Israel is the homeland of the Jewish People: historical and modern, innovative, diverse, vibrant, and complex. The Explore Israel initiative is intended to help you begin to understand your relationship with the State of Israel through programming, training, debate, immersive travel, face-to-face encounters with teens and adults representing all viewpoints and thoughtful dialogue. Alephs and BBGs have a wide array of Israel experiences, opinions and questions. We may not always agree on everything, but we're working to build a safe space that encourages curiosity, challenging each other, and personal growth. Your relationship with Israel will be lifelong. Start exploring today!
AZA and BBG's history is closely tied to that of the State of Israel. AZA and BBG leaders signed a declaration recognizing the State of Israel before independence in 1948 and have been experiencing Israel through teen travel since 1956. As the leaders of the global Jewish community, it is our responsibility to learn about, appreciate, advocate for, challenge, and shape the future of Israel.
AZA and BBG provide a menu of year-round opportunities to meaningfully engage in Israel. Explore ways you can get involved below.
Alephs and BBGs can be a part of the Explore Israel Club or Global Israel Fellowship through the International Leadership Network (ILN). These groups regularly meet and host programming on BBYO On Demand.
Literature about Israel can educate, entertain, and inspire about the State's history, culture, politics, and people. Explore the titles below to inspire your next read.
This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side--where the archives are still closed—is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials.
Start Reading
A family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history. A Tale of Love and Darkness is the story of a boy who grows up in war-torn Jerusalem, in a small apartment crowded with books in twelve languages and relatives speaking nearly as many.
Start Reading
To the handful of Israeli soldiers occupying the ancient crusader fortress, it is a little slice of hell—a forbidding, fear-soaked enclave perched atop two acres of land in southern Lebanon, surrounded by an enemy they cannot see. And to the thirteen young men in his command, twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant Liraz “Erez” Liberti is a taskmaster, confessor, and the only hope in the face of attacks that come out of nowhere and of missions seemingly designed to get them all killed. But in their stony haven, Erez and his soldiers have created their own little world, their own rules, their own language. And here Erez listens to his men build castles out of words, telling stories, telling lies, talking incessantly of women, sex, and dead comrades. Until, in the final days of the occupation, Erez and his squad of fed-up, pissed-off, frightened young soldiers are given one last order: a mission that will shatter all remaining illusions—and stand as a testament to the universal, gut-wrenching futility of war.
Start Reading
Exodus is a historical novel by American novelist Leon Uris about the founding of the State of Israel. Published in 1958, it begins with a compressed retelling of the voyages of the 1947 immigration ship Exodus.
Start Reading
It is 1995 and Noa and Amir, a student couple, have decided to move in together. Noa is studying photography in Jerusalem and Amir is a psychology student in Tel Aviv. They choose a small apartment in a village in the hills, midway between the two cities.
Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting.
Start Reading
The story of a lost dog, and the discovery of first love on the streets of Jerusalem are portrayed here with a gritty realism that is as fresh as it is compelling.
When awkward and painfully shy sixteen-year-old Assaf is asked to find the owner of a stray yellow lab, he begins a quest that will bring him into contact with street kids and criminals, and a talented young singer, Tamar, engaged on her own mission: to rescue a teenage drug addict.
Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status . . . and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef-now called "Joseph"-reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East.
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
David Grossman tells the powerful story of a mother’s love for her son. Just before his release from service in the Israeli army, Ora’s son Ofer is sent back to the front for a major offensive. In a fit of preemptive grief and magical thinking, so that no bad news can reach her, Ora sets out on an epic hike in the Galilee. She is joined by an unlikely companion—Avram, a former friend and lover with a troubled past—and as they sleep out in the hills, Ora begins to conjure her son. Ofer’s story, as told by Ora, becomes a surprising balm both for her and for Avram—and a mother’s haunting meditation on war and family.
There's nothing like being in Israel. The beautiful landscapes, the rich history and culture, the people, the delicious Israeli food, and more always make each visit unique, powerful, and enriching. Traveling to Israel is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of the political landscape and connect with the culture in ways you will never be able to online or through events. BBYO has a number of trips you can take advantage of this summer through BBYO Passport. Explore different journeys focused on adventure, leadership, history, and more below.
