<p>Site for Israeli Experts is back online…good luck to all!!</p>
<p>
But they tell you on the Hillel site what the typical trip itinerary is, and offer several different options. See [Taglit-Birthright</a> Israel: Hillel Trip](<a href=“http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel]Taglit-Birthright”>http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel)
[Trip</a> Options](<a href=“http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel/trip_options]Trip”>http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel/trip_options)</p>
<p>Again, Hillel is one of the organizers – it is not merely a conduit for a different organizer. It is possible that not all campus Hillel’s are part of the program – here is a list of those that are:
<a href=“http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel/contact/2010ParticipatingCampuses.htm[/url]”>http://www.hillel.org/israel/travel/bri_hillel/contact/2010ParticipatingCampuses.htm</a></p>
<p>ShawSon registered for Israel Outdoors. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>^ He is going to love it!</p>
<p>Does anyone know when the kids actually find out if they are going or if they were waitlisted?</p>
<p>This thread is a year old, but I have been re-reading with interest. Any updates? advice?</p>
<p>No new advice. ShawSon was waitlisted last year and reregistered for this upcoming summer today. We’ll see. </p>
<p>Tomorrow is the day for new registrants. The site was dramatically swamped last year for new registrants and very slow/down at first. My recollection is that it turned out that selection wasn’t first come first served. It is not clear how they picked which new registrants got to go and which not, but it clearly was not first come first served. If so, there is no need to rush to be in the first wave.</p>
<p>I would look for a secular type of program. The more outdoorsy one is organized by Yael, I think.</p>
<p>He has to act quickly if he wants to go this summer. Taglit
lost lots of money to Maddof, so they have fewer trips than they used to, and many kids get wait listed, sometimes more than once.</p>
<p>Thanks for feedback. There is a Shosharim program, Israelwithsraeli, for grad students. Registration starts tomorrow. I never heard of this program before</p>
<p>ShawSon has applied to Israel Outdoors, which seems relatively secular. Last year, they had programs that were hiking only or hiking, biking and other things.</p>
<p>Hibba runs a great Birthright Israel trip. With registration this week I highly suggest you sign up with them. As a past participant on their programs they offer an amazing program and they are the easiest trip organizer to get on to. They are traditional yet fun. Registration can be done at [Israel</a> in touch - Home Page](<a href=“http://israelintouch.com/]Israel”>http://israelintouch.com/)</p>
<p>Josh: if you go to a LAC in CT, change your screen name…tx for the heads up though…</p>
<p>My daughter did Birthright via Columbia/Barnard Hillel. My d. is left-leaning politically and studied international relations in college. She had a wonderful time and did not complain of or report any perceived right-wing bias. There is very clearly a pro-Israel bias, and depending on your view of Israel in the mideast, that could be seen as right wing. However, my impression is that there was an opportunity to engage and explore the political issues – but one purpose of the trip is to expose the American students to the Israeli perspective. The students did spend time with Israeli soldiers. My daughter returned with a more nuanced view of the political situation there – she did not feel that she was fed a lot of propaganda, but she did feel that the situation was a lot more complicated than she had previously thought.</p>
<p>“but she did feel that the situation was a lot more complicated than she had previously thought.”</p>
<p>That is an excellent way to sum up. My kids try to understand what is going on over there, but it’s very hard to understand it all when the news we get is so filtered. My son came back with a similar sentiment to your daughter. He’d read quite a bit in preparation, but it was still not enough.</p>