Emergency Funding for Israel Travel Program Cancellations

Geographic Scope: North America

Total Funding: Over $2 million in emergency grants

Funding Focus Areas:

• Alternative travel programs for teens whose Israel trips were canceled
• Summer camp programming alternatives
• Leadership development experiences

Eligibility:

• Teens with canceled Israel trip programs
• Jewish day and overnight camps across North America
• Alternative trip participants

What They Fund:

• Alternative travel program costs
• International trips (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Argentina, Hungary)
• On-site camp programming alternatives
• Camper reimbursement for canceled Israel trips

Background: Announced in response to Israel-Iran war (summer 2025) that forced cancellation of:

• Nearly 1,000 teen Israel trips
• Programs involving 2,050 Israeli shlichim (emissaries)
• Multiple camps' signature Israel programs

Alternative Programs Supported:

• Jewish history and leadership development trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest (with Camp Szarvas in Hungary)
• Argentina travel program
• Enhanced on-site camp programming

Additional Support Provided:

• Staffing assistance: FJC rallied 1,200+ people willing to volunteer/work; 400 referred to camps
• Partnerships with Maccabi USA and Birthright Israel for participants whose programs were canceled

Application Process

Submission:

Timeline: Rapid approval process (funds distributed within days/weeks of announcement)

Eligibility Verification:

Note: This was an emergency, time-limited program. Specific application details were not provided in source material. Contact FJC directly for any questions about this concluded program.