Explore Trips
Run a pre-built Israel program for your chapter to bring your members closer to Israel. If you're looking to build something on your own, we have funding to help elevate your event through our Gamechanger Granting program.
Explore ProgramsApply for Funding
BBYO runs dozens of trips to Israel over the summer where you can get to know our Homeland. Explore Israel through history tours, breathtaking hikes, connecting with the locals, enjoying the food, and much more.
BBYO has a limited number of $3,000 RootOne Israel travel vouchers, open to all Jewish teens in the USA and Canada, and available regardless of need. Traveling to Israel has never been more affordable!
Spend a year in Israel after graduation with BBYO's Movement partner in Israel, Maccabi World Union. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Israel in a deep and meaningful way.
Learn More
Ofir Shinhertz is an Israeli currently living in Washington, DC working as BBYO's Central Shaliach. Ofir grew up in BBYO's sister movement in Israel, Maccabi Tzair, and helps to connect Israel to BBYO teens around the world. If you have questions about any of the Israel opportunities listed above, reach out to Ofir. You can also stay up to date with him through the BBYO Central Shaliach Instagram account.
Whether you're planning a trip to or program about Israel, we've got you covered. On the interactive map below, you can explore and learn about Israel's historical sites, major cities, favorite activities, best hikes, beaches, places to eat, and more. This map will be updated regularly so you know all of the best things to do all the time.
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There are hundreds of news sources where you can stay up to date with what's happening in Israel. Israel news is often world news. The events that happen in Israel affect all of us.
Check out the links below to explore different sources of news about Israel—we even encourage you to subscribe to a few of their newsletters. Each site has a different approach and a different political orientation. A wide range of opinions and perspectives will help deepen your understanding about all things Israel.
Literature about Israel can educate, entertain, and inspire about the State's history, culture, politics, and people. Explore the titles below to inspire your next read.
This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side--where the archives are still closed—is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials.
Start ReadingA family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history. A Tale of Love and Darkness is the story of a boy who grows up in war-torn Jerusalem, in a small apartment crowded with books in twelve languages and relatives speaking nearly as many.
Start ReadingTo the handful of Israeli soldiers occupying the ancient crusader fortress, it is a little slice of hell—a forbidding, fear-soaked enclave perched atop two acres of land in southern Lebanon, surrounded by an enemy they cannot see. And to the thirteen young men in his command, twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant Liraz “Erez” Liberti is a taskmaster, confessor, and the only hope in the face of attacks that come out of nowhere and of missions seemingly designed to get them all killed. But in their stony haven, Erez and his soldiers have created their own little world, their own rules, their own language. And here Erez listens to his men build castles out of words, telling stories, telling lies, talking incessantly of women, sex, and dead comrades. Until, in the final days of the occupation, Erez and his squad of fed-up, pissed-off, frightened young soldiers are given one last order: a mission that will shatter all remaining illusions—and stand as a testament to the universal, gut-wrenching futility of war.
Start ReadingExodus is a historical novel by American novelist Leon Uris about the founding of the State of Israel. Published in 1958, it begins with a compressed retelling of the voyages of the 1947 immigration ship Exodus.
Start ReadingIt is 1995 and Noa and Amir, a student couple, have decided to move in together. Noa is studying photography in Jerusalem and Amir is a psychology student in Tel Aviv. They choose a small apartment in a village in the hills, midway between the two cities.
Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting.
Start ReadingThe story of a lost dog, and the discovery of first love on the streets of Jerusalem are portrayed here with a gritty realism that is as fresh as it is compelling.
When awkward and painfully shy sixteen-year-old Assaf is asked to find the owner of a stray yellow lab, he begins a quest that will bring him into contact with street kids and criminals, and a talented young singer, Tamar, engaged on her own mission: to rescue a teenage drug addict.
Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status . . . and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef-now called "Joseph"-reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East.
