JCC Association’s first Taglit-Birthright trip aimed specifically at Jewish professionals has been a tremendous success. We brought 40 “professional Jews” to the Jewish homeland with a goal of increasing their connection to and understanding of Israel.
The trip featured a whirlwind itinerary – developed by our Israel office and our partners at Amazing Israel – meant to maximize every waking minute of the 10-day visit. Designed to include both typical touring activities and feature professional development sessions geared toward those in the Jewish communal field, the trip included 20 JCC staff from around the country along with 20 others who work in Jewish organizations.
Touring included trips to Masada and the Dead Sea, a bumpy ride on camelback and sleeping on the ground in a Bedouin tent. As the group headed into Shabbat, JCC staff led the singing for Friday night services and Saturday included a very meaningful bar/bat mitzvah ceremony in a park overlooking the Knesset, Israel’s parliament building.
Joy Brand, associate vice-president and director of training and professional leadership, staffed the trip, keeping the focus on ways for participants to bring back their learning and make it relevant to their work.
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