Ezra will be giving great prizes for short videos and best photos about your Taglit-Birthright Israel: EZRA experience. Whether you are a professional video or photographer or an amateur, make sure to bring your video camera with you on the trip!  
Videos & photos will be judged by creativity, and will be selected by Ezra Staff and the winners will be nominated with Ezra Awards at the mega reunion. Videos & Photos must be submitted by February 10, 2010.

While this is a free trip, it is a good idea to bring some money. All meals are already included as part of the program. However, for lunch, we usually give you a cash allowance for you to purchase a "light lunch" on your own. There is a good chance that you will want to supplement that allowance with your own money as well. You may occasionally want to buy bottled water (although the tap water is perfectly fine), snacks, drinks, souvenirs etc.

Finally, in Israel, it is customary to tip both the tour guide, the bus driver at the end of the program. Our experience is that $50 for the tour guide and $20 for the driver ($70 total) is appropriate for a 10-day trip. Tipping is not mandatory, and if this is something that you cannot afford or in which you do not want to participate, do not be embarrassed to tip less or to refrain altogether.

We suggest bringing approximately $200 to $250 USD in cash. If you do not have a credit card, you may want to bring a little more. Almost all stores in Israel accept credit cards. Do not rely on ATM machines as they can be difficult to find. Travelers Checks are also difficult to cash so we do not recommend bringing them. If you plan on bringing cash, your only real opportunity to exchange it for Israeli shekels is at the airport as you arrive or maybe another spot or two, but not on the first day.

A combination of credit cards, debit cards and cash is ideal. The exchange rate is better if you withdraw money directly from your account in shekels, but don't travel without cash (of course).

The currency in Israel is Shekel or New Israel Shekel (NIS). For the current US dollar exchange rate Click here.

For credit cards and debit cards, please call your banks and let them know that you will be traveling so they don’t block the transactions. Also in Israel they don’t accept Discover card and in some places American Express, so the best choice is Visa or MasterCard (any ATM card with a Visa or MasterCard logo are fine too). Always have extra money or credit lines because you are likely to spend more than you anticipate.

If you do not have an ATM or credit card, there is another solution called Payoneer. The Payoneer card acts like both an ATM and a credit card. Here's how it works. You pay your deposit for the trip to an Israeli company Payoneer, and they can send you at your request a pre-paid debit card. The other major advantage to Payoneer is that if you lose your card while you are in Israel, it can be replaced for you on the spot during the trip, and all of the funds are protected since Payoneer is part of MasterCard. For more information, please visit the Payoneer website Note: As of this year, all refunds from the Taglit Birthright Israel trips will not be refunded thru your Payoneer card, but on your original method of payment. So if your credit card/bank account information changed since you submitted your deposit, please contact Payoneer and update it.

Bringing expensive items (jewelry, laptop computers, etc.) is not advised. Most hotels will not have safes or secure places to keep these items, and sometimes things are stolen even from locked rooms. You are responsible for any items you bring. Please Note: Ezra and the hotels used are not liable for any items lost or left behind.

On the flight to Israel, madrichim will start making rooming lists for hotels. The rule is 3 people per room, no co-ed rooms (males separate from females), and you get to choose you roommates if you wish, and if you don’t have any preferences roommate/s will be assigned to your room. If you know who you would like to be in the room with friends you can tell your madrichim even before the trip, and they will be happy to put you together.

Besides 40 North American participants, 2 Ezra North American madrichim, an Israeli tour guide, a bus driver and two security/medical guards that will be together in the same group during the full 10 day program, 8 Israeli soldiers will join the group for 5 days as a part of Ezra Mifgash program.

Envisioned as a way to enhance the experience for participants from abroad, the Mifgash - the encounter and interaction between overseas and Israeli peers - was created as a core educational element of the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. The founders of Taglit-Birthright Israel considered the Mifgash a cardinal element in the success of the experience and achievement of its goals. The expectation was, by getting to know their Israeli counterparts; participants from abroad would develop personal relationships giving meaning to their identification with the country and the Jewish people.

The Mifgash, like Taglit-Birthright Israel, grew with its success, from short encounters (measured in hours) in the project's first year to the average five-day experience of today. 7,500 soldiers per year, ever year, now participate in a Mifgash, making up 95% of the Israeli component of the Taglit-Birthright Israel program.

The Israeli army, recognizing the educational value of the Mifgash as a factor in strengthening soldiers' motivation, established a unit dedicated to facilitating participation in Taglit-Birthright Israel and contributes the soldiers' workdays to the program. This unit has created ongoing systems of recruitment, selection and orientation of participants as well as program evaluation and oversight. Today, with the program an overwhelming success, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hopes to deepen its involvement in Taglit-Birthright Israel.

The Mifgash has proven a turning point in the lives of Israelis, strengthening their patriotism and their motivation to serve Israel and the Jewish people.

The success of the program and the partnership in increasing the number of overseas participants in Taglit-Birthright Israel has created an exceptional opportunity to also increase the number of Israeli soldiers participating in the Mifgash. More Israeli participants for longer periods of time with their overseas peer group means more benefit to Israel and its future.

There is no question that the Mifgash is one of the most transformative parts of the Taglit-Birthright Israel: EZRA trips, and a central element for building global Jewish connections. Taglit-Birthright Israel is passionately committed to guaranteeing and expanding its future.

Taglit-Birthright Israel: EZRA trip is full with touring and you will find that 10 days is a very short time to be in Israel. There will certainly be some down time on the trip, and we suggest that you use that time to relax and re-energize. If you would like to visit with friends or family members while you are in Israel, your best option is to extend your ticket and meet up after the program. If you can only meet during the program, the best time for visiting with family is on the one "free evening" of the trip -- which you will be informed by your madrichim. Just keep in mind that, our Trip rules do not allow for leaving the group under any circumstances.

All Ezra trips and programs observe Shabbat and the laws of Kashrut. All group meals are kosher as certified under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. There is usually one meal per day that you will be purchasing on your own (typically a light lunch), and you are perfectly free to eat whatever you wish. People with special dietary situations (i.e. lactose intolerance, vegetarian, etc.) should contact us in advance to make proper arrangements. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to order vegetarian food during meals. For special meal requirements for the flight, please contact us.

If you are taking medication, we recommend that you bring enough medication to last for the entire time that you expect to be in Israel. We also recommend that you pack your medication as part of your carry-on luggage in case your main luggage is delayed. If you have a notable medical condition, please inform us in advance in your Medical Information Form; no one likes surprises, and please remember that this is all for your safety (note: all medical records will be kept strictly confidential).

It’s very important to drink plenty water on the trip, especially in the summer. Israeli tap water is perfectly safe to drink. If you prefer bottled water, it is widely available and is quite inexpensive. Bottled water sold everywhere. Often you can buy it from your bus drivers, right on the bus at any time. This way you can give them a little business, and they deserve it, because they do a great job.