Exclusions: airfare, travel to and from the airport (if arriving or leaving early/late), and some meals

Note: all participants must make their own round-trip flight arrangements. Families who arrive by 2:00 PM on December 23 will be picked up at the airport; families who will be arriving before December 23 or after 2:00 PM that day will be given information on where and when to meet the group for our first activity or at the hotel. At the end of the trip, participants will have the option of taking a transfer to Jerusalem or to the airport, in time to take flights departing at 11:00 PM on December 31 or later.

Registered participants who wish to extend their stay and need to add days to their hotel booking can make those arrangements directly with Ramah Israel Institute.

• Adult: $3,600 
• Child (ages 2-12): $3,300
• Teen (ages 13+): $3,600

Supplements

• Single supplement +$1,400 (i.e., $5,000 for only one adult in one room)
• Non-member supplement: +$250 per person (i.e., one non-member adult in double occupancy = $3,850)

How Can I Pay?

Payment for the trip can be made in full upon registration (preferred) or through four installments.

If you would like to pay via installments, please select one of the Payment Plan options upon registration. Your first installment of $750 per person is required to complete your registration, and please contact Tamika Graves in the Advancement Department at tgraves@bj.org to arrange payments for the remaining installments, according to the schedule below. Note: if you register after any subsequent installment dates have passed, the initial installment will include the additional amount(s).

Payment Methods

You may pay online by ACH or credit card; if paying by credit card, an additional 3% will be added to the total cost.

If you are paying by check, please select pay later at the end of checkout and mail your check to:

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun
Attn: Danielle Freedman Wald
270 West 89th Street
New York, NY 10024

• Checks should be made out to: Congregation B’nai Jeshurun
• In the Memo, please write: Family Israel Trip 2026

Checks should be sent by June 15, or, if registered after that date, immediately upon registration.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be made via email to dcowans@bj.org 

Who is this trip for?

This trip is geared toward families with children in 2nd through 8th grades. On certain days (see below), there will be tracks for older and younger children, but most of the touring will be together. Older and younger siblings are invited to join the family trip, though programming will not be specifically geared to children older or younger than the target ages; there will be a separate teen track for students in 9th-12th grade. Parents of 9th-12th graders who wish to travel to Israel with the BJ trip are welcome to join the family group. 

My politics are X, Y, or Z. Is this trip for me?

Yes! Our goal is to encourage learners of all ages to ask questions that will deepen their knowledge and connection to Israel, regardless of how you define your politics. We hope that over the course of the trip, everyone has some moments of feeling deeply validated, some moments of feeling challenged, and many moments of learning from each other, our guides and speakers, and the sites we visit.

Before and after the trip, we will have learning opportunities as a travel group to deepen our dialogue with each other and learn to listen through complexity. We will explore language for expressing what we believe and why, and will form mutually caring, respectful relationships that allow us to probe and understand each other better. 

Learn more about how the BJ community approaches Israel engagement.

Who is the Trip Provider?

We are excited to be working with Ramah Israel Institute, an Israel trip provider with decades of experience running family Israel trips. You can learn more about them here: https://ramah.org.il/rii/

What About Safety and Security?

As we unfortunately know, Israel has been caught in violent conflict too many times in her short history. While in Israel, we will have a security guard with our group when Ramah Israel Institute (RII) deems it necessary, and RII is in constant communication with Israeli security services and government officials. Updates to the daily itinerary will be made as necessary based on real-time security assessments. In case of security concerns before or during the trip, BJ will make a determination according to RII’s recommendation. If the trip is cancelled before December 23, 2026, due to force majeure, payment will be refunded, less a $300 per person administrative fee. We strongly encourage everyone to purchase trip insurance.

What is the Trip Itinerary?

Below is a sample itinerary; details are subject to change based on conditions. 

• December 23, “Welcome”: Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, opening ceremony, welcome to Jerusalem, opening dinner
• December 24, “Jerusalem of Gold”: Exploring Jerusalem: tefillah at Kotel, explore the Old City, evening speaker for adults/activity for kids
• December 25, “Yizkor (Remember)”: Yad va’Shem (5th grade and older)/Biblical Zoo (4th grade and younger), Har Herzl, Kabbalat Shabbat and dinner with Israeli community 
• December 26, “Shabbat”: Shabbat services, lunch, free time, night out in Jerusalem
• December 27, “Tel Aviv: The Hebrew City”: Travel to Tel Aviv, tour of Tel Aviv including Shuk and graffiti tour, dinner with Ethiopian community
• December 28, “Giving Back and Modern Israel”: Volunteering project, museum visits, Krav Maga workshop, dinner at Na’lagaat Center
• December 29, “Bearing Witness”: Visit to October 7th sites and speakers in the South (5th grade and older)/archeological dig and Beersheva exploration (4th grade and younger)
• December 30, “Lowest Place on Earth”: Masada and the Dead Sea
• December 31, “Siyyum, Wrapping Up”: Hike in the Negev, art workshop, final dinner, transfer to Jerusalem or airport

What about content that is not appropriate for younger children?

On two of the days, there will be programming split by ages, based on content that is appropriate for younger or older children. Yad va’Shem has a strict policy that all visitors must be at least 10 years old, and we also will be visiting several sites associated with the horrors of October 7. On these days, we will have Israeli madrikhim (counselors) to allow families to split up or send younger children to a more appropriate activity while others in the family visit Yad va’Shem or October 7 sites. Families who do not wish to split up will be able to travel together to the younger children’s activity. We will also have an evening speaker for adults while in Jerusalem, while children will travel to a special excursion with madrikhim and staff. 

Will the trip fill up?

Probably, yes! Registration is available on a first come, first serve basis until we fill one bus (40 people). If registration fills up, we will open a waitlist; if numbers allow, we may offer a second bus.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

For questions about content and itinerary, please contact Deena. For questions about payment, please contact Danielle Freedman Wald.  

I’m in! Where do I sign up?