Post: #1

Has anyone here done the Birthright Israel trip? Registration for the summer session opened today and I thought I'd see if there are any Jewish players who have info to drop on how to get the most out of the trip (i.e. party, get laid, and have a Zionist religious organization pay for it).

The organization that runs the program sponsors several different trip organizers, which you can see here. From what I've looked at, it seems like apart from avoiding the organizers that have an explicitly religious or political emphasis, it would be good idea to pick one of the "Urban" trips that focus on hanging out in cities rather than shit like riding on camels in the desert, since that would seem to maximize your opportunities to go out and try to hook up. The potential downside I can see to this strategy is that you could get stuck in a group with a bunch of intolerable, high-maintenance Jappy types. Does anyone have experience with any of the trip organizers that they can bring to bear on this?

Based on this thread it seems like Tel Aviv has some decent nightlife options, but any additional info or data on other Israeli cities (it seems like they take you to several places for a a day or 2 each) would be welcome.

Post: #2

The trip itself is pretty whack because they force to stay in a group and wake up at the crack of down to go on tours. The good things though is that they encourage you to party and hook up with other people in your group. It's also nice how the trip is completely free. The best advice I can give you is to extend your plan ticket home and use the trip as a free flight to Israel.

edit: I personally hate going on tours, but Israel is an amazing place. From a tourism standpoint, it's one of the best places I've ever been to. There is a LOT of interesting stuff to see there. Masada and the dead sea are both awesome.

Post: #3

I dated a girl who was a bartender in Tel Aviv. The night life there is apparently fucking NUTS, she showed me some crazy videos. If you like techno at all some of the best DJs spin at the clubs. I could get some more detailed info from her if you want it.

Post: #4

What kind of proof of being jewish one would need to go on a trip? ))

Post: #5

Yeah I went on it a few years back. I had a blast and everyone I know who goes loves it as well. Here's the thing, this trip is not designed for nightlife. In fact, I didn't even get to spend a night in Tel Aviv! We did have the opportunity to go out a few times in my group and even though I was scared to talk to girls back then, I could see that that type of thing wouldn't happen because of logistics.

The fact that your trip is being nearly paid in full you bet your ass there's an agenda. They're not paying for you to go over there.and bang some Israeli chick (although that would probably help.their cause). Now on some other trips I heard people hooked up with the soldiers traveling with them, and on my trip I vividly remember this absolutely gorgeous Russian Jew who was a soldier. Something like that would be your best bet.

Again don't go on this trip for solely game reasons as you will be dissapointed. Go on it because it will be fun and rarely in life will you be given a free trip to a foreign country. If you go on the trip and like the country it may give you the desire to come back and then explore the country more.

Let.me know if you have any more questions.

Post: #6

I went a couple years ago, and I'd say if you have the opportunity to go definitely do it. There is a lot of hooking up in the tour group, and you meet girls on other tour buses as you go. They also do a good job introducing you to Israel, which is an awesome country to visit.

If you end up going, I'd also recommend extending your flight after the tour is over so you can explore Israel a bit on your own. Birthright allows you to use their free plane ticket back up to several months after the tour ends. If anything, I'd recommend staying a few more nights in Tel Aviv, because you only stay there for one night on Birthright.

Post: #7

On a related but off topic note, check out this Taglit (birthright) parody

https://vimeo.com/35660324

Post: #8

I'm going this summer. Just signed up for a trip in mid-may.

Super pumped.

Post: #9

A few of my friends and people I know have done this. I also ran into birthright people when I was in Israel. You only need to have one Jewish grandparent (regardless if paternal or maternal) to do the trip.

Make sure you choose the secular group, not the religious one obviously.

No itinerary is identical to that of the year before and there are several different groups that sponsor birthright, all with unique itineraries. For instance, one group might check out a place like Haifa while another one won't.

Hopefully you'll be in a fun group. They will make you do a lot of walking and running around.

Everything is paid for but they don't pay for every single meal. So bring some cash.

Actually, I even know a guy who's not Jewish at all who did the trip by lying about his ancestry. But it was clear to everyone once he got there that he wasn't Jewish (he also has blond hair and blue eyes) and he was ostracized for it. They were pretty pissed that he took a spot someone more deserving could have had.

Funny thing is that years later he wound up marrying an Israeli. Sketchy guy.

Post: #10

I was just confirmed for the Mid-May trip as well!

I figure it will be more cultural than anything else. I'll stay on after it ends for a week in Tel Aviv I think, and then meet a friend in Beirut.

