Hannah O.
“I can honestly say that these were two of the best months of my life. During this program I learned so much about myself, my connection with Israel, and my professional aspirations.”
Zachary Lang
“I had a fantastic summer and learned a great deal about my Jewish identity and strengthened my connection to Israel. Most importantly, this program also helped me gain experience in my professional field as well as gave me a “semester abroad” experience.”
Alyson Lees
“This trip to Israel was one I will never ever forget, and I will be talking about it forever. Onward Israel not only gave me the opportunity to explore an incredible country, but at the same time I was able to work with a group of people who taught me so many things that will help further my career; things I will never forget.”
Cody
“This experience for me has been nothing but phenomenal. I have been to Israel twice before but I have never had the opportunity to live like a local, especially in the heart of Tel Aviv. Through the Onward Israel program, I have met 31 other participants who are from Toronto, and I have had the chance to get to know them more closely through organized activities, trips around Israel, and most recently, a Shabbaton in the Negev.”
Brittany Schultz
“Despite only having been in Israel for a short time, it feels as though I have lived here for years. Traveling to other major cities, Jerusalem and Haifa, and spending a Shabbaton in Misgav have allowed me to experience a broad spectrum of Israeli and Jewish culture. With the help of the 27 other Pittsburgh trip members, our super-woman madricha, and the amazing people I have met in these few weeks I already made memories that will last a lifetime.”
Tammi
“Onward Israel provided me the opportunity to construct a meaningful experience in Israel. I was able to hone in on my technical skills at my internship at an internet marketing startup in Tel Aviv, while at the same time exploring Tel Aviv with my friends and learning about Israel by being a part of it. I came back from my summer possessing an in-depth grasp of the internal issues that Israel is constantly grappling with, a better understanding of how I want to lead my Jewish life (and my everyday life too), and an appreciation for the the quarks of Tel-Aviv that only a local could pick up on. I valued spending time with other like minded individuals – we all share a common love for Israel and being Jewish, and this is not something that is often times uniting on many college campuses, at least not on mine.”
Hannah
“At first the thought of living halfway around the world terrified me, but the opportunity to write for The Jerusalem Post, an internationally read newspaper, was one I could not pass up… I can confidently now say my summer with Onward Israel will increase my knowledge of Israel and the nature of international media.”
Miriam M. – Go Tech, Summer 2017
“If [Onward Israel applicants] are looking for a good work experience, I would say go for it. If they’re looking for an experience to be living in Israel and doing your own thing almost the entire time, go for it.”