Israel Bonds New Leader-
ship Delegation
Dates of travel: July 6-16.
Cost: $2,799, including round-
trip airfare from New York.
(Pre-trip to Turkey, costs an ad-
ditional $949 per person.)
Age range: 28-42. Reality: 30s.
Highlights: Off-limits visits with
government officials, army bases,
meet people who make policy and
who live on the Golan Heights, in
the West Bank. Stay at five-star ho-
tels; most meals included.
For information, call (800) 229-
9650, Ext. 501, 502.
The purpose of the trip is to build
support for Israel, says Beth Block,
field representative in Israel Bonds'
Detroit office. "Because Israel
Bonds is actually part of the Israeli
government, you have VIP privi-
leges. Every delegation meets the
prime minister, whoever's in pow-
er, government officials."
Israel Bonds is built on the concept
of investing in the State of Israel.
Naturally, those who get involved in
its young leadership division are more
of "a professional crowd, people with
more money or who are more estab-
lished," says Block.
There are as many as 40 people per
bus, about four buses in total with
about six staffers on the trip, accord-
ing to Alana Fishberg, North Ameri-
can new leadership assistant director.
United Jew-ish Appeal Summer
Singles Mission
Dates of travel: July 6-17.
Cost: $2,199, plus a $500 minimum
pledge to the 1998 Allied Jewish Cam-
paign (you have 18 months to complete
the pledge). Includes round-trip air-
fare from New York.
Age range: 25-40. Reality: late 20s,
early 30s.
Highlights: The 15th Maccabiah
Games, international Jewish
Olympics, Western Wall, Yad Vashem,
Tel Aviv night clubs, museums, Masa-
da, hiking, jeep rides, a cruise, meet
high-ranking government officials,
scholars, military strategists. Most
meals included.
For information, call Marc Berke,
(248) 642-4260, Ext. 273.
The mission aims to introduce sin-
gles to Israel, says Ginni Walsh, a con-
sultant who does public relations for
the mission department at UJA's New
York office. "Experience Israel, devel-
op an attachment; there's definitely
the spiritual component and also to
have a good time."
Who goes: young professionals.
One UJA staffer per bus (45 singles
on a bus), not including tour guides
and experts. Last year, 28 Detroiters
went, says Jim Rosenberg, director,
campaign and involvement, young
adults at the Jewish Federation of Met-
ropolitan Detroit.
More than 50 people have already
attended recruitment meetings, says
Rosenberg.
The mission actually costs $2,699
per person, but the Federation has sub-
.
and gay rights. While the emphasis
is on learning, NIF staffer Roger Ben-
nett says the trip will also including
hiking and recreational activities.
Although NIF has been leading
"study tours" to Israel for several
years, this trip will be the first to
target people in the 25-40 age
group. The trip is limited to 20 peo-
ple, accompanied by four staff
members.
A participant on an NIF study
tour, Jan Kallish, 39, says it was
"life-changing." Now a member of
NIF's international board, Kallish
says, "It was inspirational, fun and
educational. I had been to Israel sev-
eral times, but this
was clearly the best
trip I've ever been on."
Above: The Israel Bonds' New Leadership Delegation to
Israel introduces young American Jews to government
officials. Pictured are Jonathan Brateman, Mark Karlan,
Marian Gross, Finance Minister Dan Meridor, Howard
Goldstein, Howard Katz and, holding child, Bill Kopchinsky.
Right: Israel Bonds participants met with
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
siclized each individual by $500. The
Detroit contingency will visit the YAD
Ethiopian Project, a health education
program for Ethiopian Jews living in
Detroit's Partnership 2000 region,
Rosenberg says. 'This is just a Detroit
program. We want to put more of a
face to it."
Marc Berke, staff associate, will go
with the Detroit arm of the mission,
which attracts about 500 singles from
across the country.
"Our hope is that for people who
aren't [already involved with Federa-
tion], this is a way to get involved, ob-
viously financially, but ultimately we're
hoping people will get involved in the
community," Berke says. "It's a good
starting block, especially for people
who haven't seen Israel. Of course,
there's the social aspect too."
