Has anyone been on a free birthright Israel trip? If so, how

Not me but a Jewish friend from Canada went. He said it was insanely propaganda filled to "encourage" Jews to move there etc. he said it was ok for a free trip, had to do a. It or volunteer work. If he said it was was "OK"

>>1219721
Yeah that's what I read online.

I think I can withstand brainwashing for 10 days but godamn that sounds annoying

>>1219720

Went with them in Spring 2015. It was nice, but VERY jewish. Down to Torah readings, and only kosher food all the time. No alcohol either, of course. They made us sit through a 3+ hour documentary and discussion about how awful palestine is (not defending them, but kinda heavy on the indoctrination)

The tour was super well organized and the people were pretty nice all things considered. I wish we had stayed in Jerusalem more rather than going to a shitty Red Sea resort. But hey, free's free.

The interview is basically a non-issue. I told them the truth - my mother is Jewish, but I only went to synagogue once, for a cousin's barmitzfah, and they seemed happy enough about that.

Definitely worth doing it though. It's a free vacation more or less, even though expect to pay a bunch for falafel, shopping and whatnot. Oh, and don't expect to see ANYTHING muslim or Christian when you're in Jerusalem.

>>1219723
Wow I am glad I am getting such quick responses.

What trip organizer did you go with? I've heard good things about Mayanot but there are so many to choose from.

Also, there's no alcohol? That sucks. Everything I read online is super polarized. Everything is either totally in favor of birthright Israel, or completely against them. So it is refreshing to read this.

Half Jew, half European here.

Thinking of doing it this year. I'm 26 this year so I pretty much have to do it now or never.

How out of place will I be there if I'm only Jewish in 50% of my genetics and nothing else? Don't know a lick of Hebrew, don't know anything about the Jewish religion, don't eat traditional Jewish foods, etc.. I'd like to explore Israel for free, but don't want to be trapped in a 7-10 """"vacation"""" where they're just spouting boring stuff about Judaism down my throat.

>>1219725

Went with my uni, not sure about other organizers, sorry.

Maybe it was just my group, but shit was very structured - basically had to stay with the group at all times even at night. We went out once in Tel Aviv and did karaoke, which was kinda fun but not exactly my cup of tea. Also all the days started super early, think 5-6 am, which means that even the rowdier types didn't want to get too crazy.

I'm a pretty pro-Israel guy, so I didn't mind a lot of the politics. For example, we got to tag along with a bunch of IDF soldiers for four days. I got to bro it up with a surprisingly nerdy paratrooper, but if you're mega opposed to the whole Israeli nationalism thing I guess it could really rub you the wrong way.

Generally though, they're something out there for everyone, they really try to cover their bases. I loved the hiking bits a ton, so maybe someday I'll go back and do the whole Israel National Trail. It was a good buffet of sorts, I only wish we had visited a couple of Christian sites. It seemed ridiculous to spend a day in some hippie kibbutz, but never even see the Church of Nativity.

>>1219728
Dude same here, except im 22 and i am half Iranian

Ok I just made my $250 deposit. Hopefully they accept me.

>>1219744

GL buddy! Don't try to bullshit them in the interview, and you'll be fine.

>>1219748
Thanks man. Yeah im planning on just being honest and telling them I don't know much about Judaism

>>1219720
Hey I haven't been on it but I know a lot about it that you can verify on google if you want. As other people have said it's heavy on the indoctrination this is because it's run under the Jewish Agency (the Israeli agency to help Jews move to Israel, they provide free money and ulpan to all jews moving to Israel). The whole point of birthright is to get jews to meet other jews move to Israel and have Jewish children.

Now that you understand that here are some things for you to consider before going on the trip. You make a good point to ask who is organizing because the way it works is the Jewish Agency gives the people that organizing it a lot of money to organize the trip, it's very laissez-faire in that way, so you get a lot of cowboys that say they're organizing a trip but skimp on a lot of stuff in order to make as much profit as possible.

Now if you want to explore Israel by yourself you should consider extending your birthright trip, there is a hostel in Jerusalem called Heritage House that is free for Jewish men under the age of 30. They are very Zionist and religious but they don't force you to hangout with them so that's fine. There are other places around you can stay for pretty cheap as well. Make sure you see the Bahai gardens before you leave and if you rent a car going around the galil in the north is fantastic fun.

>>1219728
You'll be fine, plenty of people go there who have parents that either married out or "converted"

>>1219748
How do they check your "jewishness" btw ?

I'm not a Jew at all, but my parents gave me a Jewish name (Benjamin), so I'm wondering if I could pull a trip via this program. It's pretty light and prolly stupid, I know, but if the whole purpose of this thing is to brainwash as many people as possible, they might not be too picky.

