UJA's Israel Engagement
A great focus of UJA Federation’s partnership with Israel, especially over the past decade, has been strengthening our vision of building a lasting two-way relationship between the Jewish community in Toronto and the people of Israel. Through immersive Israel experiences, UJA is creating opportunities for people in both communities to connect in deep and meaningful ways. UJA Israel Engagement is comprised of four main pillars: people to people relationships, relevance to contemporary Israel, knowledge and action-based connections, and bi-relational learning between Israel and the Diaspora.
A young woman teaching ABC's

MASA Israel Journey

Masa Israel Journey is the global leader in immersive experiences for young Diaspora Jews. Experiences last for 4-12 months and include gap year, academic, and career development programs operated by the Jewish Agency for Israel and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Every year, thousands of young Jews from around the world travel to Israel for an in-depth and authentic experience, where they work to grow both personally and professionally.

Masa Canada Facebook
Masa Canada Instagram
Masa Israel Instagram

3 students on March of the living

March of the Living

March of the Living is an annual Holocaust education program that travels to Poland and Israel to learn about the Jewish community that once flourished in Europe, the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the establishment and survival of the State of Israel.

March Of The Living Facebook
March of the Living Canada Instagram

Shinshinim participants standing together in front of #shlichut

UJA Israel Engagement’s ShinShinim

UJA Israel Engagement’s ShinShinim are post-high school Israeli leaders who have been handpicked to complete a year of service in the GTA's Jewish community. Their service focuses on creating a living bridge between the Jewish community in Toronto and Israeli society. For the last 15 years, this cutting-edge initiative generated by UJA Federation and the Jewish Agency for Israel has been infusing contemporary Israel in Toronto’s Jewish identity.

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UJA's Diller Teen Fellows

UJA's Diller Teen Fellows is an immersive leadership program for a select group of Jewish 10th and 11th graders from six continents and 32 communities to step up, lead their communities, and repair the world. The program provides a powerful and transformative extra-curricular experience throughout the school year, culminating in a three-week seminar in Israel during the summer.

Diller Teen Fellows Facebook
Diller Teen Fellows Instagram

A volunteer with a student

Israel Gap Year

Israel Gap Year is a partnership between UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and Masa Israel Journey. It was created to strengthen the relationship between the Diaspora and Israel, through meaningful year-long experiences in Israel. These programs offer high school graduates a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live, volunteer, learn, and grow in Israel through life-changing volunteer placements.

Israel Gap Year Facebook
Israel Gap Year Instagram
Arevim Masa Year of Service Instagram

2 students in front of laptops

UJA's Café Hafooch

UJA's Café Hafooch is an intergenerational exchange program, virtually connecting adult members of English-speaking Jewish communities with Israeli students. Throughout this online encounter, participants gain a closer look at Israeli society and Jewish communities in the Diaspora through film and documentaries. This enables them to share their personal stories and diverse viewpoints with one another.

Onward Israel

Onward Israel

Join peers from around Toronto for an exciting 6-week internship in Israel. Onward Toronto helps young adults 19-27 gain resume boosting experience through valuable and educational internships in Israel. Participants will form a deeper connection to Israel while gaining real world experience. This highly subsidized 6-week internship program allows Jewish young adults from Toronto to live, intern, and connect to Israel, like a local. Build meaningful relationships with one-another and your community, and with Israel. Intern 4-5 days a week, immerse yourself in Israeli society with a group of your peers. Participate in seminars, weekly activities as well as daytrips, cultural events, and activities with the cohort all over Israel. This Onward Israel program is operated through a partnership between the Beacon and Shapira Foundations and other leading philanthropists, The Jewish Agency for Israel and the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Birthright

Birthright Israel

Birthright Israel provides the gift of FREE group-based educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 to 32. Birthright Israel seeks to ensure the future of the Jewish people by strengthening Jewish identity, Jewish communities, and connection with Israel via a trip to Israel for the majority of Jewish young adults from around the world.

Birthright Israel is an innovative partnership between the Government of Israel, private philanthropists, and tens of thousands of individual donors and Jewish communities around the world, including North American Jewish Federations through the Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Keren Hayesod. Since 1999, more than 750,000 young adults from 66 countries have taken advantage of Birthright Israel sponsored trips.

There are currently two trip organizers operating in Canada Tailor made Israel and Israel Outdoors. To learn more and register for a trip visit here.