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
David Grossman tells the powerful story of a mother’s love for her son. Just before his release from service in the Israeli army, Ora’s son Ofer is sent back to the front for a major offensive. In a fit of preemptive grief and magical thinking, so that no bad news can reach her, Ora sets out on an epic hike in the Galilee. She is joined by an unlikely companion—Avram, a former friend and lover with a troubled past—and as they sleep out in the hills, Ora begins to conjure her son. Ofer’s story, as told by Ora, becomes a surprising balm both for her and for Avram—and a mother’s haunting meditation on war and family.
There's nothing like being in Israel. The beautiful landscapes, the rich history and culture, the people, the delicious Israeli food, and more always make each visit unique, powerful, and enriching. Traveling to Israel is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of the political landscape and connect with the culture in ways you will never be able to online or through events. BBYO has a number of trips you can take advantage of this summer through BBYO Passport. Explore different journeys focused on adventure, leadership, history, and more below.
Explore TripsDive into stories about Israel to deepen your understanding about the politics, people, culture, and history of the State. There are thousands of books about Israel but here's a list of some of the most popular titles to get you started.
This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side—where the archives are still closed—is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials.
Many Americans who care about Israel's future are questioning whether the hard-line, uncritical stances adopted by many traditional pro-Israel advocates really serve the country's best interests over the long-term. Moderate Jeremy Ben-Ami, founder of J Street, the new pro-Israel, pro-peace political movement, punctures many of the myths that have long guided our understanding of the politics of the American Jewish community and have been fundamental to how pro-Israel advocates have pursued their work. Ben-Ami, whose grandparents were first-generation Zionists and founders of Tel Aviv, tells the story of his own evolution toward a more moderate viewpoint. He sketches a new direction for both American policy and the conduct of the debate over Israel in the American Jewish community.
A family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history. A Tale of Love and Darkness is the story of a boy who grows up in war-torn Jerusalem, in a small apartment crowded with books in twelve languages and relatives speaking nearly as many. The story of an adolescent whose life has been changed forever by his mother’s suicide. The story of a man who leaves the constraints of his family and community to join a kibbutz, change his name, marry, have children. The story of a writer who becomes an active participant in the political life of his nation.
By turns subversive and darkly comic, brutal and tender, Ron Leshem's debut novel is an international literary sensation, winner of Israel's top award for literature, and the basis for a prizewinning film.Beaufort. To the handful of Israeli soldiers occupying the ancient crusader fortress, it is a little slice of hell-a forbidding, fear-soaked enclave perched atop two acres of land in southern Lebanon, surrounded by an enemy they cannot see. And to the thirteen young men in his command, twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant Liraz "Erez" Liberti is a taskmaster, confessor, and their only hope in the face of attacks that come out of nowhere and missions seemingly designed to get them all killed.All around them, tension crackles in the air. Long stretches of boredom and black humor are punctuated by flashes of terror. And the threat of death is constant. But in their stony haven, Erez and his soldiers have created their own little world, their own rules, their own language. And here Erez listens to his men build castles out of words, telling stories, telling lies, talking incessantly of women, sex, and dead comrades. Until, in the final days of the occupation, Erez and his squad of fed-up, pissed-off, frightened young soldiers are given one last order: a mission that will shatter all remaining illusions-and stand as a testament to the universal, gut-wrenching futility of war.
Start ReadingExodus is a historical novel by American novelist Leon Uris about the founding of the State of Israel. Published in 1958, it begins with a compressed retelling of the voyages of the 1947 immigration ship Exodus.
Start Reading
In From Herzl to Rabin, Amnon Rubinstein traces the history of the Israeli state and provides the reader with a fascinating study of Zionism. Moving deftly between the roles of objective historian and persuasive politician, Rubinstein uses his skills to show both the political and religious aspects of Zionism and the attacks on it by the haredim and Post- and anti-Zionists.
Start ReadingThis heart-warming, charming and clever first novel dips into the lives of each of the inhabitants of a village in Israel. It is 1995 and Noa and Amir, a student couple, have decided to move in together. Noa is studying photography in Jerusalem and Amir is a psychology student in Tel Aviv. They choose a small apartment in a village in the hills, midway between the two cities.
