The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) supports and promotes Israel programs for Australian participants. Through partnerships with organizations like Masa Israel Journey and Taglit-Birthright Israel, the ZFA helps provide funding, guidance, and resources to ensure a meaningful and accessible experience. We also assist with scholarships, travel arrangements, and program coordination to help Australians connect with Israel in a way that suits them best.

Our programs are open to Jewish young adults and professionals aged 16-50. Some programs have specific eligibility requirements based on age, background, or experience.

Yes! Many programs offer grants and subsidies to help reduce costs. Financial aid eligibility depends on factors such as program type, duration, and personal circumstances.

No, most programs do not require Hebrew fluency. Many offer language support or Ulpan (Hebrew classes) as part of the experience.

We offer a variety of programs, including volunteer experiences, gap year programs, internships, academic programs, Jewish studies, and career opportunities in Israel. Programs range in length from a few weeks to a full year.

As hard as it may be to believe, the answer is YES! The gift includes a roundtrip flight to Israel from either Melbourne or Sydney, overnight accommodations at 3 and 4-star accommodations (plus one night under the stars at a desert encampment), two meals per day, and all organised activities and touring. What do you pay for? You are expected to get to the departure city airport on your own. You're responsible for any souvenirs, personal purchases, one meal a day, snacks/drinks and a $100usd Tip.

Birthright Israel was launched in 1999 as a non-profit foundation whose purpose is to enable young adults to visit Israel at least once in their lifetime. To date, over 800,000 Jewish young adults from around the world have come to Israel under the Birthright Israel initiative.

This special opportunity is open to anyone who is between the ages of 18-26, who is Jewish, and who has not been to Israel on a peer program since turning 18. Learn More: Eligibility Rules

While the trip itinerary is quite intensive, we do set aside plenty of time for relaxation and personal exploration. That being said, because we take your safety and security so seriously, there will understandably be some limits on your free time, especially when we are touring in larger cities. If you have family or friends who wish to visit you during the trip, they are most welcome to meet you at one of the hotels where we will be staying. We recommend that they visit either at night or on a Saturday morning/afternoon (which is basically down time on the trip). Otherwise, we do make time for some group nights out where there will be time to explore and relax as a group.

Our groups include many participants who are not religious or who may have only a very limited connection to their Jewish identity. Our program accommodates Jewish applicants of all backgrounds. Although we do not like labels, the trip itself is considered "non-denominational," which is to say that everyone should feel welcome and there is no religious agenda whatsoever. We've planned these trips carefully, and we take great pride in knowing that participants from all Jewish backgrounds will feel comfortable in traveling with us. Past experience has also taught us that having a group made up of participants from diverse Jewish backgrounds makes the Birthright Israel experience that much more interesting and special.

Applicants are required to submit a refundable $360 USD deposit as an expression of their intention. The deposit is fully refundable unless you formally accept a spot on a trip that has been offered to you and cancel within 65 days of the trip start date.

The maximum number of total spaces for any round of trips will be determined by based on available funding and other factors. If the total number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, some applicants will be assigned to a waitlist.

Of course! During registration, you will have an opportunity to let us know with whom you would like to travel. We will always do our best to accommodate you. Just keep in mind that since we take into account when you register, it is critical that you and your friends register and submit the required paperwork at the same time. Also, while we can try to make sure that you are in the same group as a friend, we are not able to assign specific seats on the flight to/from Israel. Requesting seats can only be done at the airport on the day of departure (an additional reason to get to the airport early).

All tickets are issued electronically, and you will receive a printed copy at the airport. It is impossible to reserve seats on the plane in advance. Additional airport meeting instructions will be sent to you once you have been confirmed on a specific flight group.

Yes, you can stay longer in Israel. Most airlines will allow you to extend up to 90 days depending on their availability. You need to arrange for your extension one week before the trip, depending, again, on the airline's regulations and availability. You will have to pay the airline a ticket change fee. Unfortunately, extensions can only be made for the end of the program. It is not possible to arrive in Israel ahead of the group.

The hotels we use during the program accommodate three participants. All rooms are single-gender.

Probably not. Some of the hotels may offer this service, but the nature of the trip will make it pretty inconvenient, so make sure to pack enough.

In most cases, yes. Please make sure to include this information in your application and also notify our staff during the interview process