If our trips overlap it would be great (and probably hilarious) to get a group of guys together for an Israeli meet-up.

Post: #11

Appreciate the info guys. Sounds like the trip isn't really geared toward giving you opportunities to go out and party, which I suspected but figured there might be a way to make the logistics more favorable. I'm gonna change my return ticket and do some traveling after the program's over for sure--as far as I'm concerned, the free plane tickets are the sweetest part of the deal. I'm applying for the June trip but if anybody's going then I'd definitely be down to meet up.

I'm scheduled for my phone interview tomorrow which is the last part of the application. How long after you guys finished applying did you find out whether you got on a trip?

Post: #12

(02-20-2014 08:23 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  A few of my friends and people I know have done this. I also ran into birthright people when I was in Israel. You only need to have one Jewish grandparent (regardless if paternal or maternal) to do the trip.

Make sure you choose the secular group, not the religious one obviously.

No itinerary is identical to that of the year before and there are several different groups that sponsor birthright, all with unique itineraries. For instance, one group might check out a place like Haifa while another one won't.

Hopefully you'll be in a fun group. They will make you do a lot of walking and running around.

Everything is paid for but they don't pay for every single meal. So bring some cash.

Actually, I even know a guy who's not Jewish at all who did the trip by lying about his ancestry. But it was clear to everyone once he got there that he wasn't Jewish (he also has blond hair and blue eyes) and he was ostracized for it. They were pretty pissed that he took a spot someone more deserving could have had.

Funny thing is that years later he wound up marrying an Israeli. Sketchy guy.

Good to know. My grandfather was as jew as it gets. I will see if I can apply to this.

Post: #13

(02-22-2014 06:16 PM)gringochileno Wrote:  Appreciate the info guys. Sounds like the trip isn't really geared toward giving you opportunities to go out and party, which I suspected but figured there might be a way to make the logistics more favorable. I'm gonna change my return ticket and do some traveling after the program's over for sure--as far as I'm concerned, the free plane tickets are the sweetest part of the deal. I'm applying for the June trip but if anybody's going then I'd definitely be down to meet up.

I'm scheduled for my phone interview tomorrow which is the last part of the application. How long after you guys finished applying did you find out whether you got on a trip?

Sounds good. I like your's and Hank Reardon's idea of staying around for some extra time. The tour will help you get your bearings straight and let you see the touristy spots, but after that you can do your own thing.

As for the time frame I can't quite remember, but I did it immediately after my 1st semester of college, and don't remember applying for it as soon as I got to school. Soooo if I had to guess I'd say no more than a few weeks.

It shouldn't be that competitive depending on where you live. If there's too many applicants there's always next year.

Post: #14

(02-22-2014 09:28 PM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

(02-20-2014 08:23 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  A few of my friends and people I know have done this. I also ran into birthright people when I was in Israel. You only need to have one Jewish grandparent (regardless if paternal or maternal) to do the trip.

Make sure you choose the secular group, not the religious one obviously.

No itinerary is identical to that of the year before and there are several different groups that sponsor birthright, all with unique itineraries. For instance, one group might check out a place like Haifa while another one won't.

Hopefully you'll be in a fun group. They will make you do a lot of walking and running around.

Everything is paid for but they don't pay for every single meal. So bring some cash.

Actually, I even know a guy who's not Jewish at all who did the trip by lying about his ancestry. But it was clear to everyone once he got there that he wasn't Jewish (he also has blond hair and blue eyes) and he was ostracized for it. They were pretty pissed that he took a spot someone more deserving could have had.

Funny thing is that years later he wound up marrying an Israeli. Sketchy guy.

Good to know. My grandfather was as jew as it gets. I will see if I can apply to this.

So long as you are 26 y/o or younger you are still eligible.

Post: #15

I had a buddy who did this, also zero game, he loved it though.

Post: #16

I went. I am 1/2 asian (so imagine that).

So backstory, 2 years ago somebody died from alcohol poisoning on the trip (18-22 group) from LA area. They really cramped down on the drinking my year. Long story short, I almost got kicked out of the trip, when somebody ratted one me for day-drinking. The best part is that it was the last day of the trip (day 9), so I slid by. Stupid thing is that everybody else day-drank too (15 other ppl/40 ppl). My shit luck. This is even more stupid considering that I was in the 22-27 group.

Moral of the story- don't choose an LA based trip. Choose a secular one. And keep your circle tight so that other tightwads don't rat on you. Its a painful to fork out cash to pay for the plane-ride back.

