Thirty young adults from Illinois campuses will be traveling to Israel this coming summer to strengthen their resumes through a custom-designed overseas experience in Israel. The group is part of an initiative called Onward Israel, a partnership between the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Every year, tens of thousands of young adults travel abroad for summer internships, volunteer opportunities and summer study. Onward Israel addresses many of the obstacles that have prevented larger numbers of young adults from returning for second immersive experiences in Israel, such as cost and the need for resume-building. Heavily subsidized, Onward Israel gives Jewish young adults the chance to build valuable work, service or study credentials while also experiencing Israel.

While most of the participants have already been to Israel through Birthright Israel or various teen programs, Onward Israel allows them to have a more long-term experience, which often translates into a stronger connection with Israel and with their Jewish community at home. Each delegation will focus on specific projects or work assignments that its local federation has developed with the Jewish Agency.

The Illinois delegation will be living in Tel Aviv where they will be placed in internships related to their fields of study or interest. The program will consist of four days a week interning at placements and an additional day a week of educational content over the course of eight weeks. Participants will also spend a weekend with Onward Israel participants from a variety of communities during the Global Jewish Peoplehood Shabbat experience.

Cindy Shapira, Jewish Agency Board of Governors member and the national lay chair of the Onward Israel initiative, along with her husband, David, realized the need for Onward Israel when their own children were looking for overseas summer internships.

“I learned that one could go almost anywhere, but hardly anyone mentioned Israel,” Shapira said. “Through Onward Israel, we can give thousands of Jewish young people the remarkable opportunity of a resume building experience in Israel.”

Emily Briskman, Director of JUF’s Israel Education Center, said that there was a specific need for a summer program in Israel that offers career development and advanced study.

“Offering this kind of opportunity is a great complement to our already robust menu of Israel education initiatives,” Briskman said. “Students will have an opportunity to simultaneously strengthen their Jewish identity and love of Israel while furthering their career goals.”

Applications for Onward Israel are now open. For more information and to apply please visit http://www.onwardisrael.com/category/chicago . Preference will be given to students currently attending college in Illinois.