Why are words so important to so many Jews? Novelist Amos Oz and historian Fania Oz-Salzberger roam the gamut of Jewish history to explain the integral relationship of Jews and words. Through a blend of storytelling and scholarship, conversation and argument, father and daughter tell the tales behind Judaism’s most enduring names, adages, disputes, texts, and quips. These words, they argue, compose the chain connecting Abraham with the Jews of every subsequent generation. Framing the discussion within such topics as continuity, women, timelessness, and individualism, Oz and Oz-Salzberger deftly engage Jewish personalities across the ages, from the unnamed, possibly female author of the Song of Songs through obscure Talmudists to contemporary writers. They suggest that Jewish continuity, even Jewish uniqueness, depends not on central places, monuments, heroic personalities, or rituals but rather on written words and an ongoing debate between the generations. Full of learning, lyricism, and humor, Jews and Words offers an extraordinary tour of the words at the heart of Jewish culture and extends a hand to the reader, any reader, to join the conversation.
A groundbreaking collection of essays by celebrated international writers bears witness to the human cost of fifty years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. In Kingdom of Olives and Ash, Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, two of today's most renowned novelists and essayists, have teamed up with the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence—an organization comprised of former Israeli soldiers who served in the occupied territories and saw firsthand the injustice there—and a host of illustrious writers to tell the stories of the people on the ground in the contested territories.
Palestinian and Israeli Public Opinion is based on a unique project: the Joint Israeli-Palestinian Poll (JIPP). Since 2000, Jacob Shamir and Khalil Shikaki have directed joint surveys among Israelis and Palestinians, providing a rare opportunity to examine public opinion on two sides of an intractable conflict. Adopting a two-level game theory approach, Shamir and Shikaki argue that public opinion is a multifaceted phenomenon and a critical player in international politics. They examine how the Israeli and Palestinian publics' assessments, expectations, mutual perceptions and misperceptions, and overt political action fed into domestic policy formation and international negotiations―from the failure of the 2000 Camp David summit through the second Intifada and the elections of 2006. A discussion of the study's implications for policymaking and strategic framing of future peace agreements concludes this timely and informative book.
This balanced and comprehensive text explores Israeli government and politics from both institutional and behavioral perspectives. After briefly discussing Israel’s history and the early development of the state, Gregory Mahler then examines the social, religious, economic, cultural, and military contexts within which Israeli politics takes place. He makes special note of Israel’s geopolitical situation of sharing borders with, and being proximate to, several hostile Arab nations. The book explains the operation of political institutions and behavior in Israeli domestic politics, including the constitutional system and ideology, parliamentary government, the prime minister and the Knesset, political parties and interest groups, the electoral process and voting behavior, and the machinery of government. Mahler also considers Israel’s foreign policy setting and apparatus, the Palestinians and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the particularly sensitive questions of Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement movement, and the Middle East peace process overall. This clear and concise text provides an invaluable starting point for all readers needing a cogent introduction to Israel today.
Scenes from 68 Years is a selection of intertwined vignettes telling the story of ordinary Palestinians at a very human level with mischievous humour. It offers snapshots of the routine of life in the shadow of occupation: we look into an Israeli household with a rebellious pro-Palestinian teenager, join a tediously long queue at an Israeli check point, and get swept into an absurd act of civil disobedience by Palestinian civilians in a desperate attempt to get worldwide media attention.
Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting.
Start ReadingThe story of a lost dog, and the discovery of first love on the streets of Jerusalem are portrayed here with a gritty realism that is as fresh as it is compelling.
Start ReadingSince he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef-now called "Joseph"-reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East.
Start-up Nation addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
Start Reading
In The Accidental Empire, Gershom Gorenberg examines the strange birth of the settler movement in the ten years following the Six-Day War and finds that it was as much the child of Labor Party socialism as of religious extremism. The giants of Israeli history―Dayan, Meir, Eshkol, Allon―all played major roles in this drama, as did more contemporary figures like Sharon, Rabin, and Peres. Gorenberg also shows how three American presidents turned a blind eye to what was happening in the territories, and reveals their strategic reasons for doing so.
