Free Trip to Israel

calmom
Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:31:58 +0000

They also require a deposit of several hundred dollars. The deposit is refundable, but it definitely does have to be paid. Many students from more financially well off families opt to “donate” the deposit at the end of the trip – my sense is that there is some encouragement to do so – though my d. was not in a position to do that.

Also, there were a lot of day-to-day expenses during the trip that my daughter had not anticipated – thing like paying for some meals and the normal expenses that go along with socializing – plus of course when traveling there is a strong temptation to spend money on souvenirs. My d. would have been in serious trouble if I had not decided to bestow an extra gift of spending money at the time, as a Bat Mitzvah gift. I gave her $180… if you don’t know why that figure, you probably could use a little more time familiarizing yourself with Jewish traditions before heading of to Israel.

I also think that even if you do go… it’s kind of a waste to take the trip at age 18, especially with your interests. You could get so much more from the trip with a more mature outlook and more time pursuing your field of interest. If it were a one-time only opportunity – then it might make sense to seek it right now – but you have plenty of time. (My guess is that it would probably be pretty tough for an 18 year old in your situation to get a spot in any case… so maybe its a moot issue.)