Masa Israel Journey (or Masa, Hebrew: מסע "journey") was established in 2004 by the Jewish Agency and the Government of Israel. Dedicated to its mission, Masa offers young Jewish adults from the diaspora transformative experiences in Israel. Masa's commitment to fostering personal and professional growth, combined with cultural exchange, has proven them as pioneers in the realm of immersive Israel experiences, spanning from 4 week to 10 month programs for ages between 16-50.
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| Formation | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Website | masaisrael |
Since its founding, over 200,000 participants from more than 60 countries have taken part in Masa programs. These programs offer a diverse range of opportunities, including volunteering, taking a gap year, teaching English to children in Israel's periphery, interning, working or studying. At Masa, the programs are designed to align with participants' personal aspirations, offering a sense of belonging among like minded individuals.
Masa Israel Journey offers generous financial support to those eligible. Masa also provides educational enrichment programs and workshops led by the Masa Leadership and Impact Center (MLIC).
Background
editBrought to fruition by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Masa was officially established in 2004 as a joint project of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Masa is governed by a 16-member steering committee, with eight representatives of the Government of Israel and eight representatives of the Jewish Agency for Israel. The steering committee is co-chaired by the Government of Israel Cabinet Secretary and the Director General of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when global travel came to a standstill and borders were largely closed, Masa was uniquely positioned as the only organization capable of issuing entry permits for new participants, allowing them to enter Israel despite international restrictions. The organization also facilitated the integration of participants into Israeli society by ensuring their access to vaccinations alongside local Israelis. Remarkably, over 20,000 participants participated in Masa programs in Israel during the pandemic, reflecting Masa's commitment to maintaining continuity in educational and volunteer opportunities despite global challenges.
In addition, after October 7th, 2023 and the war that then ensued, Masa continued to prioritize the engagement and safety of its participants. Thousands of participants were actively involved in programs within Israel, and many were mobilized to volunteer and support the community during this period of unrest. The introduction of the new Masa Volunteers program further enhanced these efforts by bringing hundreds of additional volunteers to Israel, contributing significantly to local resilience and support efforts during challenging times.
Masa’s Programs
editMasa Israel Journey offers a wide range of immersive experiences in Israel tailored to young adults aged 16-50. These programs are designed to foster personal and professional growth while deepening participants' connection to Israeli society and their Jewish identity. Masa's programs include:
- Teen Journey Programs: Masa Teen Journey offers teens to join in on the Masa experience. These high school programs in Israel will allow Fellows to travel, learn and encounter Israel first-hand with a focus on leadership, personal growth, and impact volunteering. Participants learn about the issues facing the Jewish world and how it relates to their own communities.
- Gap Year Programs: These programs allow recent high school graduates to spend a year in Israel exploring their interests, volunteering, or engaging in internships before starting college. They provide an opportunity for personal development and cultural immersion.
- Jewish Studies Programs: These programs are for those interested in deepening their knowledge of Jewish texts, history, and philosophy. They offer a variety of settings, from traditional yeshiva study to modern academic environments.
- Academic Programs: Masa offers academic experiences that enable college and university students to study in Israeli institutions, earning credits while experiencing life in Israel. These programs are ideal for students who want to integrate international education into their academic journey.
- Teaching Fellowships: Masa Israel Teaching Fellowships place participants in Israeli schools as English teachers, providing them with the chance to make a significant impact on students' lives while gaining valuable teaching experience.
- Internship Programs: Tailored for young professionals, these programs provide participants with the opportunity to gain practical work experience in their fields of interest in Israeli companies and organizations. They cater to a wide range of industries, including technology, business, education, and non-profit sectors.
- Career Development Programs: Aimed at recent graduates and young professionals, these programs combine professional internships with career coaching, networking opportunities, and skills workshops to help participants advance their careers. Masa provides paid and unpaid opportunities.
- Volunteer Programs: These programs connect participants with meaningful volunteer opportunities throughout Israel. Participants can contribute to various causes, including education, social justice, environmental sustainability, and community development, while living and volunteering alongside Israelis. This program was further developed into the Masa Volunteers program as a direct result of the tragic events of October 7th, 2023 and the war that followed.
- Pre-Aliyah: Pre-Aliyah programs are specifically geared towards our Russian and French speaking participants. This program prepares them to successfully integrate into Israeli society as they begin their new chapter as Israeli citizens. Russian speakers also have the opportunity to join Masa’s Masa Doctors program where they prepare to become authorized doctors in Israel.
Masa Israel Journey’s programs are structured to provide participants with the opportunity to experience Israel in a way that aligns with their personal and professional goals. With a strong emphasis on community, learning, and exploration, Masa aims to create lasting connections between participants and Israeli society.
MLIC
editThe Masa experience is curated by the Masa Leadership and Impact Center. The Masa Leadership and Impact Center (MLIC) encourages Masa Fellows to shape, diversify, and strengthen the Jewish world, Israel and beyond.
The MLIC supports program organizers and educators to turn a program into a journey, making it so much more. Throughout the participants' time in Israel they take part in various MLIC programming and events. For example, Masa hosts the largest English speaking Yom HaZikaron event in the world, which is also live streamed worldwide. In 2024, over 1,000,000 people tuned in. In addition, the MLIC is also responsible for hosting the annual Opening of the Year Ceremony to celebrate the commencement of each Masa year.
Masa Leadership Center holds a central role in developing and training young Jewish adults to lead systematic changes and answer the main challenges that are facing world Jewry. Masa is always looking to partner with more organizations and initiatives to continue creating leadership programs in Israel.
Program Organizers
editOrganizations interested in partnering with Masa must obtain recognition for their programs from the organization, in accordance with the relevant regulations. Program organizers within the Masa framework have the independence to design their educational and professional content and build their programs in line with their vision, philosophy, and target audience. This flexibility is granted as long as they adhere to Masa's educational vision and administrative guidelines outlined in these regulations.
Masa's recognition policy aims to support high-quality programs that significantly increase the number of young people choosing the Masa experience in Israel. In evaluating applications, Masa considers the identity of the requesting organization, its vision, capabilities, program quality, added value to the market, recruitment feasibility, the educational content, and other relevant factors.
Here is a list of some of the organizers and institutions Masa works with (in alphabetical order):
- Aardvark
- Beitar
- Destination Israel
- Garin Tzabar
- Haifa University
- Hanoar Hatzioni
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Israel Experience
- Israel Way
- Neve Yerushalayim
- Ramah
- Sachlav
- Tel Aviv University
- Tlalim
- Tzofim Tzabar Olami
- Yeshivat HaKotel
- Young Judea
Partnerships
editMasa Israel was established as a joint venture of the Government of Israel and The Jewish Agency for Israel and its partners, the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod – UIA. Over the years we have perfected the design of an authentic Israeli experience that provides both personal and professional development for thousands of Masa Fellows & alumni, thanks to a rich network of partners in Israel and abroad.
Here is a list of some of our partners (in alphabetical order):
- American Defamation League
- Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
- Jewish Federations of North America
- Moishe House
- Root One
- Stand With Us
- Zionist Federation of Australia
Funding
editHalf of Masa Israel's funding comes from the Government of Israel and the other half comes from the Jewish Agency for Israel, which is supported by the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA.[9] Also, each donation made to Masa is matched dollar to dollar by the Government of Israel and the other half comes from the Jewish Agency Participants on Masa programs who identify as Jewish can receive grants and scholarships toward the cost of their program, with the amount depending on their age, the length of their program and their country of origin.
Masa is a charitable organization in cooperation with JAFINA. Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council (EIN# 23-0053483) is a tax-exempt public charity in the United States under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by U.S. law.