Israel Free Spirit News
The OU-Taglit Birthright program Israel Free Spirit will experience its largest enrollment for its winter trips to Israel, sending 18 buses as part of an 80 percent growth in participation since last year. The participants on each bus will travel together for ten invigorating days in Israel with hands-on opportunities to learn their Jewish heritage, eat cultural foods, hike nature’s beauty and carve out their own bonds within their Jewish homeland. And the trip is completely free.
Among the groups that will be traveling will be students from the OU’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and Rutgers University, members of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPI) fraternity from the Washington University in St. Louis, and students from Rutgers Hillel, where the JLIC program has a large presence.
Rabbi Dave Felsenthal, Director of OU Collegiate Experience and Director of IFS, noted that the growth this winter “was a combination of increased online marketing; increased social media presence; and mostly referrals from past participants.” He advises those interested in summer trips to start planning now, as they fill up quickly. Learn more at www.israelfreespirit.com.