Thank you for your interest in our Academy Travel Seminars for 2024-2025. 

The educational value and social experiences which our teens receive by participating in our Academy travel programs is unparalleled. Temple Israel is there committed to ensuring that any member teen who wishes to travel has the opportunity to do so. Therefore, the out-of-pocket cost to Temple Israel families is graciously subsidized, and additional scholarships may be available for those enrolled in our All-Access program. Financial expense should be not the deciding factor in a family’s decision. 

8th and 9th graders will travel together with teens from Stephen Wise Free Synagogue & Temple Emanu El to Arizona to explore issues of immigration justice and border security. The trip will depart in the early morning of Friday, February 14 and return in the early evening of Monday, February 17. Together with our travel partner, Tzedek America, we will meet with organizations and people directly affected by the flow of migrants crossing into the United States. We will explore what happens when immigration and enforcement collide; how can we uphold the central Jewish principle, “Do not oppress the stranger,” when the stranger is in violation of federal law? As we seek to answer this question, we will meet with ICE and border patrol agents, asylum seekers, activists, politicians, DACA recipients, and humanitarians. ***And save the date for our 10^th-12^th grade Israel travel seminar, which will take place during December Break in 2025.*** 

10^th-12^th graders can join us for an exciting and immersive academic travel seminar to Madrid, where history will come to life as we explore the vibrant and unique Jewish heritage of Spain from February 13-18, 2025 (with an afternoon departure and midday return)! In partnership with Temple Emanu El and Stephen Wise, we will see historic Sephardic synagogues, fascinating museums, sites from the Golden Age of Jewish Enlightenment, and confront the Inquisition. Iconic landmarks await in the nearby city of Toledo, the Medieval hub of Jewish life, where great thinkers like Maimonides, Yehuda Halevi, and Abraham ibn Ezra created literary works which still guide the Jewish people today! Firsthand interactions like Shabbat with the local community and a visit to a Jewish high school will allow us to engage in in deep thinking about Jewish identity, history, and culture amidst the natural beauty and energy of one of Europe’s great cities. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the past, have fun with friends, and deepen your understanding of Jewish heritage in Europe! ***And save the date for our 10^th-12^th grade Israel travel seminar, which will take place during December Break in 2025.***