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Tracing the dramatic changes in Jewish religion, culture, and identity from the seventeenth century to 1948, The Jew in the Modern World, Third Edition, remains the most complete sourcebook on modern Jewish history available. Now thoroughly expanded and updated, this critically acclaimed volume of primary materials features previously unpublished and inaccessible sources concerning the Jewish experience in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa; women in Jewish history; American Jewish life; the Holocaust; and Zionism and the nascent Jewish community in Palestine on the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel. The documents are arranged chronologically in each chapter and are meticulously and extensively annotated and cross-referenced. Providing useful tables detailing Jewish demographic trends, this unique text is ideal for courses in modern Jewish history, Zionism and Israel, the Holocaust, or modern European history.
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A farmer from a village in the occupied West Bank, cut off from his olive groves by the construction of Israel’s controversial separation wall, asked Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard to petition the courts to allow a gate to be built in the wall. While the gate would provide immediate relief for the farmer, would it not also confer legitimacy on the wall and on the court that deems it legal? The defense of human rights is often marked by such ethical dilemmas, which are especially acute in Israel, where lawyers have for decades sought redress for the abuse of Palestinian rights in the country’s High Court―that is, in the court of the abuser. In The Wall and the Gate, Michael Sfard chronicles this struggle―a story that has never before been fully told― and in the process engages the core principles of human rights legal ethics.
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The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow sheds light on the surprisingly diverse and shared visions for realizing Israel as a democratic Jewish state. Building on Arthur Hertzberg’s classic, The Zionist Idea, Gil Troy explores the backstories, dreams, and legacies of more than 170 passionate Jewish visionaries—quadruple Hertzberg’s original number, and now including women, mizrachim, and others—from the 1800s to today.
Start ReadingDavid Grossman tells the powerful story of a mother’s love for her son. Just before his release from service in the Israeli army, Ora’s son Ofer is sent back to the front for a major offensive. In a fit of preemptive grief and magical thinking, so that no bad news can reach her, Ora sets out on an epic hike in the Galilee. She is joined by an unlikely companion—Avram, a former friend and lover with a troubled past—and as they sleep out in the hills, Ora begins to conjure her son. Ofer’s story, as told by Ora, becomes a surprising balm both for her and for Avram—and a mother’s haunting meditation on war and family.
Start Reading
Beginning with the shattering of the traditional Jewish society during the Enlightenment, Viorst covers the recent history of the Jews, from the spread of Jewish Emancipation during the French Revolution Era to the rise of the exclusionary anti-Semitism that overwhelmed Europe in the late nineteenth century. Viorst examines how Zionism was born and follows its development through the lives and ideas of its dominant leaders, who all held only one tenet in common: that Jews, for the first time in two millennia, must determine their own destiny to save themselves. But, in regards to creating a Jewish state with a military that dominates the region, Viorst argues that Israel has squandered the goodwill it enjoyed at its founding, and thus the country has put its own future on very uncertain footing.
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Israeli cuisine has adopted, and continues to adapt, elements of various styles of diaspora Jewish cuisine, particularly the Mizrahi, Sephardic and Ashkenazi styles of cooking. It incorporates many foods traditionally included in other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Israel is know for spices like za'atar and foods such as falafel, hummus, shakshouka and couscous.
Bring the Homeland into your home with some classic Israeli recipes.
Watching movies about Israel is a great way to vividly understand people's day-to-day lives, the complexities of the State, and the rich history. You may learn a little Hebrew along the way, too! Get started with your Israel movie journey with this list below.
5 Broken Cameras is a first-hand account of protests in Bil'in, a West Bank village affected by the Israeli West Bank barrier.
Start Watching
A group of Jewish American war pilots smuggle planes out of the U.S. and fly for Israel in its War of Independence.
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Bethlehem tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant. Shuttling back and forth between conflicting points of view, the film is a raw portrayal of characters torn apart by competing loyalties and impossible moral dilemmas, giving an unparalleled glimpse into the dark and fascinating world of human intelligence.