Its tough to have sex during birthright because you are shared 2-3 ppl/room. My tip- work fast. I got head from a beautiful Israeli girl in Tel-Aviv. I pulled her out of the bar in 15 mins and back to the hotel. This is also against the "rules" because you aren't supposed to leave the group early. Fn stupid.

Post: #17

(02-23-2014 10:38 PM)DVY Wrote:  I went. I am 1/2 asian (so imagine that).

So backstory, 2 years ago somebody died from alcohol poisoning on the trip (18-22 group) from LA area. They really cramped down on the drinking my year. Long story short, I almost got kicked out of the trip, when somebody ratted one me for day-drinking. The best part is that it was the last day of the trip (day 9), so I slid by. Stupid thing is that everybody else day-drank too (15 other ppl/40 ppl). My shit luck. This is even more stupid considering that I was in the 22-27 group.

Moral of the story- don't choose an LA based trip. Choose a secular one. And keep your circle tight so that other tightwads don't rat on you. Its a painful to fork out cash to pay for the plane-ride back.

Its tough to have sex during birthright because you are shared 2-3 ppl/room. My tip- work fast. I got head from a beautiful Israeli girl in Tel-Aviv. I pulled her out of the bar in 15 mins and back to the hotel. This is also against the "rules" because you aren't supposed to leave the group early. Fn stupid.

In your judgment, how strict was enforcement of the rules, and how common is it to actually get kicked off the trip, as opposed to them just threatening to do so? Like, were the trip organizers aware of any of the shit going on and just looking the other way until somebody forced their hand by ratting you out, or did they seem like they were vigilant and on the lookout for people doing potentially non-wholesome shit? Normally I wouldn't give a fuck about the rules at all but getting fucked over for the cost of a plane ticket from Israel to America plus the $250 deposit would really suck balls.

Also, what was the deal with the rule against drinking? I thought the legal drinking age in Israel is 18, so was this just a rule that the tour group had? Was it particular to your group or do all birthright trips have that?

Post: #18

Go. You'll fuck some chick from your group on the floor of the bathroom in your shared hotel room while the other two guys or her two roommates sleeps. And in your shared hotel room while your roommate bangs a different chick from the group two beds away. Just turn the music up. The trip itself is exhausting and you'll need a rest afterwards, but it's worth it.

They gave us a brief speech about not getting too drunk and then outright and explicitly encouraged everybody to get drunk and fuck each other.

Post: #19

(02-24-2014 02:41 AM)lurker Wrote:  Go. You'll fuck some chick from your group on the floor of the bathroom in your shared hotel room while the other two guys or her two roommates sleeps. And in your shared hotel room while your roommate bangs a different chick from the group two beds away. Just turn the music up. The trip itself is exhausting and you'll need a rest afterwards, but it's worth it.

They gave us a brief speech about not getting too drunk and then outright and explicitly encouraged everybody to get drunk and fuck each other.

That's what I'm talking about!

Post: #20

I just got confirmed for June 30-July 10. Will likely extend my ticket but I'm planning on bouncing to EE to meet a friend so might not actually be in Israel past the end of the trip. Anybody else gonna be there on that timeframe?

Post: #21

I've got a buddy who has asked me to go on this trip with him. I saw someone mention an 18-22 group but I'm in my mid-20's. What different age groups are there for the tours?

Also on this site: http://www.birthrightisrael.com/visiting...Lobby.aspx they have different organizer groups. How do you pick?

EDIT: Israel Free Spirit says it caters to 18-26. Might be my best bet. http://www.israelfreespirit.com/

Post: #22

Just noticed this thread.
I'm an Israeli myself so I'll drop some knowledge.

These are "organized tour" kind of trips that are funded by Jewish organizations and are supported by the government and the IDF.

The agenda is pretty straightforward and it is threefold:
1. Convince Jewish people abroad to go to the holyland (either short term volunteering or long term stay).
2. Have the young people convince their rich parents to funnel funding to such organizations.
3. Improve tourism.

That being said, it's a great opportunity to travel to a somewhat exotic location on an almost fully paid vacation. So really no reason to miss if you can get in.

The groups are usually a mix of foreign Jews and of local Israelis, sometimes even at a 50:50 ratio, while the sexes are mixed on both sides.
As for the local Israelis, the group may be comprised of religious Jews or "non religious" Jews, avoid the former like the plague (religious Israeli girls are far sweeter, but are mostly untouchable).
As for the latter, groups are usually comprised of either Soldiers (18-21), Students (20-30), or specialty professionals (i.e cooks, start-up kids, etc. and can range on all ages), I don't know if you can choose to which type to go, but the first one (soldiers) is probably the best for girls.

