Scholarships

The Jewish Federation Israel Scholarship Program enables young people with a financial need to participate in an Israel Experience in order to develop and enrich their Jewish education and reinforce Jewish identity.

Israel scholarships are made possible by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the Samuel Israel Foundation and other donations. Applications are reviewed by the Israel Scholarship Committee.

Please note the following:

• Scholarships cannot be awarded on a retroactive basis.
• Scholarship recipients are required to complete volunteer service at the Jewish Federation upon the conclusion of their Israel program (see application packet for more details).

FUNDING YOUR ISRAEL EXPERIENCE

Few experiences are as transformative and fulfilling as one's first trip to Israel. However, such trips are expensive, and advance planning is advised in order to be able to pay for them. Here are some ideas:

• Start saving! Plan to pay for at least half of the cost of an Israel program. The earlier you start saving, the better. Imagine that your child will go to Israel sometime after tenth grade, and start a special Israel savings account. Consider that today, a summer program costs $7,000 and a gap year program costs $25,000. Depending on how old your child is, plan to put away a few hundred dollars each year. Ask your child to put a portion of their birthday or bar/bat mitzvah money in this account each year. It's much easier than trying to come up with several thousand dollars once your child wants to go!

• Plan realistically. Federation scholarships average between $1,000 and $3,000 and may go slightly higher in exceptional circumstances. Find out what the average scholarship amounts are from your synagogue, the sponsoring Israel program, and other sources. Choose a program that is within your financial reach.

• Get a MASA Israel grant. Did you know that MASA, a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel, gives grants to every post-high school student who participates in an approved, long-term program in Israel for the first time? Some programs are 100% free. Click here to submit your application.

• Seek additional sources of funding. Plan to apply for scholarship from your synagogue and from other sources before you apply to the Federation. This allows us to make the best use of our funds and help send as many young people as possible to Israel. For a list of additional sources of funding, click here.

• Apply for a scholarship from the Jewish Federation. How much should you ask for? Please ask only for what you truly need in order to make your trip to Israel possible. That way, we can make the best use of our funds and help as many people as possible get to Israel.

Teens

To be eligible for a Teen Israel Scholarship, you must:

• Be a permanent resident of Washington State.
• Participate in an Israel program that starts from the summer after ninth grade through high school graduation.
• Select an Israel program that is an educational youth/peer program (adventure travel, community service, volunteer work, study).
• Seek additional sources of scholarship funding from your synagogue (if you are affiliated) and your Israel program/sponsoring organization.

Click here to dowload the Israel Scholarship Application for Teens

Bar/Bat mitzvah vouchers

If your child became bar or bat mitzvah in Western Washington between September 1997 and September 2007, you are eligible to redeem his or her bar or bat mitzvah voucher.

The application form for $500 Bar/Bat Mitzvah vouchers can be found below. Please enclose proof of your child's bar or bat mitzvah (b'nai mitzvah certificate or a letter from your synagogue) along with the application.

Click here to download the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Voucher application

Milk and honey

If you opened a Milk and Honey Gift of Israel savings account for your child between September 1997 and September 2007, click below for the redemption form. Remember, in order to be eligible for your $700 matched gift, you must provide proof that your child:

• Became bar or bat mitzvah at a Western Washington synagogue between September 1997 and September 2007.
• Has been enrolled in Jewish day school or supplementary school through grade 10.
• Is participating in an Israel program that is an approved educational youth/peer program (adventure travel, community service, volunteer work, study) anytime between grade 10 and age 23.

Click here to download the Milk and Honey application

DEADLINES

Israel scholarship applications must be received at least three months prior to the date of departure in order to be considered. Applications will be reviewed quarterly on the following dates:

Questions should be directed to Rachel Schachter, Israel Programs Manager, at 206 774-2236 or via email at RachelS@JewishInSeattle.org.