Taglit-Birthright Israel: International March of the Living

This trip is a gift of Taglit-Birthright Israel

March of the Living is running its next Taglit-Birthright Israel: International March of the Living program for Young Leaders date TBA.

Tentative Dates

Travel with us to Poland and Israel

Tentative Dates: TBA
Cost of Poland portion of the trip is: TBA - all inclusive (flights, accommodations, meals, etc.). Please DO NOT mail a check for this amount until you are accepted to the program.

Come join us this summer for an unforgettable trip to Poland and Israel!

The March Young Leadership Program
If you've never been on an organized trip or program of study to Israel, then this program is for you -- it promises to be a-once-in-a-lifetime experience for Jewish young adults such as yourself.

Poland and Israel

Co-ed, 15 days - Appropriate for individuals of all Jewish denominations – Cost TBA

You always wanted to go on the March of the Living trip. You heard about it from your friends in high school but could not make it – this is your opportunity. You will connect with fellow Jewish adults, examine your Jewish identity and history, and become a part of a community of individuals with a unique shared experience.

You will spend two weeks traveling through landscapes imbued with Jewish and Israeli history. Explore your heritage and your history in Poland and in Israel. This will be the most meaningful trip you will ever take. Our mission is to challenge you in a program tailor-made for young adults.

In Poland you will have the unique opportunity to step into history and visit Holocaust related sites. You will explore the destruction of European Jewry as well as the life that once existed in Jewish quarters prior to the rise of the Nazi regime and WWII. By visiting concentration camps, you will be given the opportunity to remember those who were murdered, and honor those who survived. By visiting Jewish synagogues and a variety of historical sites, you will see evidence of what once existed – Jewish life as a culture that once prospered in Europe.

As a leading Israel tour organizer, our organization is committed to ensuring that all of our programs provide participants with a unique experience. Whether it is your first time traveling to Israel on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, or as an individual already familiar with Israel’s landscape, March of the Living aims at meeting the needs of each group and each individual.

March of the Living programs affirm and conform to the required standards and criteria set by Taglit-Birthright Israel International. Please visit the official Taglit-Birthright Israel International homepage for more about this historical partnership at www.birthrightisrael.com.

Taglit-Birthright Israel provides a gift of first time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26. This program is only open to residents of the United States.

Eligibility & Preparation

Jewish young adults 18 to 26 years of age going for the first time on a peer group program to Israel are eligible to participate in Taglit-Birthright Israel. Qualified participants will be carefully screened. An application must be completed and confirmed. Applicants will be interviewed.

Once you register through Taglit-Birthright Israel, you will be contacted by March of the Living and asked to complete a physician signed medical form (Download the medical form).

Safety and Security

Taglit-Birthright Israel has prepared a slideshow presentation outlining the security precautions implemented throughout your trip.

Taglit-Birthright Israel is a unique partnership between the people of Israel through their government, local Jewish communities (North American Jewish Federations through the United Jewish Communities, Keren Hayesod, and The Jewish Agency for Israel), and the birthright israel Foundation, generously supported by the following Jewish philanthropic partners: S. Daniel Abraham, The Abramson Family Foundation, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson, The AVI CHAI Foundation, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Edgar M. Bronfman, Circle of Service Foundation, Susie and Michael Gelman, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, David and Ruth Gottesman, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Hadassah - The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Susan and Roger Hertog, Ronald S. Lauder, The Marcus Foundation- Bernie Marcus, Jane and Daniel Och, The Samberg Family Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Judy and Michael Steinhardt, The Wasserman Foundation, Leslie and Abigail Wexner and The Wexner Foundation, Karen and Gary Winnick in North America; Marc Rich in Europe.

Vision Statement
The March of the Living in conjunction with IYHA organizes tours which strengthen the Zionist awareness and identity of Jewish youth and imparts knowledge about Judaism and Jewish culture. Diverse aspects of Jewish identity are explored including history, art and religion. Contemporary and historical traditions, customs and sites of different Jewish communities around the world are explored as part of the experience.

A special emphasis is placed on the topic of the Holocaust and Jewish life in Central Europe prior to WWII. Included are visits to concentration camps and centers of Jewish life and culture in Poland prior to the program in Israel. Also explored is the absorption of WWII survivors into Israeli life after the War.

The tours and activities incorporate all of these subjects into experiences with the sights, sounds, smells and sense of touch in contemporary Israel. The result of such relatively short but intense tours are a better understanding of the relationship between Israel and world Jewry and the enrichment of the connection of young Jews with their Jewishness and with the State of Israel; Israel which is now a touchstone of all Jews all around the world for returning visits, receiving higher education in Israeli universities and eventually making Aliyah - the ultimate expression of Jewish unity. In their homes, participants become ambassadors among their siblings and friends.