Depending on the source of the foreign Jews coming on the trip, they will match the origin of local Israelis. This means that a trip coming from the USA with be matched with Israelis with good English, a trip coming from south america will be matched with Israelis that originated from south america and/or have good grasp of Spanish or Portuguese. Etc.

To the local Israelis going on the trip this is also an all expanse vacation (especially important for soldiers that don't get a lot of free days).
BUT, and here is the good news, one of the main reasons Israelis volunteer to go on this trip is to bang foreign Jews. This is true for both men and women, as these tours are notorious for being a hot bed for hooking up.
This means that by going on this trip the seed has already been planted for you, and as long as you show some foreign style and spit some quality game, you will have it much easier than the average Israeli guy.

Logistics will probably be your biggest obstacle, but let's be honest, how hard can it be to solve when you sleep at the same place as the girl.

Post: #23

Anyone tried using the Sar-El military volunteering thing to bang hot IDF chicks?

Post: #24

Apparently on these tours the jewish princesses from the states fuck like rabbits, especially if you are one of the soldier escorts.

To be assigned to escort the tour I hear its bit of a "reward" from the superiors. How could you not fuck up? You have a gun + uniform. Just run minimal game.

(04-05-2014 07:38 AM)Mr. Sunshine Wrote:  Just noticed this thread.
I'm an Israeli myself so I'll drop some knowledge.

These are "organized tour" kind of trips that are funded by Jewish organizations and are supported by the government and the IDF.

The agenda is pretty straightforward and it is threefold:
1. Convince Jewish people abroad to go to the holyland (either short term volunteering or long term stay).
2. Have the young people convince their rich parents to funnel funding to such organizations.
3. Improve tourism.

That being said, it's a great opportunity to travel to a somewhat exotic location on an almost fully paid vacation. So really no reason to miss if you can get in.

The groups are usually a mix of foreign Jews and of local Israelis, sometimes even at a 50:50 ratio, while the sexes are mixed on both sides.
As for the local Israelis, the group may be comprised of religious Jews or "non religious" Jews, avoid the former like the plague (religious Israeli girls are far sweeter, but are mostly untouchable).
As for the latter, groups are usually comprised of either Soldiers (18-21), Students (20-30), or specialty professionals (i.e cooks, start-up kids, etc. and can range on all ages), I don't know if you can choose to which type to go, but the first one (soldiers) is probably the best for girls.

Depending on the source of the foreign Jews coming on the trip, they will match the origin of local Israelis. This means that a trip coming from the USA with be matched with Israelis with good English, a trip coming from south america will be matched with Israelis that originated from south america and/or have good grasp of Spanish or Portuguese. Etc.

To the local Israelis going on the trip this is also an all expanse vacation (especially important for soldiers that don't get a lot of free days).
BUT, and here is the good news, one of the main reasons Israelis volunteer to go on this trip is to bang foreign Jews. This is true for both men and women, as these tours are notorious for being a hot bed for hooking up.
This means that by going on this trip the seed has already been planted for you, and as long as you show some foreign style and spit some quality game, you will have it much easier than the average Israeli guy.

Logistics will probably be your biggest obstacle, but let's be honest, how hard can it be to solve when you sleep at the same place as the girl.

Post: #25

The trip itself is actually pretty cool. You tour around the whole country and see some really beautiful sights/have cool experiences. I got pretty close with a lot of the people on my trip but unfortunately all the cute girls had boyfriends and were with friends, so they wouldn't hook up for fear of the slut title and/or word getting back.
The real party happens after birthright, when you extend and stay a week (or more) extra in Tel Aviv. The city is incredible. Beautiful women, gorgeous beaches, bazaars, great food. Only downside is the expense. You can find some good deals on airbnb especially if your going to stay with some people you meet in your group. Otherwise, private rooms at hostels are the way to go. I personally shacked up with a sexy British chick with a private room and just payed for a rooftop bed at night ($10 or something instead of $65 or so). Hotels are ridiculously expensive (think $150 for a cheap one).
The hostel I stayed at was Hayarkon 48. Great proximity to the beach and town. Only downside is that people who aren't staying in the hostel are technically not allowed up past 9 I believe, but it wasn't so difficult to get around this when I went.
Also if you stay in Tel Aviv make sure you rent a bike one day and tour the coast. The beach is massive and the quality of girls varies from beach to beach. It's a good way to get a quick scope of the town and its really pleasant.