By visiting Israel on a gap year, semester, or summer trip, Jewish youth in our community can foster a connection with Israeli culture, experience Jewish life outside of the diaspora, and make memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. To help make participation in these trips possible, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor administers a travel subsidy program along with the Susan L. Lichter Memorial Endowed Israel Scholarship fund. These two funding opportunities are open to Washtenaw County’s Jewish high school students and those participating in gap year programs between high school and college. Funding is available for programs that are a minimum of 21 days of length and are organized by an approved provider.
Israel Teen Travel Subsidies are generously possible through an allocation from the Federation’s Annual Community Campaign. Recipients may receive up to $1,000 depending on the number of applications received. The Susan L. Lichter Memorial Endowed Israel Scholarship, founded in 2009, is generously funded by Dr. Paul and Carolyn Lichter in memory of their daughter, Susan L. Lichter, who had a deep connection to Israel. With this scholarship, the Lichters want to help other teens develop a relationship with Israel and our worldwide Jewish community. This scholarship awards two $3,000 stipends for Israel travel. This year’s scholarship applications are due by March 3, 2022.
Eliana Adler, this past summer’s recipient of the Susan L. Lichter Scholarship traveled to Israel with Habonim Dror, a Jewish, Labor-Zionist youth movement and which Camp Tavor is part of.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Israel this summer… I learned a lot about Jewish history, the history of my movement, and about the nuances and different perspectives of Israeli society.” For example, one of the unique opportunities was “the chance to have dinner with a group of Palestinian teens from HaNoar HaOved, Habonim Dror’d sister movement in Israel. We got to see what their meetings looked like and participated in activities in small groups to get to know them better.”
” I also feel much more connected to my Jewish identity now than I did before my trip. The high holy days had new meaning this year as I remembered my experience in Israel and looked forward to a continuation of the learning I started there.”
If you would like an opportunity to experience Israel in a different way, the application for both the Federation’s Israel Travel Subsidy and the Susan L. Lichter Scholarship is due Thursday March 30, 2023. You can download the application here.
For additional information, please contact Federation’s Israel & Overseas Program Manager Liora Rosen at Liora@jewishannarbor.org or 734-773-3534.
