Journey Europe

Experience Europe with Teens from Across North America!

 

Join an unforgettable journey where friendship meets adventure! Travel with a vibrant Jewish community through Central Europe, exploring our rich heritage while forging new connections. This brand-new 3-week program offers teens the opportunity to dive deep into Jewish history, experience modern European Jewish life firsthand, and create memories that will last a lifetime. This is more than just a trip—it’s a chance to be part of something truly special. Yallah – let’s go!

 *Please note, dates are subject to change based on registration and current airline reservations.
**This program is NOT eligible for a $3,000 RootOne voucher. However, you can redeem a $250 b’nei mitzvah certificate.  

FAQs

How are groups formed?
If you are part of a camp or congregational community, teens will be placed on a bus with other participants from their community. To ensure a meaningful and complete summer experience, communities may be combined with others based on registration numbers.
I'm interested in both Europe and Israel. When do I have to make a final decision?
We encourage you to pick the program you are most interested in and register. You will have the flexibility to switch between programs until February 14, 2025.
Are there scholarships available?

Journey Europe is currently not eligible for a RootOne Voucher. However, if your teen received a $250 b’nei mitzvah certificate, you can apply it towards this program.

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

What else do I need to know?

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.

Sample Itinerary

Yallah! Israel’s professional staff in Israel and North America are designing an exciting itinerary that ensures great fun and adventure, meaningful discovery and the highest standard of safety and security.

Please note this is a sample itinerary. The final itinerary will be shared about three weeks before the group departure.

Week ONE: Hungary and Slovakia

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. 

Week TWO: Poland

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  

Week Three: Prague and Berlin

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.