Birthright Israel Onward is an immersive program in Israel for young adults ages 18–36. It offers resume-building experiences including internships, fellowships, remote work, and the Storytellers program for content creators. Some programs are available through partnerships with communities and campus organizations. Participants live together, explore Israel, and take part in educational programming while gaining professional skills, expanding their networks, and deepening their connection to Israel.
What is Birthright Israel Onward?
Who can I turn to with any questions while I am on the program?
Every Birthright Israel Onward program is overseen by a licensed Israel-based program organizer, who assigns a full-time Madrich (Counselor) for approximately every twenty-five participants. Your Madrich serves as your primary point of contact for any questions or concerns throughout the program. We strongly encourage you to discuss any challenges with the program staff on-site as they are best equipped to address and resolve issues promptly. In the rare instance that you encounter difficulties reaching out to the program staff in Israel, our central Birthright Israel Onward staff are available to assist. Please carefully review the contact page details for information on our response time and operating hours.
Is this a religious program?
Birthright Israel Onward is not a religious program. We welcome participants from all Jewish backgrounds. There are opportunities to explore your Jewish identity and heritage while on a Birthright Israel Onward program. There are certain Birthright Israel Onward programs that include additional Jewish learning and/or are designed for more observant participants.
Trip organizers can provide dishes, cookware and cutlery to those who keep Kosher upon request. It is not always possible to assign housing according to Kashrut or Shabbat observance.
How long are Onward Israel programs? Do I need to participate in the whole program?
Birthright Israel Onward programs range from 4 to 8 weeks. Participation in the entire program is mandatory. If you are not available to attend the full dates of a program you have applied to, please be in touch with your program organizer directly for more information.
How is the Birthright Israel Onward program so inexpensive?
The full cost of a Birthright Israel Onward program is subsidized by up to 80% thanks to the generosity of Birthright Israel donors and local Jewish institutions. This significant subsidy ensures that our programs are attractive and accessible to Jewish students and young adults.
What is the refund policy?
Program fees are paid in order to accept your spot on an Onward program. After accepting your Conditional Offer and paying your program fee, you can receive a partial refund if you cancel at least 65 days prior to your program start date. Cancellations made less than 65 days from the program start date are not eligible for a refund. Your specific deadlines and details are outlined in your Conditional Offer.
Onward is a highly subsidized program, with a significant portion of the overall cost covered by Birthright Israel and its partners. This policy reflects the substantial upfront planning and costs required to run our programs, incurred by Birthright Israel and our organizers. Program preparation begins months in advance; securing housing, developing internships, and hiring staff to support participants. These expenses are incurred well before the program begins and cannot be recovered if a participant withdraws.
Additional details about the refund policy are also outlined in the Terms of Agreement (TOA), available on the Waiver page of the application. Participants are entitled to a full refund if Birthright Israel Onward cancels the program.
If you have questions about your specific program, please review your Conditional Offer or contact your program organizer.
***For all programs starting May- August 2026, the deadline to cancel for a partial refund is 30 days before the scheduled start date.
If my program is cancelled, will I get my program fee and security deposit back?
If Birthright Israel Onward determines we cannot run a program, the program fee and security deposit will be refunded in full.
When will I be told if my program is able to run or not?
Participants will be informed approximately starting two months in advance of their program start date only if their program needs to be cancelled for safety and security reasons. We will only cancel programs prior to their inception if we believe there will be a full disruption in Birthright Onward Israel’s ability to operate our programs. We define “full disruption” when the Homefront Command’s instructions for civilian conduct and everyday life in Israel are so limiting that it becomes impossible to conduct our programs– from an educational, safety and security point of view. This decision will be made if the security situation so warrants within the two-month window before the program’s start as well. Trip organizers will be in close touch with participants as these decisions are made.
What is Birthright Israel Onward’s Approach to Safety and Security?
The safety and well-being of our Birthright Israel Onward participants is our primary operating principle and our foremost concern. Birthright Israel takes great pride in its reputation for being cautious and responsible with a well-deserved reputation from hosting over 850,000 travelers over the past 24 years. We will not hesitate to further adjust our approach, as necessary.
These adjustments may include changes in housing arrangements, transportation, the ability of participants to travel freely on their own and the educational program, among other elements. Onward participants are not allowed to travel into areas in the West bank (Judaea and Samaria)- Areas A and B- that, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Israelis are not permitted to enter. Travel is possible to area C of the West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) under certain limitations).
Birthright Israel trips operate under strict safety and security standards set in accordance with the IDF's Homefront Command guidelines. These guidelines include geographical travel boundaries, limiting groups from travelling within a 20km range of the Lebanese border, exact protocols of how to operate during the sound of a siren, personal safety guidelines and more. Birthright Israel's operations department and field teams are in constant contact with trip staff and oversee the group's operations and safety.
