Let JUF help you send your kid to Israel

Roughly three quarters of American Jews who visit Israel report feeling more connected after their trip. At a time when many Jewish teens and young adults face virulent anti-Israel sentiments and rising antisemitism in classrooms and on campuses around the country, spending time in Israel is even more important.

JUF is here to help make visiting Israel more affordable. Our Send-a-Kid-to-Israel Partnership (SKIP) is a savings incentive program that brings together families, congregations, and JUF to help fund approved trips to Israel. Funds can be used for a variety of programs, including JUF’s IsraelNow 8th grade trip, numerous high school programs (including those run by BBYO, NCSY, and NFTY), as well as study abroad and internship programs for college students. 

Members of participating congregations can contribute to a SKIP account for a child between 3rd and 9th grade. Each year a child is eligible, a total of $255 is added to the participant’s account. That includes $85 from JUF, with the remaining $170 divided between the family and congregation. The funds can be used for a variety of programs in Israel through the age of 26. Families can withdraw their contributions (and interest earned on that amount) at any time. 

By the time a child is in 10th grade, an account typically has about $2,000 in it, which certainly helps. I know that firsthand because our son’s SKIP funds helped make his trip to Israel a reality this summer. 

If you are interested in creating a SKIP account for your child, contact your synagogue. If they don’t participate in the SKIP program, encourage them to do so. JUF also offers the Gift of Israel (GOI) program so unaffiliated families can save toward a trip to Israel for their children too. GOI accounts can be used in combination with SKIP accounts. Once $1,000 is saved in a GOI account, JUF contributes a one-time gift of $180.

For more information about these programs, please visit juf.org/israel_experience/Savings-Programs-SKIP.aspx and/or email [email protected] . 

Amy Shriberg, Ph.D., is a freelance writer and works in the Israel Experience, Community Outreach, and Engagement Department of JUF.