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Taglit-Birthright Israel - FAQs 1. What is KOACH? KOACH is the College Outreach Department of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. We support programming for Conservative Jewish students throughout North America and Israel. Explore our website to learn more! 2. Who qualifies for the Taglit-Birthright Israel program? If you are Jewish, post high school and between the ages of 18 and 26 and have never before traveled to Israel on a peer educational program, you are eligible for the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. With the exception of a couple of meals and a small fund for bus extras, yes! Through the generosity of several philanthropists, in concert with the government of the State of Israel, Taglit-Birthright Israel expenses are covered, from the time you board your flight to Tel Aviv until you disembark in New York upon your return. You are responsible for your own travel expenses to and from New York. A $250 deposit is required to hold your space once you are accepted. The deposit is fully refundable following your return from Israel.
4. What are the dates for the
next KOACH Taglit-Birthright Israel
trip? 5. Will there be a specialty trip for students with Asperger's Syndrome? Yes, there will!! Please select this particular trip from the dropdown menu in registration. 6.What are my chances of being selected as a participant on the KOACH Taglit-Birthright Israel trip? Your chances of selection are dependent on the number
of applicants. For the past several trips, we've been able to accommodate
the overwhelming majority of applicants. Registration will open September 10th, 2008; in previous years, Taglit-Birthright Israel has closed registration early, so it's in your interest to apply as soon as possible. We'll let you know when registration is closing and when you can expect to hear about your status (shortly thereafter). 8. How are participants in the Taglit-Birthright Israel program selected? Applicants will fill out a KOACH Taglit-Birthright Israel form which will lead them through the Taglit-Birthright Israel registration process. We will notify BRINA which applicants qualify for the KOACH trip. Assignment of participants will be dependent on the number of slots available. 9. Why should I apply to the KOACH Taglit-Birthright Israel program? As the Conservative Movement's college outreach program, we are dedicated to giving participants the spiritual foundation for their Israel experience. Our program is shomer Shabbat and shomer Kashrut (Sabbath and Kashrut observant), includes regular worship and text study and will connect you with the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel. Our approach is educational and pluralistic and creates a great environment to learn and grow. The program is enriching, uplifting and lots of fun! 10. Where in Israel will we travel? We spend about half the trip in Jerusalem and its surroundings. The rest of the trip takes us both north and south. Click here for a sample itinerary. 11. Is it safe to travel in Israel? KOACH and Taglit-Birthright Israel consider the safety and security of our participants and staff of the utmost importance. We will monitor the situation closely, in conjunction with the Israeli government, to make certain that our itinerary is security-approved. If at any point we do not believe that we can proved a safe and enriching Israel experience, we will modify our plans accordingly. While in Israel we are in constant contact with the Israeli authorities. The Israeli government maintains a 24-hour department responsible for the safety and security of all tourist groups. They can reach us, and we in turn can reach them, on a moment's notice. They will continually review our itinerary, even while we are on the ground, and notify us of any necessary changes. 12. Whom can I contact for more information? You can email koachbirthright@uscj.org or call: 847-714-9130. 13. Once I am accepted, what will I need to do? Following your acceptance we will send you additional paperwork, including medical forms, updated itineraries and forms regarding your travel plans to New York. Those materials will need to be returned to us in a timely fashion in order to process your airline tickets and hold your place with our group. 14. When should I apply for a passport? Immediately! New passport regulations have resulted in significant processing delays and it can take 12 weeks for a regular application and 3 weeks for an expedited application. If you don't currently possess a valid passport (one which will continue to be valid for six months following your scheduled date of return), you should apply right away. Even though you don't yet know if you will be a Taglit-Birthright Israel participant, starting the process right away ensures that you will have a passport in plenty of time. You don't want to miss out on the trip because your passport didn't arrive in time! 15. What is the meaning of life? No, seriously. We are all on a quest for meaning and we'll all find different answers to our questions. We can't guarantee that you'll find all your answers on the KOACH Taglit-Birthright Israel program, but we'll do our best to help you discover just which questions you need to ask. Registration will open for the upcoming winter trip on September 10th, 2008. Click on the link below. You'll be taken to the Shorashim website, our partner for the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. Follow their instructions to register (you'll end up clicking through to the Birthright Israel website itself). You'll select Shorashim as the Trip Provider. KOACH and KOACH-Special Needs will both appear in the drop-down menu for Shorashim. Make your choice and you're on your way! Please know that when registration initially opens, the system is often swamped. Be persistent! It's important to try to register as soon as possible, even if you aren't sure you will travel. Taglit-Birthright Israel has been known to close registration early and with little warning. It's far better to register no matter what; you will be able to withdraw without penalty up until some time in November (we'll tell you when). If you run into any difficulties, or have any questions, please be in touch with us at koachbirthright@uscj.org. L'hitraot B'Yisrael! (See you soon in Israel!) The dates for our Winter trip will be December 16th through December 26th (Tentative for KOACH; Confirmed for KOACH-Special Needs.)
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