BBYO Passport: International Leadership Seminar in Israel (ILSI)

In addition to seeing everything Israel has to offer, teens will take a deeper dive into the country’s culture and diversity. ILSI welcomes Alephs and BBGs from around the globe and allows them to have high-level discussions about Israel’s complex existence as a democracy in the Middle East with engaging scholars from the fields of society, politics, business, and more. Teens will also visit centuries-old cities like Nazareth, rappel off the walls of Ramon Crater, and get an eye-opening look at what Israeli life is like during this elite leadership seminar for BBYO members.

Major ILSI bonding moments:

• Meditating together in the silence of the Negev desert and taking a moonlit walk at night
• Singing songs and praying at the Western Wall during Shabbat
• Celebrating your new friends’ B’nai Mitzvot (and maybe yours, too)

ILSI Merit Based Scholarship: Teens registered for International Leadership Seminar in Israel (ILSI) are eligible to apply for the ILSI Merit Scholarship. Scholarship will be awarded on a rolling basis; senior class members are ineligible to apply.

WHAT MAKES IT ILSI? It’s no coincidence ILSI has been the culmination of BBYO’s leadership experience for generations. Here’s why!

Small-Group Learning | Although you’ll travel together as part of a larger community, ILSI is an intimate educational experience with one senior educator attached to each cluster of ~20 teens. We divide further into smaller mishpacha (family) groups for processing and discussion during programs.

Living Jewish Peoplehood | ILSI convenes Jewish teens from across North America and around the world. Meet other teens from countries like Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Latvia, Croatia, and Israel. This diversity is a unique opportunity to live the value of Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze La Ze (we’re all responsible for one another).

Jewish Leadership Modeling | ILSI highlights the stories of leaders who made key impacts on the course of Jewish history, figures like King David, Bar Kochba, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, Theodor Herzl, Hanna Senesh, David Ben Gurion, and Yitzhak Rabin. Their unique leadership approaches shed light on the past and inspire the future.

Connecting with Israeli Society | ILSI provides you opportunities to connect with the people of Israel. You’ll meet with teens from Maccabi Tzair (BBYO’s sister movement in Israel), active-duty IDF soldiers, and a cross-section of ethnic and religious leaders. Israel is a vibrant country; you’ll get a taste of its rich diversity.

The Joy of a Summer in Israel | Raft down the Jordan River, sleep under the stars in the desert, hike down a lush canyon on the Golan, enjoy the Tel Aviv beachfront, explore colorful open-air markets, and swim in natural springs. You’ll return home with lifelong memories from a summer adventure in Israel.