>>1219810
I'm doing the Aliyah process and I need a signed letter from my Rabbi

When I went on a Masa trip though I don't think they actually checked.

Been there as a Israeli soldier, ask me anything you want.
To the one who said no alcohol, thats bullshit soldiers are not to drink at all on paper, but we drank all day with the amricans and I also got a handjob at a beduin tent, so it was pretty awesome

>>1219723
Can I just claim my mother is jewish?
What about my uncut peepee?

>>1219720
can you fake it if you have no jewish ancestry but know a lot about judaism?

>>1219720
I met a guy who went on a birthright trip. He wasn't jewish.

He also (eventually) got arrested for stalking 40 girls. Fucking weird.

Why would you want to encourage a creed of people who suck blood from babies dicks

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>visiting Jewland

I'd probably end up in jail if I ever went

>>1220126
Try growing up first.

Traveling is about seeing cool shit, not validation or condemnation of politics.

>>1219810
>>1220106
I'm not Jewish but lied and said my mother is Jewish and I grew up in a two religion household. I read a lot about interviews so I was ready for all the questions and successfully BS'd my way through them. I then extended my trip for two weeks so spent almost a month in Israel. Overall I'd suggest you don't do it, Israel is a complete shithole and the local people are worse than any of the arabs I encountered. If you do go make sure to extend and visit Palestine, everything is much more relaxed there and enjoyable.

>>1219821
>handjob at a beduin tent
From who? Did you pay?

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I suggest some of you consider what this thread would sound like to someone who was forced out of their land into a refugee camp in 1948 following the creation of Israel. Aparthied, ethnic cleansing, huge walls sanctions and blockades of any of the building blocks to rebuild any of the Palestinian infrastructure which is constantly destroyed by israel. A birth right trip to a land where people are expelled to open air prisons while you enjoy a free vacation and return home they will never be able to. I suggest you Google the "nakba'. Palestinian trail of tears, similar to what was done to native Americans. The segregation and permanent second class citizenship and discrimination of Palestinians in their own land for simply not being Jewish. Its the reason Israel will never be a democracy, you can't be Jewish and Democratic. Truth is you are all too indoctrinated to see past the dehumanizing propoganda spewed out against Palestinians to give them their victimhood. Look at mass Palestinian graves, the villages ethnically cleansed one by one in 1948 , the dependents foeced to refugee camps internally displaced in Palestine as well as neighboring countries. All this for a damn birthright of people who don't even understand that Palestinians are all semetic people. Check out any information about what Israel has done. Thousands of children killed, sitting in prisons. For a damn birthright of a European who has no right to claim a birthright. Google Rachel corrie. Look at what Noam Chomsky says about Palestine, or Stephen Hawking. Israel is an aparthied state, with a military occupation of Palestinians, who live in unimaginable horror. For a damn birthright. If someone's birthright was in your homeland, would you not defend your only home. For Palestinians that is the fucking reality. Now wake up! Biblical mythology during the crusades and colonization was used as an excuse to subject indigenous people to hell. Don't forget your colonial history. Balfour Agreement.

>>1220471
The only problem is there are still palestinians on israeli land

>>1220471
Is this pasta or did you actually bother to type all this, here of all places?

>>1220499
It's a refreshing change from all the usual JIDF pasta.

>>1220471
Everything you just said was factually inaccurate and ignores all historical context as well. No one was expelled in 1948, you ignore that Jews were there before hand and were even a majority in the area before the British mandate. You also ignore the mass expulsion of Jews from all around the middle east that were sent to Israel but they weren't treated as refugees they were assimilated into Israeli society, the suffering of the Palestinian Arabs comes at the hands of other Arabs no one else.

>>1220406
>literally outjewing the jews
good, good

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>>1220471
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdtKbq3Omkw

>>1220510
JIDF please. A bunch of British colonial administrators disagree. And they were the ones that kept track. Not the chosen ones.

>Has anyone been on a free birthright Israel trip?
Yes, December 2016.
>If so, how was it? What was your experience like? What is the best trip organizer to go with?
It was an incredible trip. Know going into it that it is filled with propaganda, but propaganda or not, it's extremely interesting to hear Israeli/Jewish people's perspectives even if you don't agree with them. The historical sites, food, and some of the activities are well worth going. You'll be in a big group of peers so you have to be social/outgoing. I went with Mayanot. 2 of my cousins recommended them, while my sister really disliked her trip organizer. Mayanot was great.
>Also I am assuming that after I make the deposit, I will be interviewed by someone to determine if I am eligible. What is that interview like?
>I am not religious at all, but technically I am a jew because my mom is a jew. Do you think this will be enough to let me go on the trip?
As only my Dad's side if Jewish, and I never went to temple or anything, the interview was asking me a lot about whether I identify as Jewish and what it was like growing up in a 2 religion household (no church or temple, but celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah etc.). I'm atheist but didn't mention it, they didn't ask either. I told them I identify as "Jewish, not religious" which is debatably true, I really don't identify as Jewish unless the person asking me specifies from an ethnic standpoint, but the interview was like "If you had to pick from the following, which do you identify as..." and that was the best option. Felt like they really wanted to allow me to go. I also said that celebrating Christmas had only a family get-together significance to me, no religious meaning. I felt a little awkward about the interview, but it was enough to be allowed in.

