Youth to Israel Adventure Expands to Include Passport to Israel Teens

Youth to Israel Adventure Expands to Include Passport to Israel Teens

Lappin Foundation’s life-changing 2016 Youth to Israel Adventure (Y2I), a Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) supported program, is expanding to include to Jewish high school sophomores and juniors, who are enrolled in CJP’s Myra and Robert Kraft Passport to Israel program, bringing the 2016 Y2I cohort of teens to 100. Y2I had previously only been available to Jewish teens living in the Foundation’s service area of 23 cities and towns on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

CJP’s Myra and Robert Kraft Passport to Israel program is a unique savings plan to help parents send their children on a life-changing teen Israel experience. Through the program, synagogues, CJP and the family contribute to the cost of the trip to Israel for high school students, but it did not provide a full ride. Funds from a teen’s Passport to Israel account and from Lappin Foundation will be enough to fully subsidize the two-week 2016 Y2I Adventure.

“We are thrilled to make this exciting teen Israel experience available to 18 more Jewish teens, who live in Greater Boston and who are enrolled in Passport to Israel,” beamed Robert I. Lappin, President of Lappin Foundation, whose mission is enhancing Jewish identity across generations. “The additional teens will join 82 North Shore Jewish teens in 2016 Y2I,” Lappin said. The trip will take place from July 3-17, 2016.

Using their Passport to Israel funds and matching funds from Lappin Foundation, 18 lucky teens will not have to pay additional money for the two-week trip, other than spending money. “Opening our two week Israel adventure to teens from Greater Boston, whose families have been saving for an Israel experience through Passport to Israel, makes great sense,” explained Lappin.

The idea came to Lappin as a way of honoring the Kraft Family, who will be receiving Lappin Foundation’s 2016 Youth to Israel Award in recognition of their unwavering support of Israel, inspirational Jewish philanthropy and remarkable leadership in the Jewish community.

Y2I, considered by many to be the most successful community teen Israel experience, per capita, in North America, is unique in the country because it includes a fully subsidized two-week teen trip to Israel. The full subsidy is key to Y2I’s success. Since its inception in 1970, more than 2,500 Jewish teens have experienced Israel with Y2I. In 1996 the Foundation instituted the fully subsidized teen trip, which eventually quadrupled annual enrollment from an average of 25 teens to an average of 100.

Getting teens to Israel is a passion of Lappin, who believes the teen Israel experience is the most effective way to prepare Jewish students to effectively deal with growing anti-Israel activities and sentiments on college campuses. Lappin Foundation accomplishes this by providing teens with an Israel experience, followed up with Israel advocacy education and training for up to two years before teens go to college.

“I am confident that the synergy of our Y2I Adventure and Kraft’s Passport to Israel program will produce proud Jewish teens who will be strong Israel advocates during their college years and beyond,” stated Lappin.

Passport to Israel teens, who are sophomores or juniors in high school, and their parents are invited to an informational meeting on Monday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington St., Newton. Deborah Coltin, Lappin Foundation’s executive director, and Y2I teen alumni will talk about the two-week trip to Israel and explain the application process.

To reserve a spot at the informational meeting or for more information about applying to 2016 Y2I, contact Deborah Coltin at 978-740-4428 or email dcoltin@lappinfoundation.org.

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