Sending D on a winter trip shortly and am looking for suggestions both on how much cash to send (has credit card for larger items but I know they need cash for lunch stops) and also clothing suggestions (am aware of long skirt and covered arms for holy sites, but am looking more for general advice of how many long sleeve/short sleeve given rainy/winter season in Israel). Also looking for any general advice of things that come in handy…thanks in advance!
It is chilly in Israel in the winter and it definitely can rain. But you don’t need a heavy down jacket or anything–an nice fleece jacket/northface will be fine. Definitely bring good walking shoes, a water bottle, a good camera, hat for the desert (sun is strong even in winter), a raincoat or rain poncho. She will be in mostly long pants; this time of year she will only be in shorts for the day they are in the desert if that (Masada/Dead Sea). Jerusalem will be in the 40s/low 50s; Tel Aviv area in the 70s or so; Galilee and north (Haifa, Sefat, etc) closer to Jerusalem but with rain less likely. I does snow in Jerusalem on occasion so check the long-range forecast before she goes (they would only get an inch or two, we’re not talking major accumulations). Regarding money I wouldn’t go overboard, $200 max for lunch, snacks, and small purchases. There are plenty of ATMs where she can take out shekels. She will have a great time!
My D went on Birthright a few years ago, also around this time of year. I don’t recall her taking a huge amount of clothing. She did bring a couple of light sweaters so that if it was hot, she could wear a sleeveless shirt and still be covered at holy sites. A light hooded rain jacket also came in handy. I sent her with about $150 in cash but she is not a big shopper. It also depends on which trip you do. She and my oldest son both did a trip that was more outdoor adventure and less shopping.
As a funny aside, when my son was on his trip, he stopped in a tiny little store to buy something. The clerk asked if he was from the US and when he said yes, he said he had relatives in the NY area. After playing a couple of rounds of Jewish geography, the man asked my son if he has a brother named X. X is a relatively uncommon, not particularly Jewish, name. Why, yes, my son said, I do. It turned out that the clerk is the uncle of one of X’s best friends and was tasked with the job of carting X around at the nephew’s bar mitzvah as X was in a full leg cast and wheelchair at the time. He recognized my son from having seen him at his relative’s home and because of his striking color hair. My son said that meeting someone he sort of knew in a foreign country made the trip even better for him and gave him a great story.
Anyway, I hope that your D has a great time. I am still working on getting my three younger boys to go on the trip.
For random people reading this—they just raised the age of eligibility to 32 so if your child missed the opportunity when they were younger they have another chance.
Is there a link to more about the logistics of birthright trips???
My d also did Birthright at this time of year at 26 as the last opportunity to do this, as compared to younger d who did it in late June. This is much better as when younger d was on trip, it was unseasonably hot and many of the events had to be cancelled because of excessive heat. A fleece or quilted jacket is fine. Can’t remember how much cash she had but it wasn’t a huge amount although she extended her trip a few days to meet a friend doing a Fulbright and then spend shabbat on the end part with our family.
When younger d went she felt she hadn’t brought enough “going out at night clothes” for when they were in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as the emphasis on her trip was Israel Outdoors and she anticipated many hiking days.
I did it in the summer but went on another Israel trip around Christmastime. It definitely can be cold! In my pictures, I’m wearing a North Face jacket. Depending on your phone plan, don’t bother with the Israel Phones they try to sell you. You can use Facebook to call - that’s what I did. Another tip is that a lot of stores try to take advantage of young tourists (expect to see a lot of shops with “We Love Birthright!” in the window). Don’t be afraid to negotiate! You’re supposed to negotiate, especially at touristy places like Ben Yehuda Street. Even just an apathetic “ehh hmm I dunno” will get them to lower the price. Birthright pays for 2 meals a day, I think, so she’ll need money for lunch every day and of course souvenirs. I think $200-300 is more than enough, unless she’s planning to buy something especially nice (like the second time I went, I had the intention of buying a really nice personalized siddur). The touristy stuff I bought on Birthright - an IDF shirt, a bracelet with the shema - was like a couple of dollars. Other than that, have an amazing time and take lots of pictures! I wish my brother would go.
When my kids went, they were surprised at how much time was spent visiting bars. I say this as a heads up to your daughter in case she doesn’t know this. If she likes bar hopping, then she’ll need to factor in money for this. If she isn’t a fan of spending time in bars, then she may want to have a secondary plan for what to do when the rest of the group is at a local bar.
Mine were not big shoppers or spenders on this trip, so a couple hundred was more than enough.
She can get shekels here in the US which will save her some time when she arrives (so she won’t have to do this right away). Our local bank offered this service - it just needed to be set up in advance.