This program aims to foster connections to Israel and Jewish peoplehood by bringing together teens from diverse Jewish backgrounds. Participants will share the journey with Israeli teens, building meaningful relationships and gaining a deeper understanding of Israeli culture and perspectives. Additionally, they will meet with local European Jewish youth communities, experiencing the vibrancy of modern Jewish life across Europe. Through these interactions, combined with immersive explorations of European Jewish history and culture, we will have the opportunity reflect on our personal Jewish identity and strengthen our connection to the global Jewish community.

We are in the process of becoming an approved program to receive a RootOne Voucher and more information will be available soon.

If your teen received a $250 b’nei mitzvah certificate, you can apply it towards this program. URJ Camps may also have scholarship available (Eisner Camp, for example).

We also recommend reaching out to your local federation or synagogue to inquire if they offer scholarships or financial assistance.

For more information about logistics—such as how travel arrangements are made, passport requirements, food and lodging accommodations—and health and safety concerns, including program safety, group supervision, and medical care provisions, please visit our main FAQ page. There, you’ll find answers to these and other important questions to help you prepare for your Journey Europe experience.

We will start our journey connecting to each other and to the vibrant Jewish community in Budapest. We will explore the history, culture, and breathtaking sights of Budapest as we cross the chain bridge, take in the views on a river cruise of the Danube and learn about the history of the city, its Jewish cultures and the story of Theodor Herzl.  

After spending Shabbat with the progressive Jewish community, we will step out of the urban environment and cross the border to Slovakia. In the Slovak Paradise National Park, we’ll hike Suchá Belá Gorge with its wooden ladders and waterfalls. we’ll try out the water slides at Tatralandia, Slovakia's largest water park and go rafting in the water of the Dunajec River Gorge at Pieniny National Park. 

On our second week, we will be learning about the variety of vibrant Jewish communities that flourished until the Holocaust. We will meet the Jewish communities of the present and will bear witness to the story of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.  
The visit to Poland will include sites like Schindler’s Factory, Auschwitz, Birkenau and Theresienstadt and also offer the time and place to decompress and connect to the nature and people of Poland of the 21st century.   

On the last week of the trip, we will head west to the beautiful cities of Prague and Berlin. In Prague we will walk through the medieval streets of the old town, cross the Charles Bridge with its views of the Vltava River and visit the Prague Castle. We will immerse ourselves in centuries of Jewish life at the historic Jewish Quarter, home to the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest active synagogue in Europe and at the modern Reform Temple, we will meet with Rabbi David Maxa and hear about his vision for the future of progressive Judaism in Europe.  

As we journey toward Berlin, we’ll pass through Saxon Switzerland National Park, with its dramatic sandstone cliffs and the iconic Bastei Bridge, a perfect spot to reflect on the breathtaking beauty of nature and prepare for the last few days of our trip.  

We will conclude our trip in Berlin, reflecting on the winds of change represented in the different highlights of the city between the East Side Gallery and the Berlin Wall and the sites of memory promising not to forget the Holocaust and the commitment to shared humanity. At Berlin we will also spend our last Shabbat bonding with each other, sharing laughter, song and prayer and celebrating Shabbat with Netzer teens from the Berlin area.