Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance

YALLAH! Israel has operated outstanding summer and semester programs in Israel for over 65 years.

Throughout, Yallah! Israel has earned a well-deserved reputation for aspiring to provide the highest standard of health, safety and security in all its youth travel programs. Over six decades, we have always placed the welfare of young people entrusted to our care above all other considerations and are highly responsive to ever-changing needs and conditions.

available scholarships

Yallah! Israel believes the opportunity to travel to Israel is one that cannot be missed. Many organizations support our mission of sending teens to Israel for a fun, educational and meaningful journey. To help offset the cost of a summer on Yallah! Israel, local communities, such as synagogues and federations, provide scholarship and financial aid to families. While NFTY on a North American level does not have scholarship dollars available, we have listed sources of funding:

  • Local synagogue
  • Local Jewish community federation or Bureau of Jewish Education. Virtually every federation has an Israel Programs Coordinator and Scholarship Fund. See below for full list.
  • JNF Plant Your Way helps you raise money by having friends and family plant trees for forestry projects in Israel. Contact the Jewish National Fund for more information.

federation scholarships

Most local Jewish Federation offices offer financial aid for teen Israel travel. If you don’t see your area below, try to find your Federation!

East coast

Connecticut

Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven – The Israel Scholarship program is open to high school students who live in the Greater New Haven are.

United Jewish Federation of Greater Stamford – The Rabbi Alex J. Goldman Memorial Essay Contest is available for sophomores, juniors and seniors who reside in Stamford, New Canaan or Darien. First prize wins $1,000.

Delaware

Jewish Federation of Delaware – The GRATZ High School Scholarship Fund of the Jewish Fund for the Future is awarded to high school students who are attending a summer Israel program.

Maryland

The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore – CJE administers the Community Fund for Israel Experiences (CFIE) on behalf of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. The goal of this grant is to help as many students as possible travel to Israel to include Israel as part of their Jewish identities.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington – Israel Quest offers up to $1,850 to high school students who reside in the Great Washington area.

Massachusetts

Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston – CJP is pleased to support teens in the Greater Boston area with Israel Teen Travel Scholarships.

New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey – High school students in the Greater MetroWest community are eligible to apply for The Destination: Jewish Service Learning Grant, which provides up to $800 for programs 14 days or longer. 

Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey – Grants up to $1,000 are available for high school students who reside in Middlesex and Monmouth County.

Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties – Scholarship is available for high school students visiting Israel for the first time with a recognized youth program.

New York

Jewish Federation of Central New York – The Jewish Federation of Central New York places a high value on first-hand experience of Israel, and provides funds to assist qualifying students to participate in summer trips there.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County – The Israel Experience Scholarship Fun offers partial scholarship for Jewish teens residing in Orange County.

Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York – Scholarship is available for teens wanting to participate on summer program to Israel.

Jewish Federation of Ulster County – Scholarship for summer programs in Israel is available for teens age 16-18.

UJA-Federation of New York – Israel Experience Center at UJA-Federation provides scholarship to teens in New York, Westchester, and Long Island participating in a summer Israel program. Eligible families who are registered for Yallah! Israel will find the application in their Yallah! Israel Online Account during the scholarship application period (typically December through January).

Pennsylvania

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia – Israel Program Scholarship Aid Fund offers scholarship for teens from the five-county Greater Philadelphia area who wish to travel to Israel.

Greater Altoona Jewish Federation – Jewish Y.E.S. provides needs based scholarships up to $2,500 for teens wishing to participate in an Israel program.

Jewish Community Alliance of Lancaster – JCAL helps students attend a summer trip to Israel.

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh – Offers both need-based and non-need based scholarships up to $1,750 to send teens to Israel.

Jewish Federation of Reading – High school students who participate in Yallah! Israel can apply for an award up to $250 toward the cost of registration.

Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley – Scholarship is awarded for teens in 9-12 grade who reside in the Lehigh Valley area who wish to travel on an Israel program.

Rhode Island

Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island – The Jewish Alliance offers grants and needs-based scholarships for trips to Israel.

Virginia

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington – Israel Quest program provides up to $1,850 for participants from the Greater Washington area.

Washington D.C.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington – Israel Quest program provides up to $1,850 for participants from the Greater Washington area.

midwest

Illinois

Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago – The Jewish United Fund and the Naftali Steinfeld Memorial Scholarship fund offers need-based and merit-based scholarships for Israel travel for teens coming from the Chicago Metropolitan area.

Indiana

Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis – Offers scholarship for Israel youth experiences to individuals up to 12th grade in the greater Indianapolis Jewish community.

Kentucky

Jewish Community of Louisville – Louisville-area youth who are travelling to Israel for the first time on an organized trip are eligible to receive up to $4,000.

Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass – Offers up to $1,000 for Jewish youth of central Kentucky who wish to participate in a high school Israel program.

Michigan

Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor – High school students from the Greater Ann Arbor area provides up to $1,000 for travel to Israel on a summer program.

Minnesota

Minneapolis Jewish Federation – The Louis Herman Israel Experience Fund and the Israel Center Scholarship Fund both offer scholarship for teens ages 15-18 traveling on an Israel summer program.

Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul – St. Paul Israel Experience Scholarship offers scholarships for teens living in St. Paul who are participating on an approved Israel experience program.

Missouri

Jewish Federation of St. Louis – Offers up to $750 for teens between 9th-12th grade who reside in St. Louis.

Nebraska

Jewish Federation of Omaha – There is a wide variety of financial-need base scholarship and grant funds available for teens traveling to Israel.

Ohio

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati – Offers up to $6,500 for teens aged 16-18 who currently reside in Cincinnati.

Jewish Federation of Columbus – Israel Experience grants are for recipients of at least 14 years of age who became bar/bat mitzvah in Columbus, Ohio. Teens participating on a 4+ week high school trips can receive up to $2,000.

Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton – Dayton area Jewish teens are eligible to apply for the Wolfe Marcus Trust Youth Travel to Israel Scholarship.

Wisconsin

Jewish Federation of Madison – Stipends up to $1,500 are available for high school students from Dane County participating in an Israel program for three weeks or longer.

south

Alabama

The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama – Offers up to $1,000 for high schools students to visit Israel for the first time.

Arkansas

Jewish Federation of Arkansas – The Thalheimer Israel Scholarship fund offers scholarships for teens to travel to Israel.

Florida

Greater Miami Jewish Federation – Offers need-based scholarship for Miami-Dade County residents for teens over the age of 15.

Jewish Federation of Greater Naples – Offers partial scholarships for educational programs and experiences in Israel for families residing in Collier County.

Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida – The Joan Levin Gift of Israel program offers a Voucher worth up to $700 to B’Nai Mitzvah students.

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County – Applicants must be living in Boynton Beach north through Vero Beach and have not received an Israel Experience Program scholarship in the past.

Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee – Provides up to $2,500 for Jewish high school students from Sarasota or Manatee County participating in an experiential or volunteer base program for at least 3 weeks.

Louisiana

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans – The Edie and Paul Rosenblum Gift of Israel Program scholarship provides funding for high school students participant in an Israel summer program.

North Louisiana Jewish Federation – The Federation provides scholarship for trips to Israel for contributing members of the Federation.

North Carolina

Greensboro Jewish Federation – The Greensboro Jewish Federation is proud to provide incentive grants to encourage rising high school juniors through college-age young adults to participate in peer group trips to Israel. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Jewish For Good (formerly known as Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill) – Jewish For Good offers an Israel Scholarship Program funded by the Sara and E.J. Evans Israel Experience Endowment for high schools students who wish to participate in a summer program to Israel.

Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte – The Jewish Experience Fund and the Gorelick Teens to Israel Fund both offer scholarship for teens travel to Israel.

Tennessee

Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga – The Israel Grants provides up to $2,500 for teens who wish to participate in a travel program to Israel.

Memphis Jewish Federation – The Lemsky Fund offers subsidies for high school students to participate in summer programs in Israel.

Jewish Federation & Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee – The Mary & Harry Zimmerman Youth Exchange Endowment Fund offers grants for 9-12 graders traveling to Israel.

Texas

Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas – Offers need-based scholarship for Dallas teens to participate in a summer program in Israel.

west coast

Arizona

Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix – The Harold & Jean Grossman Teen Israel Experience Scholarship Fund is available for teens 15-18 years old who live in Maricopa County and are attending a program in Israel that lasts at least 16 days.

California

Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties – Provides multiple scholarship options, including need-based and need-blind scholarship for high school students in Sonoma and Marin Counties, San Francisco and the Peninsula from Mountain View north.

Jewish Federation of San Diego County – Jewish 9th-12th graders from San Diego County are eligible for Immersive Experience Grants up to $540, based on length of experience.

Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley – Scholarship applications are accepted year-round for 9-12 graders affiliated with NFTY who wish to travel to Israel.

The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region – The Jewish Federation provides up to $500 towards an approved organized trip to high school students.

Nevada

Jewish Nevada – Israel Program Scholarships are for high school students participating in a peer-based Israel experience.

Oregon

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland – Offers up to $1,800 for high school students traveling on an approved Israel program for at least 3 weeks.

The Jewish Federation of Lane County – Offers scholarship to local Jewish teens for travel to Israel.

Washington

Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle – Offers up to $3,000 for high school students who are permanent residents of Washington State. Apply by January 13, 2020 for the first round of applications.