I highly recommend going overall. Stay open minded but remember that they have a specific agenda and it will be very apparent.
I took this pic in the Shuk market in Jerusalem

>>1221060
Oh and to follow up, I saw your question about alcohol. There is alcohol but strict guide lines. We could drink when we got back to the hotel each night, as well as 3 separate nights that they took us out to bar/restaurant areas and we'd drink there. The guide lines were basically no buying or drinking alcohol while you were out for the day. They also took us to a winery for a tasting, and I bought 3 bottles there to take home but that was an exception.

Op here

I just did the phone interview. I told them about how everyone on my mothers side of the family is Jewish. I told her i never really celebrated holidays and that im jewish but im agnostic as my religion. I told her im super open minded and willing to learn. She said theyd be gettinf back to me.

How long did it take for you guys to find out if you passed the interview or not?

>>1221138
I can't remember exactly, it was under 5 days. Your outcome sounds good to me. They never want to give you the greenlight on the actual interview because it's all pending a background/spaces available.

>>1221146
Ok, cool. I really hope they let me go on the trip

Do you know if it is too late to extend my trip if I were to be accepted? In my application I said that I only wanted to stay the 10 days but now I am having second thoughts. This is all assuming that I am accepted.

>>1221065
Oh ok cool, that doesn't sound bad at all

>>1221249
You can still extend when you get you meet up with your group/even when you get to Israel

>>1221249
You can't even extend your trip until after you've been formally accepted. You'll get an email from Gil travels asking if you want to extend. My suggestion is to do it as quickly as possible. The cost to extend when you are already in Israel is expensive as all hell, like five times what I paid early on. They also might not even accept your extension request once your in Israel. Don't extend for too long though, Israel really is a shithole so if you're coming from the first world it will definitely get on your nerves after week three or four.

>>1221416
Ok thanks for the advice. I got my trip offer today! I accepted and now i am waiting on a confirmation. This whole process has actually been pretty quick. My mom has friends in Israel so I might extend my trip 4 days and go and see them.

Op here, this is my last post i promise. I got the trip confirmed today! Thanks for all thw advice everyone

Hey sorry to keep bumping this thread but I have a few more questions.

Does it cost extra to extend my trip?

They sent me an email saying that they will give me flight info and extension details in a few weeks, but I am confused because if they send me the flight info then wouldn't it be to late to extend the trip?

Also, I am thinking about extending my trip and taking a tour to see Petra in Jordan. Has anyone gone and seen this? Is it worth doing?

Thanks in advance

>>1222658
It cost around $150 to extend your trip. You're overthinking the flight info bullshit, why would they send you extension details at the same time of the flight info if you can't extend? I went to Petra and it was awesome but it cost quite a bit of money and I was on a low budget. I think the three days I spent there totaled $700. If you have the money then go for it but otherwise you can do a lot with that in Israel.

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I would go just to Palestinian women and children push in cowardly armed Jews shit. Best sightseeing ever.

>>1222728
Oh ok 150 isnt too bad. Shit, $700? I am on a low budget but I think I'd only go for like 1 or 2 days. I am debating between petra or the pyramids in Egypt. The tours to both cost roughly the same. Egypt is a bit further though and I am afraid it might be sketchier.

I did it Dec 2014 during college
I was going through a low point at that time but that trip was actually really fun for me. Yeah it's super propaganda (there was even a big ceremony we attended for the founder of the program and it was cringingly overhyped) but if you ignore that and enjoy the trip for what it is it's pretty good.

Enjoy the sights, free stuff and endless hookups. It's known throughout the army that the soldiers who get picked for it are basically gonna enjoy 5 days (for them) of nonstop sex and showing off.

When I finish my service I'm planning on taking a job as security for tours in Israel. Those who get picked for birthright trips make an easy $900-$1100 over 10 days of free field trips.

Tip- in Jerusalem do NOT go to the bars near where they drop you off for the night out. Everything is watered down and overpriced and they know it's easiest to rip off the Americans. Arak is really hit or miss too. I personally hate it with a passion. Tubi is better, but good luck finding it.