Scholarships for First-time Teen Trips to Israel

The Jewish Community Federation provides needs-based scholarships for Jewish teens in grades 8-12 who live in the Federation Service Area (Sonoma and Marin Counties, San Francisco and the Peninsula, Sunnyvale and north) to travel on an organized teen trip to Israel for the first time. Please note these funds are for short term Israel trips. Please contact JCF's Scholarship Program Manager at MeganK@sfjcf.org with any questions regarding short term Israel trips.

For long term Israel trip information, please contact the Israel Center at IsraelCenter@sfjcf.org.

Scholarship funds are provided by generous grants from the Stephanie Praszker Memorial Fund, the William S. Friedman Scholarship Fund for Teen Trips to Israel, and other funds administered by the Jewish Community Federation.

How to apply

For Let's Go Israel and other summer trips, online applications must be submitted by March 15th. For all other programs, apply at least twelve (12) weeks prior to trip departure.

Eligible Israel trips

• Let's Go Israel
• Diller Teen Fellows Summer Seminar
• Shalhevet (Israel and Poland)
• March of the Living (Israel and Poland)
• Camp Tawonga's Teen Service Learning
• NFTY-EIE
• Ramah Israel
• Young Judea
• Nesiya
• Oranim
• Habonim Dror
• B'nai Akiva Israel Experience
• Jewish day school trips to Israel
• Write On For Israel
• Other Israel trips on a case-by-case basis

Scholarship award process

All application data is held strictly confidential and reviewed without any identifying information (anonymously) by JCF’s Scholarship Committee, which determines awards based on financial need. For summer 2013 trips, applicants will be notified in May of 2013. Award checks made out to the Israel trip provider will be sent to the families to forward to the provider.

Scholarship requirements

• Teens in grades 8-12 participating in their first organized teen trip to Israel may apply. Applicants may have previously traveled to Israel with family or with a community/synagogue tour, but NOT an organized teen trip.
• Applicants must live in the Federation Service Area (Sonoma and Marin Counties, San Francisco and the Peninsula, Sunnyvale and north). 
• Scholarships will support up to four weeks of a first-time teen trip to Israel.
• Children must be Jewish (as identified by their families).  
• Scholarship funds are to be used strictly for program fees and travel.

Gift of Israel Savings Plan

For families who wish to release funds from their child's Gift of Israel Savings Plan (a program offered by Federation): Please visit the Gift of Israel webpage for program information and online forms to sign up and release your savings. Questions can be addressed to Kinneret Rogers at KinneretR@sfjcf.org.

For more information:For application related questions please contact 1800-537-4180 or JCF@scholarshipamerica.org
For all other questions contact JCF’s Scholarship Program Manager at MeganK@sfjcf.org