Yesterday I had an interview to be considered to attend Birthright Israel. The idea of traveling to Israel has been in my mind since I can remember so I was overly excited for this.
Out of the nearly twenty trip organizers, I chose to apply to the Yael Adventures program. Besides the great feedback I have heard from friends who have done this trip, I enjoy the outdoors which seems to be emphasized on this program. Honestly, all of the Birthright Israel programs seem to be exhilarating, so I would be grateful to go on any of them. I feel like winter break is a nice time of year to go to Israel as well. It is really too short of a time to have a job at home, and it is also too long of a time to sit around and do nothing.
Spending ten days in Israel seems like a great cultural experience that would be educational and inspirational. One feature of Birthright Israel that is particularly intriguing (besides it being FREE!) is that you can choose to stay for extra time in Israel without having to pay a huge additional sum (just a fee determined by your airline). Now I realize you have to pay for shelter and meal accommodations; however, I hear the hostels there are not too shabby. Even if you just stay a few days it allows you to travel back to a city that you only had limited time in due to your group itinerary, or perhaps you can visit family or friends in Israel. Anyway, I really do not need to advocate for Birthright Israel. It already has so much publicity going on for itself, and I feel like most readers of this blog are familiar with it.
With the rough economic times fundraisers such as Birthright Israel Foundation have been suffering. Many contributors to Birthright are also having financial difficulty, which prohibits them from giving a larger donation than in the past. The high number of applicants unfortunately narrows the chances of an applicant getting accepted to the program. Though an interview is no sure sign of acceptance or rejection, just talking to the recruiter on the phone gave me butterflies of excitement.
For those who have applied to Birthright Israel and are nervous to hear their response, just like me, keep in mind how many thousands of people apply for such few spots. Rest assured, you can apply more than once. Prospective applicants should also keep in mind that the programs run from ages 18-26, so there is a range of times to apply. My interviewer told me I would hear the results in several weeks, so until then… my anxiety will be practically raging.