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A group of former soldiers, who fought for opposite sides in the Middle East, embark on a transformational journey from combatants to non-violent peace activists.
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Fill the Voice focuses on life among the Haredi Jewish community in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hadas Yaron stars as Shira Mendelman, an 18-year-old girl who is pressured to marry her older sister's husband following the death of her sister in childbirth.
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After a lukewarm marriage of over twenty years, a woman appeals to her husband's compassion to obtain the desirable divorce document in front of a court, which proves to be more challenging than she would expect.
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Junction 48 is a love story of two young Palestinian hip-hop artists who use their music to fight against both the external oppression of Israeli society and the internal repression of their own crime-ridden, conservative community. It depicts a new generation of young Arabs who seek normality through their love and music.
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The film centers on Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi), the 31-year-old child of tradition-minded Georgian Jewish immigrants who are anxiously trying to arrange a marriage for him. Unbeknownst to them, he is secretly dating a 34-year-old divorcée, Judith (Ronit Elkabetz). When his parents discover the relationship and violently intervene, Zaza must choose between his family traditions and his love.
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Mivtza Savta (Operation Grandma) is a satirical Israeli comedy about three very different brothers trying to get around many obstacles to bury their grandmother on her kibbutz.
A woman from Gaza joins a clandestine network of women who are determined to make the world recognize Palestine's right to self-determination.
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When their entire lives shatter, two Bedouin women struggle to change the unchangeable rules, each in her own individual way.
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Six former heads of Israel's secret service agency, the Shin Bet, discuss their organization's successes and failures since the Six Day War in 1967.
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The Green Prince exposes a world of betrayals, impossible choices, and deadly secrets amidst the chaos in the Middle East, detailing the extraordinary true story of a Palestinian born Israeli informant and his Israeli Shin Bet handler.
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The Law in These Parts is an Israeli documentary film, written and directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, about the court system operated by the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank.
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Inspired by remarkable rescue missions, this is the incredible story of a group of Mossad agents and brave Ethiopians who in the early 80s used a deserted holiday retreat center in Sudan as a front to smuggle thousands of refugees to Israel. The undercover team carrying out this mission is led by the charismatic Ari Kidron and courageous local Kabede Bimro.
A look at Jewish settlers in the West Bank and their allies - Jewish and non-Jewish alike - in Israel, America and Europe. The origins of the settler phenomenon, which reach back almost half a century, are explored along with a look at who the settlers are today and how they impact the Middle East peace process.
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Palestinians in Beit Sahour start a local dairy farm, hiding a herd of 18 cows from Israeli security forces when the dairy collective was deemed a threat to Israeli national security.
Inspired by actual events, Waltz with Bashir chronicles one man's descent into his own half-forgotten past. Filmmaker Ari Folman, an Israeli veteran of the First Lebanon War, encounters an old friend suffering from nightmares of the conflict. Ari begins to wonder why his own memories are full of gaps.
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YOSSI & JAGGER is based on a true story about two men, both Israeli army officers serving in Lebanon. The two have a secret love affair that adds further complication to life in the remote base in which they serve. Directed by Eytan Fox and starring Israeli heartthrob, Yehuda Levi.
Zero Motivation is a unique, sharply observed, sometimes dark and often hilarious portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female soldiers in a remote Israeli desert outpost
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together to create a distinctive musical culture. Israel's musicians have made significant contributions to classical, jazz, pop rock and other international music genres.
Music in Israel is an integral part of national identity. Beginning in the days of the pioneers, Hebrew songs and public singalongs (Shira beTsibur) were encouraged and supported by the establishment. Jewish immigrants from across continents brought their musical traditions, melding and molding them into a new Israeli sound.
Many shows produced in Israel or about Israel have become internationally recognized and viewed. If you're looking for your next TV binge, definitely add one of these shows to your list.
A Romeo and Juliet story, focusing on the relationship of a young non-religious male Jewish immigrant from Russia who falls in love with a young woman who is part of the city's ultra-orthodox community.
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Amjad is an Arab-Israeli journalist whose problems with cultural identity drive himself and all around him crazy especially his wife, Bushra.
