It is that time of year, when many teens start thinking about how to fill their summers. While many attend their final year of camp, begin to apply for jobs or look for summer intensive programs, some Jewish teens spend their summer break traveling in Israel.

Allison “Allie” Chervitz, a sophomore at Parkway Central High School and a Shaare Emeth congregant, knew from the get-go that she wanted to experience Israel this summer.

“I had always wanted to visit Israel, and the fact that I have not yet been there makes me sad,” Allie said. “But to soon be in the Jewish homeland especially excites me for this summer.”

 Allie, the founder of the Sababa B’nai Brith Girls Chapter of BBYO (B’nai B’rith Youth Organization), said that because of her Jewish identity, she has an extra motivation to visit Israel.  

“I love to meet other people, but I also wanted to experience the country with more of a personal touch,” Allie said.

Her trip to Israel is coordinated by an organization called Israel Journey, which creates trips for groups of teens from around the globe.

Many other organizations similar to Israel Journey also lead visits to Israel, including Israel Bound, which has a lot of local Jewish teens participate. Shaare Emeth Rabbi Jonah Zinn has played a prominent role in two Israel Bound trips as a chaperone. 

“[Israel Bound is] a phenomenal three-week visit where we do all of the typical tourist attractions, but we also have an amazing immersive experience with other Israeli teens and families in our sister city of Yokneam,” Zinn said. “The fact that everyone can come back to St. Louis after traveling together means that these teens can continue their relationships here, even after Israel. Traveling to Israel helps open your eyes to what it means to truly live Judaism holistically, and it helps you develop a profound connection to the history of our people.”

Allie signed up for her trip to meet new people and to explore a place dear to her. Zinn values the opportunity for the potential of friendships to grow among trips filled with local teens.

While these two people are experiencing different ways to travel around Israel, one thing is constant: Both of these trips are expensive.

Karen Rader, director of the Israel Center at Jewish Federation of St. Louis and a member of Kol Rinah Congregation, hopes to alleviate the problems of expenses. She runs a program through Federation called Passport to Israel. Rader’s goal is “to get families to put money aside for their child to go to Israel when they are a teen or a young adult.”

Participating families will set up an account as early as third grade and deposit $200 annually, with the money matched by Federation. In 10th grade, the student’s account is closed, and families are able to use the money for a group trip to Israel. 

Rader said that Passport to Israel has about 750 participants and that 60 teens and young adults used their funds last year.

Passport to Israel has sparked initiatives in other cities. However, the core idea in each organization is similar: the notion that no teen should be financially deprived of the opportunity to go to Israel. They, and people like Zinn, believe that to visit the country is to do something special.

“Israel travel is one of the most significant experiences in terms of helping young Jews forge an enduring commitment to Jewish life,” Zinn said.