RootOne Announces Program Expansion

RootOne, an initiative of The Jewish Education Project, announced an expansion of its Summer Experience offerings. Now, through partnerships with Mosaic United, BBYO, Young Judea and Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI), RootOne will support five new, innovative trips for Summer 2024 as it continues to expand the variety of trips it makes available to teens in ways that meet the moment of a post-October 7th environment.

“Our ambition is for every Jewish teen to arrive on their college campus with a deep connection to the Jewish community and to Israel,” said Bernie Marcus, Chairman of The Marcus Foundation, RootOne’s primary funder. “We are building RootOne to be the engine of innovation that will get us there. This expansion initiative will be the first of many.”

Creation of a robust and diverse set of experiences is a cornerstone of RootOne’s strategic vision and the post-October 7th landscape has accelerated the pace of innovation. “Going dark is not an option,” said Simon Amiel, Executive Director at RootOne. “Our team and our partners have come together in remarkable and creative ways to make sure that this summer, North American Jewish teens will have the opportunity to build transformative connections with Israel and Israelis. While the summer of 2024 will undoubtedly look different, our support and commitment to our mission remain steadfast.”

In 2020, RootOne launched with a voucher model that significantly reduced the cost of immersive Israel programs for teens. The programs are most often threeweek experiences that take place in the summer and are coupled with pre- and post-trip educational content. This summer, however, RootOne is expanding its menu of experiences. In partnership with Mosaic United and Young Judaea, RootOne will bring Israeli teens to the US for the first time to experience the Hadracha and Merkaz programs at Camp Tel Yehudah alongside their American peers. The Hadracha program, which focuses on leadership and activism, includes a four-day trip to Washington, DC to meet with elected officials. Participants also take on leadership roles at the camp in Barryville, NY throughout the summer and are deeply immersed in Israeli culture and Hebrew language. The Merkaz program, which also takes place at Tel Yehudah, focuses on Jewish identity, Israeli history and culture.

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