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Fauda is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces. The series premiered on February 15, 2015. It tells the story of Doron, a commander in the Mista'arvim unit and his team as they pursue a Hamas arch-terrorist known as "The Panther."
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The series revolves around a secret Mossad compound called 'HaMidrasha', which is surrounded by surveillance cameras and is equipped with technological devices. The compound operates a training course in which 13 trainees are sent to complicated missions in order to test their suitability for the occupation, and their improvisation, seduction and impersonation abilities. Yonna, the commander, criticizes the mediocrity of Mossad's agents and demands from the new trainees a higher level of execution. He decides to create a new training program to test his trainees via unusual and radical situations, in which, apart from excellence, Yonna demands a creative "out of the box" thinking.
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The story of a haredi family in Jerusalem. Shulem Schtisel the father of a large family is dealing with his younger son who he wants to see married soon. His daughter, Giti is dealing in secret with marital problems while his other son Zvi Arie tries to patch everything up.
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Srugim is a drama series which deals with the life of religious bachelors from Jerusalem. The series offers a glance into the lives of intelligent and educated young males and females which can't find their place in the existing religious frames.
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A Mossad agent embarks on her first mission as a computer hacker in her home town of Tehran.
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This drama tells the astonishing true story of Israel's most prominent spy, Eli Cohen, who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s.
This dramatic thriller centers on four friends—Israeli military veterans—who reunite for a final, deeply personal rescue mission 11 years after having a bitter falling out. They travel to the Colombian jungle in search of Yaeli—the former lover of one man and sister of another—who they had presumed was dead. The Hebrew-language series, a story of fighting for life and overcoming personal demons to find peace, is based on a book of the same name.
Young combatants are thrust into Israel's 1973 Yom Kippur War which is later revealed to have been avoidable.
Based on Israel series Yellow Peppers by Keren Margalit, The A Word is a BBC drama which follows the family of a five-year-old boy struggling to come to terms with their young son’s autism.
Start WatchingThere are important dates to keep in mind when prioritizing Israel programming and experiences. Israel programming and community opportunities happen regularly on BBYO On Demand through the Explore Israel Committee and partner organizations.
Jewish Holiday
April 17, 2023
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April 18, 2023
27 ניסן 5783
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Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed in commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust.
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Jewish Holiday
April 24, 2023
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April 25, 2023
4 אייר 5783
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Israel’s Day of Remembrance commemorating Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
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Jewish Holiday
April 25, 2023
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April 26, 2023
5 אייר 5783
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Israel’s Independence Day celebrated with a joyous festival commemorating the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
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Summer
June 27, 2023
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July 18, 2023
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BBYO’s three-week leadership program in Israel that travels the country for teens to explore, meet with leaders, and learn from experts.
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By infusing Israel into your community's programming, you may be eligible for the highly esteemed AZA and BBG International Award listed below.
All members who have consistently sought out and built opportunities to learn about, educate others on, explore, and advocate for the State of Israel are eligible to apply for or be nominated for this award. Alephs and BBGs who have inspired others to seek to educate themselves and continue to create meaningful Explore Israel experiences for their peers may be selected by the International Sh’lichim to receive this honor.
ApplyRun one of the programs below for your chapter to engage in our Explore Israel initiative.
What will the State of Israel look like in 2048? Imagine it’s 100 years after the establishment of Israel, and you’re creating a poster to celebrate. Dive into topics of inclusion, religion, pluralism, and acceptance as you look at winning entries from Israel’s poster competition and have the opportunity to create your own.
ExploreThe city of Jerusalem is very complex, and so too can be our relationship with the State of Israel. We have the opportunity to look further and explore the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem: its borders, holiness, democracy, and its standing on a global stage. We invite you to take an experiential tour of Jerusalem and learn more about the issues facing Israel.
ExploreTaste of Memories is a new and unique commemoration project that aims to commemorate Israel Defense Force's fallen soldiers and Israeli terror victims, through the cooking of their favorite recipes while telling their stories.
Every year on the 4th of Iyar, we commemorate Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. This program will help you better understand Israel's Memorial Day and understand the life of a fallen soldier.