Singles Trip To Israel
Sponsored by the JCC of Pittsburgh
and Tennenbaurn Tours of Columbus,
Ohio.
Dates of travel: Aug. 30-Sept. 9.
Cost: $2,699, including round-trip
air fare from New York, most meals,
all admissions, gratuities, insurance
and accommodations at four-star ho-
tels.
Age range: 25-38. Reality: Average
age on similar singles trips was 34.
Highlights: "All the hot spots," says
Bill Cartiff, who coordinates the trip.
"It's a trip for people who've never been
to Israel, but if you've been there be-
fore, it will be a new experience." Par-
ticipants will also have opportunities
to meet Israeli peers.
For information, call (412) 521-8011,
Ext. 371.
The Pittsburgh JCC has planned
excursions for singles for five years,
but this will be its first Israel trip.
"This is not a 'mission,' " explains
Cartiff. "There's no solicitation ... no
goal or objective, except bringing Jew-
ish singles together."
The ideal staff-to-traveler ratio will
be three staffers to 30-40 tourists, he
says.
According to Vickie Cohen, a 37-
year-old software engineer who has
been on four singles cruises planned
by the JCC, the trips are "wonderful,"
but provide more opportunities for
friendship than romance.
"Unfortunately, there are usually
more females than males, and the fe-
males tend to be more appealing," she
says, adding that she met two of her
closest friends on these trips.
Scott Friedman, 37, agrees that peo-
ple rarely meet a mate on these trips,
but says they are fun nonetheless. He
advises participants not to "set them-
selves up for failure by expecting to
meet a mate as opposed to just having
a good time."
New Israel Fund's New Gener-
ations Leadership Tour To Israel
Dates of travel: Nov. 8-17.
Cost: $1,999, including round-trip
airfare from New York.
Age range: 25-40. Reality: Uncer-
tain, as this is the first trip.
Highlights: Meet with Israeli po-
litical, academic and grass-roots lead-
ers, dialogue with Jewish and Arab
peers. Four-star hotels, most meals in-
cluded.
For information, call Roger Bennett,
(202) 223-3333.
"This is not for first-time Israelgo-
ers," warns Ann Schaub, NW's direc-
tor of public education. "We don't do
any of the touristy sti ff like Masada
or the Dead Sea."
Instead, participants learn about the
social issues facing Israel and meet the
country's young movers and shakers.
Among the issues to be explored are
the environment, religious pluralism
American Jewish
Congress' Israel Ad-
ventures
Dates of travel: Aug.
17-31.
Cost: $3,795 in-
cludes round-trip air-
fare from New York.
Age range: 20-49.
Reality: 30s.
Highlights:
Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Tiberias and
other tourist spots plus two nights in
Jordan, hiking, archaeological digs.
Opportunities to meet Israeli peers and
professional colleagues. All meals, five-
star hotels included.
For information, c 11 (800) 221-4694.
According to Hanneke Bonit, reser-
vations manager for the AJCongress'
travel department, the main goal of
the trip is "for people to have fun and
meet Israeli peers." In addition to sight-
seeing, hiking and archaeological digs,
activities include social get-togethers
and receptions.
AJCongress has been leading sin-
gles tours to Israel for more than 20
years. Tours include groups of 30-35
people, plus a bus driver and tour man-
ager.
Jewish Singles Israel Adven-
ture Program
Israel Programs Foundation
Dates of travel: July 23-Aug. 4.
Cost: $2,950, includes round-trip air-
fare from New York.
Age range: 20-49. Reality: 20s.
Highlights: Tourist sites plus camp-
ing, rapelling, jeep safaris, rafting,
mountain biking, camel rides. Visit
kibbutzim, Bedouin camps, Druze vil-
lages, Israeli peers. Optional add-on
to Jordan. Meals, accommodations in-
cluded (kibbutz guest houses, three-
four star hotels).
For information, call (800) 826-4525.
"The main purpose is to create a
stronger connection between Diaspo-
ra young adults and Israel," says
Michael Kelmer, North American di-
rector of the Israel Programs Foun-
dation. Groups are limited to 20 and
are accompanied by four staff mem-
bers and a bus driver. Another tour
is tentatively scheduled for lath De-
cember. ❑
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